Bail has been around almost as long as the law itself. When your bail is set, having a loved one pay the bail, which is used as collateral, is essential to getting to go home to work on your defense case before your court date. Not being able to make bail can negatively impact your trial in a number of ways. If you can’t afford your set bail, one option is getting a bail bond in Angleton, TX. Read on to discover more about how not making bail can impact your case’s outcome.
Inherent inequality of a money-based system
Jail and bail are consistent whether the imprisoned is guilty or innocent, rich or poor. In fact, more than 60 percent of those in jail have yet to see the court, which means that they are innocent until proven guilty. Nine out of 10 of these people are in jail only because they can’t afford to pay their bail. Plus, about 12 million of those in jail in the U.S. are there for nonviolent, low-level charges, like DWIs, small traffic violations and shoplifting. Previous record is not considered either, meaning a low-level crime that a defendant has yet to be proven guilty of committing can cause someone who can’t afford bail to remain in jail for days or even weeks.
The damage of remaining in jail
There are some obvious damages caused by remaining in jail instead of getting out on bail. The accused can lose their job, their housing and even custody of their kids. Even three days can severely impact their lives. Plus, it is difficult to work on a defense with an attorney from jail. However, there is more damage to the system, in addition to damage to the defendant.
Studies show that pretrial detention makes otherwise low-risk defendants more likely to commit new crimes and less likely to appear in court. It costs the system money to detain them before they’re proven guilty, and makes them more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison during the trial, as well as making it more likely that the sentence will be longer. This impacts the lives of those affected as well as the costs of incarceration.
The groups affected
The system unfairly affects those who can’t pay their bail, including the unemployed and those living in poverty. It also affects class and race, unfairly impacting black, Latino and Native American individuals, who are twice as likely to be stuck in pretrial detention on the basis of not being able to afford bail. Plus, these groups face higher bail amounts on average than white people with the same charges.
A bail bond in Angleton, TX can be a solution to those who cannot afford bail. At Brazoria County Bail Bonds, we provide bail bonds and can give you your life back by helping you afford bail for a variety of legal offenses, including felonies, misdemeanors, DWIs, theft, drug charges, probation violations and tickets. We have years of experience with bail bonds in Angleton, TX and can get you out so you can work on your defense. Contact us today!