If you have been arrested for a DUI or any other criminal charge, you may be wondering how DUI bail bonds or other types of bail bonds work. Once you are taken into custody, or more commonly known as once you are arrested, there are a handful of ways you can be released from custody. Most common releases from custody in Colorado are bail bonds for DUI or other types of criminal charges. There are a couple of different ways DUI bail bonds can be handled, either by using a professional bondsman, a private person, or a PR bond in Colorado.
A common way to be released from custody is to post a “bond”. Usually posting a bond will either be by cash, surety, or property. Colorado uses a professional bondsman (surety) or cash, paid by the defendant or a friend/family member of the defendant. This can be used for DUI bail bonds or other types of criminal charges, depending on the circumstances surrounding the case.
Professional Bondsman
If you pay a professional bondsman money to post your bond, you will not get it back. This is because Bail for DUI or any other type of allegation will require the bondsman to pay money on your behalf, and this means they are taking a risk. Various bondsmen require various types of payments in order to post your bond. The bondsman posts your bond and if you attend court and you do not violate your bond, then the bondsman gets money back at the end of your case. If your family member posts your bond then at the end of the case, so long as you showed up in court as required and did not violate your bond in any other way, your family member will also get their money back at the end of your case. Historically the bondsman requires 10% or 15% of the bond amount be paid to him/her and you will not get that money back. More recently it seems that bondsman require increasingly more payment than the percent.
PR Bond in Colorado
Personal Recognizance Bond. PR bonds can be an option in Colorado. Also known as a “PR” bond, this is still a “bond”. This is when you get to sign a paper agreeing to pay money if you violate your bond. Often a Court will want the defendant to sign the PR bond and a family member who will also be on the hook for the money should the defendant violate the bond. Usually the bond is “violated” by the defendant not appearing in court as required or using alcohol when prohibited or by getting a new charge while this one is pending. There can be a number of restrictions that Colorado can place on a PR bond, but as long as these restrictions are obeyed, it is usually a good deal for the defendant.
If you have been arrested for a DUI in Colorado, finding the very best legal representation can make a difference in how your case is handled. For a free consultation call 303-399-5556