The Bail Bond Process in Jacksonville

No two cases are alike. There are several things that determine how long the booking process will take. This includes prior criminal history, the conditions within the jail itself and the number of people in line to be processed. Call Ryan Wells Bail Bonds at 904-853-6450 for up to the minute information about how long it will take someone to be processed at any given time. Calling the jail will also get you the information you need if you are trying to find the status on a particular inmate. Defendants many not have access to a phone, so you may need to call the jail or a bail bonds agent if you want an immediate update. We have agents available around the clock to handle these types of requests.

Booking

Certain charges require the defendant to appear in court (either 9 A.M. or 1 P.M., each day) prior to the bond being set or posted:

• Any and all defendants who have a prior felony conviction
• Cases involving domestic violence (if an arrest warrant was issued, this does not apply)
• Individuals with felony charges ( this does not apply if a warrant was issued)
• Driving under the influence (DUI) and all other alcohol related charges the require a defendant to remain in custody for a minimum of eight hours before being released on bond
• Individuals arrested and transported to the John E. Goode Pre-Trial Detention Center. Also known as the Duval County Jail, the facility is located at 500 East Adams St, in Jacksonville. This includes individuals who were arrested on both felony or misdemeanor charges, child support violations and other warrants.

Individuals outside of the jail cannot make direct contact with an inmate during the booking process. One of the most critical and time consuming steps in the booking process is determining whether or not a person has outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions across the country. This is called gaining “clearance” and entails submitting the defendant's personal information through both the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) and the NCIC (National Crime Information Center). An officer working at the releasing desk will inform the defendant if and when they are “cleared” to proceed through the rest of the process.

The entire process, including processing and clearance” can take up to 12 hours. Very rarely will it take less than eight hours to complete. There is an automated system that is accessible 24 hours a day that provides information on the status of an inmate. To contact this information, you must call the jail directly. It is important to have paper and a pencil handy to record the inmate's jail number, list of charges and the time the booking process started. To receive updates and details pertaining to current times and processing information call us. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is our job to help you find answers.

Bond

Bond can be posted by anyone at any time. Bonds can be paid in their entirety directly to the jail itself or a bail bond agent can be hired. To post bond through an agent, the court normally requires a 10 percent non-refundable premium. For example, if bond is $7,000.50, the premium presented to the bonding agent would be $700.05. Small bonds can be paid in cash, while larger bonds may require collateral.

In most cases, when a cash bond is posted to the court, they have the right to deduct any fees, expenses and monetary forms of restitution from the amount of bail paid. Once all financial obligations to the court have been satisfied, the rest of the bail money will be returned to the co-signer of the bond.

Another element needed to secure a bond is an “indemnitor”. This is a person or persons, which help a defendant establish credibility. By establishing credibility, they agree that they will be held accountable to ensure the defendant reports to all of their scheduled court hearings. Establishing credibility can involve proving employment, good standing within the community, reputation, owns property or a business and financial risk. The indemnitor promises to guarantee the defendant's appearance through the use of collateral that can include, but is not limited to the following:

• Car titles
• Property deeds
• Certificates of deposit
• Jewelry
• Other personal assets that are of substantial value

Ryan Wells Bail Bonds also accepts major credit cards and security bonds as a form of guarantee. If there are any questions concerning what can be used as collateral, call our offices at 904-853-6450. Collateral must be sufficient enough to cover the entire cost of the bond. The indemnitor assumes all responsibility for the bail if the defendant does not show up in court as scheduled. Free bail bond information is available at any time, day or night. Call 904-853-6450, to talk to one of our qualified agents.