Bail Bonds in Preston County, WV – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

You will have the option to be released from a West Virginia jail by either using a bail bondsman for surety bail bond, property bond, and even one's own recognizance, which is simply you promising to the court that you will make all your court dates.

Low level crimes in West Virginia usually have the option for own recognizance although you may be asked to commit to check-ins, drug testing, or other requirements. If you use a bail bondsman, installment payment plans are often available depending on case by case basis. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond.

Upon arrest anywhere in the state of West Virginia, a person is usually processed at the local county jail. To be released from jail, a few steps must occur, including being booked into jail and posting bail. When the bail amount is confirmed, it's usually best to call a bondsman for quick help. Either the person in jail or a loved one from outside can call a West Virginia bondsman. Make sure to have the first and last name of the person in jail, as well as their date of birth, and exactly what jail they are in.

It typically takes anywhere from one to two hours to go through the process of being booked and released from jail.

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.

West Virginia Insurance Commissioner's Office asks for bail bond costs to be 'at least 10% of the amount of the bond.' While this insinuates that the fee can be 15%, 20%, or more, the reality is that West Virginia bail bonds typically cost 10% - it's very rare that you will be charged more than that by a bail bondsman. If you see higher fees, please contact other bondsman as 10% should be the norm for a bail bond fee.

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 Preston County, WV. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

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