In official terms, a bail bond is also referred as “surety bond”. Under normal circumstances, if a person is facing charges of committing a crime, then a close relative of that person, or a friend, or an attorney will get in touch with a reputed bail bond company via phone. Now, in the initial phase, all companies or providers proceed by collecting basic information – the location of the suspected crime, the exact duration for which the detainee was held, the exact charges, the address of his present residence, his profession, etc. All these data, eventually, go on to help the bail provider in evaluating the actual risk involved.
Unfortunately, there’s a still lot of confusion regarding bail bonds in the minds of the people. Therefore, it’s kind of a responsibility for everyone to know the exact difference between truth and untruth. Proper understanding helps an individual to prepare in the right frame of mind. It also helps people in their effort to bail themselves out or another person from jail.
So, following are the three most common myths –
1) Meaning of Bail Bonds and Bail Have No Difference
When someone is arrested, a monetary amount is set for his release from prison. As per law, to earn his freedom, that individual either need to pay for the entire amount, then receive the amount back by showing up promptly on the given date for court hearing, or opt to pay for an amount that is non-refundable to a reputed company for his quick release. Now, in case that individual goes for the latter option, the company or the provider shoulders all the responsibility, takes all the hassles, and creates a detailed bond for his prompt release. Therefore, bail can be defined as the monetary amount set by the legal system prevailing in that place, whereas, the bail bonds can be defined as all the methods and documents required for making a quick release.
2) Services of One Provider is Lot Cheaper
People often get confused when it comes to the service charges of the providers. False and misleading advertisements are the main culprit behind this confusion. If a provider is claiming that it is offering services at an extremely low rate, simply don’t get fooled. This is never possible. Remember, remuneration for preparing bail bonds can only vary just a little bit, but never on huge proportions. This has become only possible because of the strict regulations brought by the State Law.
3) Bondsmen in Reality are Nothing but Bounty Hunters
Although it’s somewhat true that some bondsmen can do anything for their own interest and can cross any limits, but usually, most of them prefer not to act like bounty hunters even if they are in deep trouble. In reality, a good bondsman works hard to earn an arrestee’s prompt release. However, he hires a bounty hunter only when the arrestee does not show any intent to appear before the court. A bounty hunter is usually a very tough nut to crack, and will therefore show very little mercy to the arrestee at the time of bringing him to face the allegations.