What Does a Bail Bondsman Do?
When you are arrested and charged with a crime, you have to pay a fee if you want to get out early while awaiting trial. This is to ensure that you show up to court for your trial and that you don’t commit any other crimes while out on bail.
The history behind bail is fascinating. The concept of bail began around 410 AD in Anglo-Saxon England. Originally, the accused was required to find someone who would vouch for them so that they didn’t flee. That person would act as a surety who agreed to pay the settlement should the accused flee. No money was required up front.
For hundreds of years, bail functioned in this way. Friends and families would be sureties for relatives. However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, families began to move away from each other, so finding someone to act as a surety was becoming difficult to do. In 1898, England passed the Bail Act to get rid of sureties. In the US around that same time, private bondsmen began to open up to act as sureties in lieu of relatives for a fee.
Around this time, most courts required bail amounts to be paid in full before you could be released from jail. With more people unable to front the amount, bail bond companies thrived. The courts continued to raise their fees, forcing more people to turn to bail bond companies in order to get out of jail.
BAIL BONDS TODAY
Today, local bail bondsmen provide a valuable service to the community. They enable those who can’t afford to pay bail to just pay a small percentage of the amount to the bail bond company who then pays the full amount on behalf of the accused. The bail bond company now acts as the surety, guaranteeing that the accused shows up to court. If the accused does not, the local bail bond company does not get the money back, which is when a bounty hunter may be sent out to find the accused. If the accused shows up to court, then the bail is returned.
CHOOSE SMITH BAIL BONDS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU TODAY
With 24-hour bail bonds, you don’t have to worry about when you are arrested. Smith Bail Bonds can help you whether it’s the weekend, weekday, or a holiday. We understand you didn’t plan to be arrested. Our local bail bondsman can help. We serve Jackson, Perry, Scott, Bollinger, and New Madrid Counties with the best local bail bonds. Our friendly bail bondsmen will guide you through the process and help you every step of the way. We’re always open for questions. Call our bail bond company to get started!
