If someone you care about has been arrested, then you should learn the basics of bail so you will be in a better position to help get them home. Below are some of the things that you are going to want to be aware of. 

Ways your loved one can get out of jail

There are different ways that your loved one may be able to get out of jail when they have been arrested. Here are some of those ways:

On their own recognizance — One way a person can get out of jail when they have been arrested is when the judge offers them the ability to leave on their own recognizance. This means they are agreeing to make it to all of their court hearings and they are allowed to leave. If they don't continue to show up to all of their court appearances then they will face even more charges. 

Charges are dropped — Charges can be dropped at any point when the DA finds that they don't want to pursue the case. There can be many different reasons why they may decide to drop the charges. One of the most common reasons for the DA dropping a case is because they may feel they don't have enough evidence for a conviction.

They get bail — When a person is arrested they will go to a bail hearing. At this bail hearing, the judge will consider many factors including the crime they are accused of, their record, their home life, and anything else that can help them determine whether the person is a flight risk. They will use all of these things to determine if they are going to offer the person bail and to determine the amount of bail the person will need to post in order to be released from custody. 

What happens once someone is offered bail

Once a bail amount has been determined, then they can be bailed out. They may need your assistance with this part. You want to gather their information such as their full name, birthdate, and all the information you have regarding where they are being held. Take this information to go see a bail bondsperson. You may need to put up some collateral in order to get the amount you need from the bail bondsperson. Some things that are often accepted as collateral include houses, land, recreational vehicles, vehicles, jewelry, art, and weapons.

To learn more about bail bonds, contact a company like Abel Bail Bonds.