Cash Bail Vs Bail Bonds

When someone has been arrested, having them released while they await trial is always a top priority. Remaining behind bars for an extended period has many negatives and it can even reduce the likelihood of winning the case.

To be free, people can usually make use of one of two options, cash bail or bail bonds. Although these options may seem straightforward, choosing one over the other can have a significant difference.

Cash Bail

A cash bail is an amount that has to be paid in full to secure the release of the person who was arrested. Although some jurisdictions will permit different forms of payments, there are many places where payments must be made in cash. In high profile cases, they may even insist on payments to be made in cash to make it harder for the defendant to secure the money.

When a cash bail has been paid, it will only be returned at the conclusion of the trial, minus fines, fees, court costs and other monies that may be owed. This is also dependent on the defendant not breaching the terms of their release on bail.

Bail Bond

If you hire a bail bonds service instead of paying cash bail, you'll have to pay the bonds agency a 10% premium based on the value of the bail set. Therefore, if the bail is set at $100,000, you'll have to pay the agency $10,000 to be released. This will mean that if the arrested person fails to show up in court, the bonds agency will have to pay the court the full amount.

Which One

The advantage of paying a cash bail is that you won't have to pay someone else 10% of the bail amount which could be a significant amount. However, there are a few reasons why this may not be a good idea.

For starters, since the court will hold on to the money until the trial is concluded, you may have to wait a long time to get your money back. This can affect other responsibilities that the money should have been channeled towards.

Secondly, if the person you're bailing out skips out on the bail, you could lose a fortune. Although it could still cost you if you sign a contract with a bail bondsman and the person skips town. This is why you should read the terms of any contract so you know what you're agreeing to by bailing someone out.

For more information, contact local professionals like those found at Affordable Bail Bonds.

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