The Process

BOOKING

Jail policy stipulates the following conditions require a defendant to appear in court for initial appearance (12:30 pm daily at the jail) before bond may be set and posted:

• Domestic Violence cases
• All defendants with prior pending convictions
• DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or arrests on other alcohol-related charges are required to remain in custody a minimum of eight hours before bond can be posted.

 

A critical and time-consuming element in processing is referred to as “clearance.” This involves sending the defendant’s identity through NCIC (National Crime Information Center) and FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) computers to make sure no one is released with outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions.

Processing and clearance usually take an average of 4-5 hours. You may call MacDonald Bail Bonds for periodic updates and a report on current processing times.

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BOND

Besides the premium referred to in booking, there is one other critical element in securing a bail bond: the indemnitor.

An indemnitor may be one or more people able to establish “credibility” and who is/are willing to guarantee the defendant’s appearance in court as required under the terms of his/her release.

Credibility may involve your standing in the community, job, property ownership, or reputation. Financial risk may be shared by the indemnifier pledging personal assets such as car titles or property deeds and cash as collateral. Depending on bond amount, charges and indemnitor qualifications, collateral may be required. Collateral secures the full amount of the bond.

 

MacDonald Bail Bonds is prepared to accept other forms of collateral as bond security, if needed. Call for specific details: (407) 870-7331. Collateral secures the entire bond and the indemnitor is responsible for the full amount of the bond in the event the defendant fails to appear as required.

Once a bond is posted, it may take anywhere from 4-8 hours (average) for the defendant to be released.