How Does Bail Work in Tulsa, Oklahoma?

Bail bonds explained – the Constitution of the United States and the State of Oklahoma mandates bail. Bail allows people accused of crimes to remain free until their trial. It is far easier for people accused of crimes to prepare their defense while out of custody. Don’t prepare your defense in jail. Rather, make bail!

Bail fees are typical 10% of the bond amount. SEE Available Discounts and Other Terms. After the bail amount is paid, the accused person can leave jail with the promise of returning for their next court appearance. If they fail to do so or “skip” bail, they forfeit the amount of money promised to the court and further endanger their case, their cosigners and their freedom.

First, what is “Surety Bail”?

Surety bail requires a set amount of money or property to be given to the court. Surety Bail is either preset from a county’s bail schedule or sometimes set after seeing a judge for more serious charges. Some particularly serious crimes do not allow bail. Judges have a great deal of leeway in setting the amount of bail so every case is different.

Depending on the alleged crime, bail can be extremely expensive. Not everyone has the cash to pay the court thousands of dollars to get out of jail. In that case, hiring a Bail Bondsman may be the best option.

Guarantee / Promise to Appear

Often times, the contract for bail includes a third party guarantee. A close friend or family member of the defendant commonly guarantees bail. The person providing that guarantee is referred to as an indemnitor. An Oklahoma bail bond is a contractual agreement. Therefore, an appearance bond will be presented to the court. This bond becomes part of the court file.

Prior to posting the bond, a co-signer agree that if the defendant does not appear in court, they hold the bail company harmless. The promise is very simple. The cosigner will pay any recovery expenses plus the full amount of the bond if the defendant cannot be located. In short, the defendant MUST GO TO COURT. Otherwise, the cosigner could be liable for paying more money.

What else is needed to make bail?

In addition to the required Bail Bond premium or down payment, certain other thing may be needed:

• first of all, proper identification
• a pay-stub or other verification of employment
• personal information such as: social security number, birth date, drivers license number, address, phone numbers
• whether you own or rent your residence (address verification)
• personal references for the defendant
• plus any other pertinent information

Is collateral needed? At Signature Bail Bonds, collateral is probably not needed since most bonds are secure with a simple signature. Sometimes, for larger bonds we may ask for some type of security beyond a signature. Only when the bail agency is securing large bonds and when there is a higher risk will we require collateral. To find out more, simply give us a call. We’re always happy to answer your questions.

Finally, how is bail premium calculated?

For the service of bail, the defendant is charged a percentage of the bond amount. Bail Bond premiums are commonly set at 10% of the total bond amount in Oklahoma although this rate may be adjusted under certain circumstances. SEE Available Discounts – Save 20% or More

How long before the defendant is released?

After all of the paperwork is completed, the Bail Agent will present the Bail Bond to the jail or court. The amount of time the jail or court processes the Bail Bond varies with the workloads at the jail or court, the size of the jail or court and many other factors outside the control of the Bail Bond Agency.

Once bail is presented to the jail, the bail agent will contact the Indemnitors with an expected time of release. The typical release time in Tulsa, OK is 2-6 hours. Finally, out of jail and headed home.