Bail Bonds in Washington County, IN – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

Upon arrest anywhere in the state of Indiana, 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. In 2016, Indiana courts decided to trial a new bail method in select counties across the state. The new Indiana bail system attempts to avoid unfair jail terms for those that cannot afford to bail themselves out. The court has decided that anyone in an Indiana jail can be released without the need to post bail as long as they have a low risk of flight or causing harm to another person. The court uses multiple factors in assessing the risk and decision to release someone without bail. The new bail rules in Indiana will be expanded to all counties across the state on January 1, 2018.

Knowing this, you may not need bail to be released from a jail in Indiana. If bail is required due to the significance of your offense or your history of prior violation of bail terms, you can contact a bail bonds agent who can post the bond at the local Indiana jail. 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.

Bail bonds cost 10% when you go through a bondsman. This bail bond fee is set by the Indiana Department of Insurance. You may also see an extra $5 fee charged by the court.

With the bail bond fee costing 10% with all Indiana bail bondsmen, please make sure you call a few bail companies to see what they will require of you upon release. It's possible one bondsman will be more strict with rules vs another. For example, depending on how they evaluate you from a risk factor, they may ask you to wear a GPS device, limit your travel outside of the state of Indiana, or even demand drug and alcohol screening. Some of this is decided by the court and some comes from the bail bondsman, but it's important to check on these things since there is more involved than just the 10% cost of the bail bond with Indiana bail bonds.

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 Washington County, IN. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

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