From the heart-pounding, action-packed scenes in movies, to the simplistic humdrum “Book ‘em, Danno!” episodic TV shows, what the screen tells us about bail and bail bonds seem real.
The truth is, most of it isn’t.
We know that TV shows and movies rarely show the full truth. Some details are left out, some exaggerated. Producers and directors often glorify a situation to make it juicier and more entertaining, or make an entire episode or movie to fit in a certain amount of time. The result? Most of us have a bit skewed notions of bail and bail bonds.
We’re here to debunk those myths, and let you know that approaching a bail bondsman from Greenville NC’s A Be Out Bail Bonding is not scary at all.
A Bail Bondsman is a Bounty Hunter
This is by far the wildest of myths about bail. Bounty hunters have become popular figures, thanks to shows like Dog the Bounty Hunter. This has also blurred the line between bail agents and bounty hunters, leading many to believe that the two are the same thing.
Bondsmen are office workers who are licensed to provide indemnity services for people requesting to be released from jail. Bounty hunters are a different story. They’re fugitive recovery agents who catch criminals; sometimes bail bondsmen hire them when the defendant skips the court day or owes the agency the bail bond.
Bondsmen Can Negotiate the Bail Amount
Sorry to disappoint you, but the bail is set by the judge. Courts use a document updated every year, which lists all bail amounts according to the specified crime. It’s called the bail schedule. When you are arrested, the crime is crossed referenced with this schedule, and the bail is generated from there. Only a judge has the authority to lower bail.
Paying for Bail is Impossible
Another common myth is that paying for bail is impossible and you have to put your house up for collateral. For the most part, this is not true. If the bail is large, your bail agent can offer payment plans fit for your financial situation. In most cases, your signature is the collateral, meaning that signing the contract is enough security for the bail bond.
Being part of this industry for as long as we have, we’ve learned to endure these myths and more that come with being a bail bond agency. But what we can say for sure is that we are here to help people, and we will go out of our way to do so.
Call A Be Out Bail Bonding today.
