Why Bail Reform is Such a Hot Topic
Not many days go by when people don’t talk about bail reform. While every single person has their own opinion about why bail reform should be explored, the main reason people feel bail is an unfair part of the judicial system is because bail is so high. For some reason, they think that bail bond agencies are the reason bail is so high. They don’t realize that we’re responsible for making bail as affordable as possible.
Why There are so Many Objections About the Cost of Bail
Proponents of bail reform feel that because bail is set so high, some people cannot get released from jail. The inability to make bail means that they have two options. First, they can continue to sit in a jail cell and will most likely lose their job, which means they won’t be able to stay on top of their bill.
Option two involves pleading guilty, even if they aren’t guilty of the charges.
Why is Bail so High?
When a person goes before a judge for their arraignment, the judge already knows what the individual has been charged with. They also have a recommendation that serves as the base for those charges. As the arraignment goes on, the judge is usually paying attention to two big things that will determine whether they set bail higher or lower than the base.
The first is the person’s criminal history. If they have a long history of breaking the law or, even worse, not showing up for their court appearances, the judge is going to set the bail considerably higher than they would for someone who has never been in trouble before.
The second thing that isn’t often discussed but can impact how much bail a person requires is their attitude. Granted, no one is at their best during an arraignment, but when a defendant has a bad attitude, especially one that is rude and disrespectful to others, it can frustrate a judge and will often prompt the judge to increase the bail.
Defendants who have strong ties to the community. Who are quiet during their arraignment. Those who don’t have anything in their criminal history that would suggest that they’ll get into even more trouble with the law are more likely to get a reduced bail.
How We Fit Into the Picture
The reason bail bonds agencies like Victorville Bail Bonds are so important is that we actually make bail more affordable for everyone. While the average person may not be able to come up with $10,000 to post their own bail, many are able to come up with the $1,000 we’ll charge as our fee. To make things even more affordable, we are ready and willing to offer a payment plan that’s flexible, has zero interest, and doesn’t require a huge down payment.
