What is the difference between bail and bond?

They come together as one phrase, Bail Bonds, but there is more to it to explore. It’s something people are curious about only after they, or someone close to them, lands in jail, waiting to get in front of the judge.

The Judge

The judge will set up terms and conditions for the person in jail, because, in most cases, for people waiting for the trial date, after the arrest, they could actually wait at home, and make sure that they show up in court when needed. In some cases this will be refused because the person may be considered by the judge a “threat to society”, and therefore they would have to remain in jail. Direct opposite to “threat to society” is when the judge sees the person as no risk at all, “on his/her own recognizance” and they can be released from jail, without paying an amount of money, to wait for their court day at a known address.
 

Once the judge considers letting the person go home and have them show up for court dates, almost as if they were dates in court for traffic offenses, there are a few options where the person will have to pay an amount of money to stay out of jail until their day in court. The options require a bit of financial commitment.
 

Easier option

Easier option to work with is the bail. The person would have to pay cash amount, as specified by the judge, and after the trial is over, money would be returned to the person. Easy, except the bail amount may be high enough where many people would not be able to pay it, even though paying with a credit card may be an option.
 

Complicated option

The more complicated option, but not really complicated, is the bond. Basically, some form of guarantee for the money used to release the person from the jail. Just like many check-cashing places offer loans and need to have some kind of guarantee, like title loans, property bonds will use just that, a defendant’s property as a guarantee for the amount of money used by the bail bondsman to cover the cost of release. The last one is more like an insurance, a surety bond, a third party loaning the money needed for release. This is the part that may require a bit of paperwork but our staff is experienced with great understanding how the bail system works.
 

Bail Bonds Help

Atlas Bail Bonds has plenty of experience in the bail bond business and we will explain all the details of release when needed, because we want to make sure there is an understanding of what will happen, depending on court dates and bail bond options.
 

We were able to help numerous people secure their release and spend time at home with their family until their day in court. We are available online, over the phone and in person, with knowledgeable staff ready to help with great customer service. Give us a call, four locations in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

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