Fortunately most people are never arrested and never have to deal with the bail bonds process. As a result, most Americans don’t have to understand the important role that bail bonds play in the American legal system. Misconceptions consequently abound when it comes to the public’s perception of the bail bonds industry.
The first bail bond myth is that bail and bail bonds are the same thing. Bail is the amount of money a court requires to release a defendant after being arrested. A bail bond is a surety bond provided to a court by a bail bondsman to secure the release of a defendant. If the accused fails to appear, the bail bond is a promise that the bondsman will pay the full bail amount.
The bail bonds industry is a notoriously tough business because of intense competition. Competing messages shower radio, internet, print and television advertisements. Often these advertisements focus on the cost of a bail bondman’s services. This fuels the myth that pricing is different from bail bondsman to bail bondsman. This is inaccurate since each state mandates the fees charged by respective bail bondsmen and the ability to set pricing has been removed from each bail agency.
Many people believe bail bondsmen are the same thing as bounty hunters. This is a very common myth about the industry. These are actually two separate jobs and roles within the bail bonds environment. A bail bondsman is the one who posts a bail bond and secures the releases of a defendant. They are the one that is financially responsible if a defendant fails to appear in court as scheduled. A bounty hunter is the person the bondsman calls to locate and return a defendant who fails to show up.
Once you’ve separated fact from fiction, you will be better able to navigate the court system if need be. Hopefully, you won’t have to know the ins and outs of bail bonds. But if you do, it is better to be armed with the accurate information.
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