The Difference Between Bail And A Bail Bond
If you were recently arraigned in court for a crime you are accused of, you may be confused about the difference between bail and a bond. Here is what you need to know about the differences between the two.
Bail
Once you plead not guilty to the crime you're accused of, the judge will make a determination of how much money needs to be paid to release you from jail early. This is known as bail, and the amount that is used will depend on the crime you're accused of and several other factors.
Judges essentially look at what the likelihood is that you will return to court if you are released from jail. If they feel you will return to court and the accused crime is minor, it is likely that you'll receive a low bail amount. Judges consider things such as if you own a home, if you have children, if you have a job, or anything else you would not be willing to just throw away because of the crime you are being accused of.
Bail can be paid to the court with cash, or even paid with a credit card in some situations. Either way, the courts will require that you pay them. You can also expect a fee to be taken out of your bail money as a service charge for processing the bail.
Bail Bond
When you don't have cash, but have other assets that have value, you can go to a local bail bondsman and purchase a bail bond. The bondsman does their own background check on you to determine how big of a risk you are and if they will put up their own money to pay for your bail bond.
Since you don't have the cash to cover the whole bail bond, you need to give some sort of collateral that the bondsman can take if the terms of bail are violated. For example, if you use the title of your car, you could lose the car if you do not return to court. You'll also be expected to pay a percentage of the bail to the bondsman as a non-refundable premium. These fees are regulated by your state, with limits on how much can be charged based on the total amount of bail money that is being paid.
Work with a local bondsman if you have more questions about using a bail bond.