I feel I need to correct, or at least amplify, what Justin said about bail bonds. Keeping in mind that the rules vary from state to state, this story is about California.
In 1996 I got busted for dealing weed. My bail was $10,000. I didn’t have any real property, but I had enough available balance on my credit cards that I could’ve paid my bail that way — except that the court wouldn’t accept my credit card charges. So I had to enlist a bail bond company. Thing is, they wanted the *whole* bail, as *collateral* — they’re not willing to essentially loan you 90% of the bail just on your good looks. However, they were willing to accept my credit card charges, so that’s what I did. Almost $10,000 in charges, which maxed me out. When my case was finished, they returned my money, less their fee (which I seem to recall was more than $1000; it’s been a while).
The general impression seems to be that if you don’t have cash for bail available, you can give 10% to a bail bond company, and you’re out — on bail, but on the street. At least in my case, it wasn’t quite that simple.
Those of you who have never been in that kind of situation can be forgiven for a little naivety; I was certainly naïve about it. (BTW, one of the groups most opposed to the elimination of cash bail is… you guessed it, bail bond companies.) 🤔😉😊
I feel I need to correct, or at least amplify, what Justin said about bail bonds. Keeping in mind that the rules vary from state to state, this story is about California.
In 1996 I got busted for dealing weed. My bail was $10,000. I didn’t have any real property, but I had enough available balance on my credit cards that I could’ve paid my bail that way — except that the court wouldn’t accept my credit card charges. So I had to enlist a bail bond company. Thing is, they wanted the *whole* bail, as *collateral* — they’re not willing to essentially loan you 90% of the bail just on your good looks. However, they were willing to accept my credit card charges, so that’s what I did. Almost $10,000 in charges, which maxed me out. When my case was finished, they returned my money, less their fee (which I seem to recall was more than $1000; it’s been a while).
The general impression seems to be that if you don’t have cash for bail available, you can give 10% to a bail bond company, and you’re out — on bail, but on the street. At least in my case, it wasn’t quite that simple.
Those of you who have never been in that kind of situation can be forgiven for a little naivety; I was certainly naïve about it. (BTW, one of the groups most opposed to the elimination of cash bail is… you guessed it, bail bond companies.) 🤔😉😊