My friend was arrested for allegedly stalking his ex-girlfriend. He was not actually stalking her and I think his case will be proven in court. However, in the meantime, he has asked me to help him pay his $150,000 bail. How can I do that when I don’t have nearly that much money? What other options are there?

http://www.bailbondservices.com/penalcodes.htm 646.9 a-c

If your boyfriend has been arrested for stalking, chances are good that there is sufficient evidence that he was stalking his ex. Therefore, it is important for you to leave your emotional connection to your boyfriend out of the situation when you are deciding whether or not you are going to help him pay for bail. Keep in mind that in order to arrest someone for stalking, you can’t just have someone’s word; you also need to have evidence. If the judge has determined that the evidence is strong enough that a bail is warranted, chances are good that you may not be fully aware of your boyfriend’s behavior.

Before you offer to help your boyfriend post bail, make sure that he and his attorney have done everything possible to have the judge let your boyfriend out on his own recognizance. If the judge believes that your boyfriend is not a flight risk, if your boyfriend has not had any prior offenses, and if the judge has any other reasons to think that your boyfriend may not require a bail, then the judge could let your boyfriend go without requiring that he post bail. Such a situation would save him (and perhaps you) a great deal of money.

However, if the judge has set bail and is firm that the bail should stay at $150,000, then you need to seriously consider whether or not you should help your boyfriend pay that amount. First, you need to find out how much money your boyfriend can put up for the cost of his bail. If he can put up the full amount, that’s the cheapest way to go because he will get the full amount back when he goes to court. However, if he cannot afford to put up the full amount (as is the case in most situations), then you or he will have to hire a bail bonding agent to help post his bail.

When a bail bonding agent becomes involved, making bail becomes expensive. Generally, the defendant or loved ones of the defendant will have to pay the down payment for the bail in the amount of $15,000 in your case, which is equal to ten percent of the amount of the bail. If you do enough research, you may find less expensive bail bonding agencies, but make sure that they are licensed before you proceed. You can also pay this amount via credit card, by using collateral (such as a house or a car), or by getting a surety.

If you use a bail bonding agency, you will not get the full amount of the down payment back if the defendant fails to show up to court. That $15,000 will be gone, so make sure you have all of the information before getting into this situation.