Like it or not, a significant chunk of the American populace will need to post bail at some point. Sadly, many U.S. citizens know next to nothing about bail bonds. Here are a few bail facts that may surprise you.
Believe it or not, the bail bond industry is big business for a variety of companies both large and small. As of 2020, there were more than 13,000 bail bond outfits in the U.S. that employ a minimum of 24,000 workers.
Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine and Nebraska have laws that prohibit traditional commercial bail bonds. This means that any bail imposed must be paid in cash by the defendant. Many states are making strides to eliminate cash bail entirely.
The harsh reality is that the majority of inmates held in California’s county jails haven’t even been convicted of a crime. The state of California spends roughly $14 billion per year to detain defendants awaiting trial who may eventually walk free.
Thanks to a recent decision by the Supreme Court of California, a defendant’s ability to pay must be factored into the decision to grant bail. Consequently, the bail schedule employed by a county is no longer a hard-and-fast rule dictating pre-trial release.
In California and many other states, bail amounts follow a set schedule and don’t necessarily correlate with a defendant’s past history. California in particular is notorious for setting bail amounts far above what the average person can afford to pay.
Ultimately, a judge will be the one who determines whether bail is required to reduce a defendant’s flight risk. What many don’t realize is that a bail amount can be appealed. A competent attorney can lower a bail amount with a little finagling.
Most bail bond agents don’t waste time physically detaining clients who fail to make appearances. They typically track down bail jumpers and tell local law enforcement where to find them. Nevertheless, it’s in the financial interests of pre-trial defendants to appear in court on time.
The state of bail bonds in California is a rapidly changing situation that’s difficult to navigate. If you need superior bail bond service, The Bail Boys is here to help. We handle bail bonds of all kinds from Alameda County to Riverside at a moment’s notice without breaking the bank!
The Bail Boys is an affordable bail bonds company with over 20 years of experience, thousands Californian's served, and hundreds of humbling 5 star reviews. We work extremely hard to ensure the content on our website is accurate and up to date. With that said, the information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation.
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