Bail after an Arrest After booking, a Bail Clerk will be contacted by the police and he or she will be told the circumstances of the arrest and the charges against the arrestee. The Bail Clerk will decide if a bail is necessary to guarantee your appearance at Court if you are released, and if so, how much.
Bailing someone out of jail who has a history of untrustworthy behavior can create headaches. You're essentially agreeing to put up 10 percent of a bail bond that could be tens of thousands — or even hundreds of thousands — of dollars. If they fail to show, then you went to all that extra trouble for nothing.
Massachusetts does not have bail bondsmen, so whoever is going to post the bail will have to come up with the entire amount. Sometimes this takes a matter of days, or longer, during which the defendant will be held at the county jail.
Most bond agreements include travel restrictions, confining you to a specific geographic area such as your county or state. These limitations are designed to ensure your availability for court dates. If travel is necessary, you must seek prior approval from the court or your bail bondsman.