The Process

The following scenario is typical for people arrested in Duval County. Please keep in mind that each case is different, and that prior arrest records, volume of people being processed, and conditions at the jail, can greatly impact the time required for booking. Please call Liberty (634-0000) for timely updates or specific information. You may also call the Jail information number to find out the defendants status at any given time. The defandant themselves may not be able to contact you from jail, so it is best that you initiate contact with the jail or Liberty to gather any available information. We always have a live bondsman or agent available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without exception.

Booking

Jail policy stipulates the following conditions require a defendant to appear in court (9 A.M. or 1 P.M. daily, at the jail) before bond may be set and posted:

• Domestic violence cases (unless arrested on warrant)
• All Defendants with prior felony convictions
• Defendants arrested on felony charges (unless arrested on warrant)

DUIs (Driving Under Influence) or arrestees on other alcohol-related charges are required to remain in custody a minimum of eight hours before bond can be posted.

People arrested on misdemeanor or felony charges, warrants, and child support violations are transported to the John E. Goode Pre-trial Detention Center (Duval County Jail) located at 500 East Adams Street in downtown Jacksonville.

There is no way anyone outside the jail can initiate a direct contact with a defendant during processing.

A critical (and time-consuming) element in processing is referred to as "clearance". This involves sending the Defendant's identity through NCIC (National Crime Information Center) and FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) computers to make sure no one is released with outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions. There is also no way an inmate is made aware of when he or she is "cleared". Only an officer at the releasing desk is able to provide that information.

Processing and clearance usually takes 12 hours, rarely less than eight hours. For 24-hour, automated information on an inmate, you may call the jail directly. Have a pen and paper handy to write down the Defendant's jail number, time of booking into the jail, and charges. For periodic updates and a report on current jail processing times, please call Liberty. We are available 24/7 and are always pleased to help.

The Bond

Please keep in mind that all bonds may be posted by anyone. If a bond is $5,003 (typical for DUI in Duval County), cash (exact change only) may be posted at the jail, no bondman is required. The same bond may be posted through a bail agency by paying a 10% (as set by state law- not negotiable) fee ($500.30) to the bondsman. This fee is referred to as a "premium". Small bonds are typically easier to deal with in cash. Please keep in mind: when a cash bond is posted, the County reserves the right to deduct from that cash bond, any and all costs, fees, and "expenses" they deem appropriate, before returning anything left of the original cash bond. In many cases this may far exceed the 10% fee charged by bondmen. Also note: no part of the premium paid to a bail agency is refundable, once the bond is posted and the Defendant is released.

Besides the premium referred to above, there is one other critical element in securing a bail bond: the "indemnitor". An indemnitor may be one or more people, able to establish "credibility" and who are willing to guarantee the Defendant's appearance in court as required under the terms of his or her release. Credibility may involve standing in the community; job, property ownership, reputationor, financial risk may be shared by the indemnitor pledging personal assets such as car titles or property deeds as as collateral. Liberty Bail Bonds is prepared to accept many other forms of collateral as bond security, including credit cards. Call for specific details (634-0000). Collateral secures the entire bond, and the Indemnitor is responsible for the full amount of the bond in the event the Defendant fails to appear as required.