Bailing Out: The Truth About Bail Bonds & Bail Bond Companies
When a person gets arrested, locked up, and stuck in jail with no money, a bail bonds company can be such a value. While a good portion of people who do end up in these situations rely on bail bonds agencies to help them out, this is one industry in which the misconceptions run rampant. Blame it on television shows and the media or just a general lack of understanding, but there are so many myths and misunderstandings about the industry that it can be downright comical. To better understand bail bonds and bail bond companies, here is a look at the facts.
False: Bail bond agents can help bad people get out of jail.
The majority of the people that bail bonds companies work with are not violent criminals who are a threat to society on any level. The typical person seeking a bail bond is locked up for a non-violent crime, such as theft or unpaid fines. In fact, most court systems will not even set bail for a criminal that is considered to be a threat to society.
False: A bail bond agent can get the court to lower your bail.
Bail bond agencies do not negotiate with the court system to get your bail lowered. What they are doing is finding out how much your bail is and then supplying a commercial bond for your release. If the court says your bail is $10,000, then your bail is $10,000, and the bail bond company can't do anything to lower that cost.
False: Bail bond companies act outside of the law.
This particular falsehood can stem from the glamorization of bail bond companies and agencies on television, but the industry is a highly regulated one. Agents have rules and laws to abide by, and they can only do what the court system in one area allows them to do. For example, a bail bond company can't just send out a bounty hunter and arrest people.
False: Bail bonds agents and bounty hunters are the same things.
Bail bond agents help individuals get out of jail when they can't afford to pay their own bail in full. Bounty hunters are usually contracted by a bail bond company when someone does not pay their bail after release or does not go to court as they should. While the two professionals are related, they perform two completely different services and make money in two completely different ways.
For more information on the truth about bail bonds and how they work, talk to a bail bond company in your area.
