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In theory you get the money back. In practice, you have to borrow the money from a bail bondsman who has the cash on hand to post bail, and then pay him a perce
by russnewcomer 7y ago
In theory you get the money back. In practice, you have to borrow the money from a bail bondsman who has the cash on hand to post bail, and then pay him a percentage for his services.
There are also jurisdictions which charge filing and handling fees on bail, which you never get back, which can be up to 10%. For 10k bond, which is pretty normal many places, that means 1000, just gone, not even accounting for the bond.
- apacheCamel 7y agoThis is all just so you can continue to live your life and not sit in jail while waiting for trial correct? That just seems wild to me. If you don't have the money, or can't get a loan, you probably lose your job due to being in jail, which now your entirely livelihood is at stake. It just seems so broken.
- russnewcomer 7y agoYes, you are essentially correct - it was a well-intentioned reform that has not been re-evaluated for current times, or it is judges who lack personal finance skills or realities to know that the bails they impose are not realistic for those who appear in their courts.