Step-by-Step Bond Process in Tarrant County Duration: Typically 2-4 hours. Description: After an arrest, the defendant is taken to a local law enforcement facility for booking. This process includes fingerprinting, photographing, and entering personal details into the system.
The bail hearing process in Texas typically begins shortly after the defendant's arrest. The defendant is brought before a judge, usually within 48 hours, for an initial appearance. At this appearance, the judge informs the defendant of the charges and their rights, and sets a date for the bail hearing.
This usually happens within 48 hours after your arrest. Normally the majority of jurisdictions use a schedule for bail to decide the bail amount that should be set.
Filling out paperwork usually takes around 30 minutes, but posting the bond must await the arrestee being booked. After the bond is posted, there is also a sometimes lengthy release process. If the jail is busy, the bail bonds process typically takes anywhere between 3 and 24 hours.
Background Check and Disqualifications A clean background is crucial. You cannot have any felony convictions. If you have a felony on your record, you are automatically disqualified from becoming a bail bonds agent.
It pays well Although you may not become rich over night while working as a bail bondsman, the earning potential in this career is great. For instance, a bail bondsman working as a part-time agent by just writing three or four bonds a month can make enough income to replace a full-time paying job.
Texas law requires every bondsman to take at least 8 hours of in-person classes approved by the state bar of Texas. Bondmen must also be age 18 or older. Further, any conviction for a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or a felony will disqualify someone from being a bondsman.
APPLYING FOR A BAIL BOND LICENSE Eligibility for a license is limited to persons who have not previously been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, any felony, or to a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or dishonesty.
If the felonies on your record have been adjudicated by a court, in other words, not mere arrests where the cases have been dropped or dismissed by the prosecutors, then you will be prevented from qualifying for a license as a bail bond agent.
The bail bond agent will need you to sign some paperwork in order for you to secure their services. This usually means paying an amount to the agent, usually a percentage of the total bail amount, and signing off on any collateral for the bond.