Keep Bailing

Paying for Bail Bonds and Financing Options

It’s no great secret that the economic waters continue to be a little rough.   Right now many people are stretching their paychecks just to make ends meet.  This is something that’s hitting people from all across the board, from all walks of life, and from all income brackets and backgrounds.  Having money stashed aside in a “just in case I need to bail someone out of jail-fund” is likely not something you have.

In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address questions regarding California bail bonds payments and financing a bail bond.

Fact or Fiction: You Have To Pay For A Bail Bond Prior To Release From Jail

Fiction:  With many bondsmen, yes, you do need to pay the full bond amount (10% of the total bail) prior to the defendant being release from jail. However, there are California bail bonds companies that offer Read more »

Many people will live their entire lives without being arrested or without being called by a friend or family member who’s asking, “help get me out of jail!”  Bail bonds, to many; are a completely foreign language.  In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address the question as to whether the cost of working with a California bail bonds company can be negotiated.

Fact or Fiction:  You can negotiate with a bail bondsman in the same way you can haggle with a car dealer.

Fiction. Sorry folks, that misconception is just that – a misconception.  Bail bond premiums are set by on a state-by-state basis. In California, that agency is the Department of Insurance.  In the state of California, bail bonds companies charge 10% of a bond’s total premium to provide the service of getting someone out of jail.

Although discounts are granted on Read more »

Last week, AccreditedBail had a post called “Accountability and Transparency for Pretrial Release Programs“. They reviewed the dollars and cents cost to Orange County Florida’s government for what we know as “Release On Own Recognizance” or basically a defendant who is released with a promise to appear in court.

Surprising was the $1.7 million in taxpayer funds that it takes to screen, release and supervise defendants out on the county’s pretrial release program. You would want to balance that against bail bonds: cost to the tax payer Zero ($0.00).

Pretrial release has a purpose which is codified by law: to help the indigent who have no prior record and are accused of non-violent crimes. Again, balance that with our prior post on Van Nuys Jail “Bail vs. O.R.” Clearly, Read more »