Bail Bonds in Mercer County, NJ – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

Anywhere in the state of New Jersey, upon arrest, a person is usually processed at the local county jail. To be released from jail, several steps must occur, including being 'booked in' and determining the rules around your release from jail. To really understand how bail bonds work in New Jersey, you must be aware that New Jersey has introduced a new process dealing with bail bonds and release from jail.

Since 2017, New Jersey courts look to avoid setting bail for release. The goal is to minimize unfair treatment of those who cannot afford bail. After mugshots and finger prints are taken, the arrested person will see a judge within 48 hours. Most judges aim for 24 hours or less. During the hearing, the arrested person is given a 1-6 score that indicates their risk level, with 1 being the lowest. Various inputs are used such as prior criminal history, missing prior court dates, drug offenses, and so forth. The judge can also use their own personal judgement to make a decision on the release of the person. For example, a New Jersey judge has recently released a person who was a level 6 risk because he believed in the post-release plan that was put in place, which included regular check-ins with the court, drug testing, and GPS monitoring.

New Jersey's new bail system aims to limit the need for bail bonds. Release is typically without a cost and the number of those stuck in jail has dropped from 1,000s to only a few hundred. In some cases, the judge still finds the person to be a high flight risk or a general risk to the safety of others, so a bail bond is set. In these cases, a bail bond agent comes to post the bond at the local jail. Now the release procedure begins and typically takes anywhere from one to two hours to be completed. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond.

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.

In New Jersey, there is a set 10% bail bond fee as set by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance. If you have a $1,000 bail bond set for your release, then 10% of your total would be $100. However, there is a $125 minimum cost with New Jersey bail bonds, so in the example of a $1,000 bail bond, you would actually pay $125.

With the cost being set at 10% in New Jersey, you know that your fee will be the same no matter which bondsman you choose, however contact a few bail bondsman to see what type of rules they have in place upon release. Are there any other contractual rules outside of bail bond fees? For example, requirements on tracking devices, check-ins, travel rules outside of the state of New Jersey and any drug or alcohol tests. While these bail bond stipulations are not actual direct money costs, they do take up your time from school and work and increase your risk of not meeting your release obligations.

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 Mercer County, NJ. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

We provide estimates on average bail prices for different misdemeanor and felony crimes in Mercer County, NJ. 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 Mercer County, NJ. 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 Mercer County, NJ, 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 Mercer County, NJ to help get people back on their feet.