The ability to post bail and leave jail until the trial proceedings are completed is a critical aspect of the criminal justice system. However, it is a process that is often poorly understood. This makes it important for individuals to avoid falling victim to believing some of the more misleading notions concerning bail.

Myth: Cash Is The Only Option For Posting Bail

It is frequently assumed that a cash payment will be required to post bail. While this is certainly an option, it is not practical for many people as they may lack the cash on hand to make this large payment. In these instances, individuals may find the services of a bail bondsman to be useful. These individuals will be able to issue a bond to the jail for the value of the bail. In exchange, you will be required to pay a fee to the bond issuer, which will be far less than the cost of the actual bail.

Myth: All Bondsmen Charge The Same Fee

There are many people that assume all bail bonding services will be the same. Yet, this is not true as these services will have different policies and fee structures. For example, it is common for some of these services to only consider the total amount of the bail amount when calculating the fee. Others may have a different formula for determining what to charge the person applying for the bond. As a result, it can often be worth the time to check with several different bail bondsmen so that you can be sure to choose the one with the lowest possible fee.

Myth: Being Approved For A Bail Bond Will Be Extremely Lengthy

There is a particularly prevalent idea that bail bonding services will have lengthy approval processes. In particular, some people assume that it may take hours or longer to be approved to use these services. However, this is far from the case as these services are designed to be able to provide individuals with rapid approval for bonding. In fact, there are many services that will require little more than proof of identity and collateral to issue a bond. Unfortunately, you should be aware that the jail may take some time to process the bail and release the detainee. In many instances, it may take several hours or longer for this process to be completed, and there is nothing that the bond issuer will be able to do to force the jail to expedite this process.

For more information about bail bonds, contact a company like Alda Pauline's Bail Bonds.