End the bail bond industry!

[CCS]

It used to be that if you posted bail, and you showed up to court, you got your money back.

Then with the industry giving loans to people, bails have just been set higher. Now you pay 10% of the bail to the bail bond industry so they set bail, and you do NOT get your money back even if proven innocent. Furthermore, you no longer have a financial incentive to show up to court, defeating the whole purpose of having to post bail.

In Arizona, they have to bring you to trial in 2 months, since that is the state's definition of a speedy trial. But in other states, your trial may be years away. You have two choices: pay the mandatory bail fine even though you are innocent, or wrought in jail until you can prove yourself innocent a few years later. How is that innocent until proven guilty? Sounds to me more like guilty until proven innocent, and jailed or fined even if proven innocent.

And off topic: the law is notorious for confiscating bank accounts, cash, and other belongings upon arrest, so that the accused do not have the money to hire a lawyer. Again, how is that innocent until proven guilty?

I say we should hold someone in jail if there is a ton of evidence against them, and move their trial date forward unless they are willing to stay in there longer. But if it seems safe to do so, let them out early with an ankle bracelet. There should be no bail.

 

[oni]

That massage oil must be going off........................... :whistle:

 

[chore boy]

Do you have the slightest clue how the bail bond industry works? Giving loans? wtf?

A bondsman can't write a bond without having the necessary assets to satisfy the bond in the event you decide to go on the lam. The 10% is profit for the bondsman who floated the possibility of having to pay the full amount. If you think it's a profitable venture, it's usually not. Countless $500 or $1000 bonds are constantly skated on. At a 10% profit rate, $50 or $100, it isn't even worth his time to full up his vehicle to go looking for you. Therefore, he's getting dinged $500 or $1000 by the courts because he tried to make $50.

At one point, I assembled a team where we were going to become free lance loser recovery agents, picking up cases from various bonding companies. I was fortunate enough to have found a bondsman who sat down with me for a couple of hours and spilled the details of the industry. Didn't seem all that profitable after that, plus, Florida doesn't allow free lance agents.... wanna say Georgia did, though?

I thought this section was for brilliant minds?

 

[chore boy]

You can still get 100% of your loot back.

Largely, there are two types of bonds:

1 - Cash bond. You get charged for operating your wheelchair without appropriate headgear and while DUI (tweaked off your SHTF AIDS meds). The court, upon your arraignment, will set a bond provided you're not accused of a capital offense and not a flight risk, not likely to re-offend while awaiting trial, and won't tamper with witnesses. He sets the bond at $10,000. You can cut the court a check for $10,000 and be released from custody. Provided you show up for your court dates, regardless of your case's final disposition, you will be refunded all of your money back, less any fees and other shyt that they will try to ding you on. Your out of pocket CASH investment to get sprung after a non-ROR accusation... $10, 000.

2 - Surety Bond. Court still wants ten grand to let you and your 90 inch biceps out of the can. You don't have that kind of loot to put up... however, someone else does... he's called a bondsman. Again, for him risking to have to stroke that check to the court, he's gonna make it worth his time. This is where the 10% non-refundable portion comes into play. Your out of pocket to get sprung... $1000.

Can you see why there is a bail bond industry now? There are no loans, buddy.

Additionally, the bondsmen wouldn't even be in business if people would just stop doing dirt.

 

[CCS]

You contradicted yourself. First you said people have to put up collateral to get the bond. Then you said if you skate, the bondsman loses all that money --- I thought he gets the collateral.

If the bondsman takes the hit when you skate, and you lose your 10% whether you skate or not, then what motive do you have to show up, other than to prove innocents or do a little time?

My point is, because bonds are set so high that you have to go to a bondsman, the innocent are guaranteed to pay. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? If everyone is just paying 10%, the courts should reduce all bails to 10%, so people can get their money back.

Yes, people can get it all back if they have $10,000 laying around. Most do not, so they have to stay in jail until they prove themself innocent. That is not fair. What if they need that money to hire a lawyer? They can't get it back until the trial, which could be months or years away.

Do you really think that 100% of the accused are guilty? If so, why do we even have trials? If a cop wants to power trip and arrest you, they might not be able to convict you, but they can probably get you to pay a bail bond regardless, even if you later prove yourself innocent.

I think the constitution has a rule against unreasonable bail. It is vague, but I think it should not be set so high that you can't afford to post it.

 

[somone uk]

i haven't heard of bail bonds

is this like an american thing, like having to worry about your health insurance :innocent:

 

[Aplunk1]

That massage oil must be going off........................... :whistle:

hahaha

 

[Bryan]

is this like an american thing, like having to worry about your health insurance :innocent:

A sad commentary for all of us Americans! uke:

 

[CCS]

If you think the bail bond industry is OK, fine. But let's say it how it is:

Guilty until proven innocent (scrap innocent until proven guilty from the constitution)
and
The police pay give you extra judicial punishment as they see fit. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is not required if the officer does not like your attitude or has a hunch that you are guilty.


What if you are black and a white woman says you attempted to rape her. A white cop shows up. After talking to both of you, he realizes there is no hard evidence either way. Maybe you invoke your right to remain silent. The officer feels stone walled and decides to arrest you, even though he knows d*mn well there is not enough evidence to prove any and that none is likely to surface in the future. You spend two days in jail, the longest he can hold you without charging you. If you are lucky and the judge is racist too, you might have to post bail or else be kept longer, and you can't get your money back. Does this sound to you like innocent until proven guilty? Like or dislike the system, but answer that last question for me.