How Felony and Misdemeanor Bonds are an Essential Part of the Judicial System
If you’re like most people, you believe that the people who go to jail deserve to be there. In fact, the greater majority of prisoners in American jails at any given time are simply waiting for their cases to go to trial, and for a verdict to pronounce them innocent or guilty. That’s right. More than half of the prisoners in the nation’s jails have not been convicted of any crime. This is just one reason out of many why bail and bail bonds of any kind – from felony criminal bonds to misdemeanor bonds – play an important role in the judicial system. They allow citizens to retain their freedom while their cases are heard in courts of law.
Why is bail so important?
The right to bail is actually specified in the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. That’s because someone who has not been convicted of a crime should not be arbitrarily deprived of their freedom. That’s where bail bonds come in. Most people don’t realize why they play such an important part in the judicial process. A bail bondsman stands guarantee that person under trial will continue to appear in court to answer the charges against him.
By posting bail on behalf of the individual, the bail bond agency secures his or her freedom, giving them the chance to resume their normal life while their case is decided. As many as 60% of the prisoners in U.S. jails on any given day are simply awaiting the completion of their trial. They don’t actually deserve to be in jail unless the judge determines that they pose a risk to the community or a flight risk. For those who have been granted bail by a judge, felony or misdemeanor bonds can restore their freedom.
Bail restores the individual’s freedom
Since the judicial system is overburdened, it can take months and even a full year for a case to reach its conclusion and for guilt or innocence to be decided. Without bond, such as felony or misdemeanor bonds, the person facing trial would have to spend all that time in prison. Not only does that disrupt both work and family life, the overcrowded prison system is both unhealthy and dangerous.
Planning a defense for an individual is much more easily done from home than from jail. Prison cuts off individuals from their support networks, and isolates them in a place where any kind of communication with the outside world is difficult and expensive. Felony and even misdemeanor bonds posted by a bail bond company can help the person return home and face their trial with the support of family and friends.
Who might need a bail bond?
The truth is that anyone might find themselves in need of bail, for anything from a DUI charge to a major criminal charge. Researchers have found that more than half, or 52% of all American men can expect to be arrested at least once in their lives. And a study published in the Pediatrics journal in 2011 revealed that one in three people can expect to be arrested at least once before the age of 23.
Felony and misdemeanor bonds can restore the individual’s freedom and give them the chance to create a proper defense in court.
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