Bail Bonds in Kent County, MD – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

Beginning with an arrest anywhere in the state of Maryland, a person must be processed at the local county jail. To be released from jail, several steps must occur, including being 'booked in' and posting bail. As of November 2016, Maryland has changed its bail process and no leans much more heavily towards releasing jailed people on Personal Recognizance, which is essentially a free jail release on the promise that the released person will appear for all court cases. Maryland now has almost 50% of it's jailed population released on Personal Recognizance, however critics are concerned about the growing failure-to-appear rate which has risen from 8% to 15%. Maryland judges are often picking between Personal Recognizance release or jailing individuals with no bail amount set.

In cases where a bail amount is confirmed and PR is not possible, a bail bond agent can be contacted to post the bond at the local jail. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond. Although cash bonds are allowed, they are not commonly used since the full bail amount needs to be paid up front in cash. With the changing laws in Maryland, it's likely that you will either be released with no bail set or that you will need a bail bondsman to bail you out.

We highly recommend reading of our complete guide on how bail bonds work to learn more about the bail process. If you are attempting to bail someone out from another state, you can talk with your local bondsman - that's the bondman in your county, and not the state where the person is detained.

Maryland is unique because they have recently introduced a new process to more fairly set the bail amount. A person's financial situation is taken into account to set the proper bail amount so it has a balanced impact across income groups. This process is not one that is often in place in other states.

As defined by the Insurance Administration of Maryland, the bail bond fee in Maryland, or cost of a commercial bail bond, is 10% like in many other states, except the bail amount set will vary based on your financial and criminal background.

We recommend reading our guide on how much bail costs for a deep dive into fees bondsmen charge. It's also critical to understand that you do not get bail money back, specifically the 10% bail fee back from the bondsman.

Annual number of crimes that were reported to the police in Kent County, MD. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

We provide estimates on average bail prices for different misdemeanor and felony crimes in Kent County, MD. These are estimates since the exact amounts can vary substantially depending on your age, details involving the charge, criminal history, and prior record of not appearing to court.

• Assault – Ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on type of assault
• Drugs – Possession of controlled substance can range from $500 to 2,500 bail
• Robbery - $25,000 to $100,000 bail amount
• Murder – No bail amount set or $1 million in some cases
• Manslaughter – Voluntary manslaughter $100,000 and involuntary starting at $25,000
• DWI / DUI - $500 to $2,500 depending on history and details surrounding the offense
• Public Intoxication – Typically $200 to $500
• Burglary - $20,000 minimum but up to $50,000 in some areas

Check our detailed guide to learn more about how bail is determined, find additional bail prices for crimes, and find out how bail can be lowered.

Key demographic data based on Census for Kent County, MD. Much of this information can be useful for bail bondsmen who are prospecting the county as a possibility to start a bail bonds business. Education, income, and employment statistics are vital in assessing the overall risk of a population when it comes to lending money for bail. Median home values are useful to determine collateral for property bail bonds.

Unemployment data is based on Bureau of Labor statistics. Employment status is the single most important piece of information that bail bondsmen consider when deciding to bail someone out of jail. Having a job and an active income stream is the single most impactful reassurance bondsmen can have.

Property bonds are a good way of making bail if an individual has equity in their property but very little or no cash. By looking at the median home values in Kent County, MD, we can roughly estimate the asset potential the county’s residents have.

We pride ourselves on our reader focused approach, which includes providing information on resources that may be useful.

It’s generally a good idea to get in touch with a lawyer to seek assistance for the trial, fair sentencing, and even to challenge the bail amount that is being set for the person you are looking to release from jail. Particularly when cash bail is set, it’s important that bail is set fairly, which is an area where a lawyer can assist.

If you need free or low-income legal help, you may qualify for assistance from the American Bar Association.

One of the shortcomings of the bail system is the time someone can be stuck in jail – it’s often enough time for a person to lose their job. To make matters worse, having a tarnished record further complicates matters. This is why we are listing reputable job centers near Kent County, MD to help get people back on their feet.