Do People on Hawaii Bail Bonds Go to Jail After Arraignment or Plea?

This Hawaii bail bonds question came in a while ago. We’ve reached out to a few bondsman in Hawaii and have several responses to this bail question about having to go back to jail if they got bail…

What happens when you bail someone out before court in Hawaii?

Let’s start with answering the first question. “What happens if you bail someone out before their arraignment and plea…“. First, the defendant might already be out on bond. If the defendant is being arraigned, they still have the opportunity for bail, if the courts allowed it. There will also be some restrictions of their bail with the court and of course the bondsman.

BAIL QUESTION: What happens if you bail someone out before their Arraignment and Plea? If they go to court will they go back to jail or will they just have to show up to the court and they will be able to leave? Also, how long does it take for a bail bondsman in Hawaii to get the person out?

If the defendant is already out on a Hawaii bail bonds, they should not go to jail awaiting a plea deal. The defendant will only go to jail if and when they are sentenced. That is unless of course the defendant has committed additional crimes while out on bail. This would trigger bench warrants and when they go to court, yes, they would be arrested on those new charges. That being said, the bondsman we spoke with wouldn’t write a bonds for someone being sentenced, that is unless the cosignor offered enough to cover the bond.

Defendants sometimes skip bond if they believe they will be sentenced. That being said, most bondsman wouldn’t write Hawaii bail bonds of a person who previously absconded. If a bondsman were to write this bond they would normally require collateral in the full amount of the bond. Put yourself in the bondsman’s shoes… would you put up thousands of dollars of your money for someone you don’t know? And who also has a history of running away from their legal responsibilities?

Second Question about Bail in Hawaii

How long does it take for a Hawaii bail bondsman to get someone out of jail?

That all depends on where the person has been arrested and incarcerated; and of course time and day. If it’s a busy weekend, expect to be waiting for release from jail up to 6 hours, especially in large cities like Honolulu. There are things behind the scenes going on in the jail:

• The defendant must be fully processed. This includes the following:
  1. Background check for any additional nationwide warrants
  2. Defendant mug shot
  3. Fingerprints
  4. Might have to wait to talk to a detective
  5. Strip searched and Dressed out. Defendant may have to change into jail clothes depending on severity of crime, if the person shows suicidal tendency or the jailer doesn’t know if the person will be able to post bond in due time.
• Defendant must know the bail amount, or if bail is even an option.
• Bondsman must arrive with bail paperwork. The bondsman may also want to talk to the defendant before fully agreeing to the bond.
• Release of property, then finally release from jail.

You could be waiting anywhere from 2 hours up to 10 hours for a person to post Hawaii bail bonds. The best thing you can do about bail in Hawaii and in this situation is to have all of your bond paperwork in order and be patient. Don’t get angry if the bail process is taking too long, the process takes as long as it’s going to take.

Hawaii Bail Bonds; Your Questions Answered

If you were wondering how does bail work in Hawaii, or need to know more about bail in Oahu, Maui, Honolulu, Hilo, Pahoa or anywhere else on the Big Island, consider reading the info in the link above or contacting a bail bondsman in Hawaii for more detailed bail info.