In most cases, in the state of Virginia a magistrate will set bail for defendant right after they are booked at the jail. Magistrates work 24 hours a day, just like bail bondsman, and will review your charges and other factors to determine the amount of bail that should be set. Along with choosing the amount of bail, the magistrate will often also determine the conditions of the bond. Some common conditions that are placed on bail bonds are: curfew, house arrest, drug screening, alcohol screening, reporting to a pre-trial services officer, and almost always being required to remain in the state of Virginia (unless you reside outside of the state and have a stable address at which the court can reach you with notices about your case).
However, there are some cases when a judge sets the bond and not the magistrate. This happens when someone is booked, processed by the jail, brought before the magistrate and the magistrate decides that the defendant's charges are too serious, a danger to himself or others, or is too much of a flight risk to be bailed out of jail. In cases where the magistrate doesn't set a bail bond, the defendant will have to remain in jail until they can be seen by a judge. That means, if someone is arrested on a Friday night, they will have to remain in jail through the weekend and until a bond hearing can be set once the court is back in session. When the defendant goes in front of the judge, the judge will ask them a series of questions that will be used to determine whether a bond should be set and if so, how high the bond should be.
As soon as the bond hearing is over, and as long as the judge sets bail, the defendant or their family can call a bail bondsman to post the bond. Many bail bondsman, such as Apex Bail Bonds, will offer financing options if the bond is high and the defendant needs assistance to get out of jail. As long as the defendant has a friend, relative, neighbor, co-worker, or anyone to co-sign for them, they can be bonded out at any point with a 24/7 bail bonds agency. In these circumstances the bond can be high, so that is why it is so critical to have an affordable bondsman to turn to in your time of need. For more information about the bail bond industry check out: https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/specialized-market-research-reports/consumer-goods-services/personal/bail-bond-services.html