To most people, getting arrested is a distant notion that they hope they never have to deal with. As a result of this detachment, most have only a vague understanding of the way bail bonds actually work. There are a number of myths and misconceptions about the purpose bail bonds serve and the role they play in the American justice system.
Bail and bail bonds are sometimes thought of as the same thing by the general public. Once someone is arrested, the court may set a bail amount. This is the sum that a defendant must offer to the court as collateral promising they will appear as ordered throughout the criminal court proceedings. In some cases, defendants may enlist the services of a bail bondsman to obtain their release. However, bail bondsmen only have to post a portion of the bail amount in the form of a surety bond or bail bond. So there are very different, very discernible differences between bail and bail bonds.
Another very common myth about the bail bonds industry relates to something that is commonly advertised. Bail bondsmen promote their businesses heavily in online, print, television and just about anywhere else you can imagine to attract customers. If you have seen their advertising you would think it was a price sensitive industry. Tag lines and slogans claim things like “Cheapest rates” or “budget pricing”. However, state laws set the fees bail bondsmen can charge, so pricing is actually the same across the board no matter who is hired to provide the service.
Fueled by television images and realty shows, many Americans mistakenly believe bounty hunters and bail bondsman are one in the same. A bail bondsman, for a fee, helps defendants gain their release after being arrested for a crime. If that defendant fails to appear in court, the bail bondsman could be forced to forfeit the entire bail amount. They will commonly in turn hire a bounty hunter to retrieve the missing defendant and return them to custody.
Since only a small percentage of our society is ever arrested, hopefully the misconceptions associated with bail bonds hopefully won’t affect many people. Although, if you are one of the unfortunate few that are arrested, having the correct information about bail bonds will be invaluable.
Looking to find the best deal on Las Vegas bail bonds, then visit www.las-vegas-bail-bonds.net to find the best advice on hiring a Las Vegas bail bondsman.
August 6, 2010 by Sandra Ryder