The bail system theoretically is supposed to guarantee that a person who has been charged with a crime will show up for all court dates after release from jail. If he or she does not flee, the entire amount of bail will be returned. Unfortunately, a large number of people cannot afford bail. They have the option of requesting service from a company providing bail bonds in Williamson County, TX for a fee.
Problems With the Bail System
There are distinct problems with having the court system set up this way. A primary issue is that it greatly favors people who have money since they can pay bail. Another is the contradiction between the Constitutional idea that each defendant is innocent until proven guilty, yet many defendants must remain in jail before they are ever convicted of a crime.
Cash Bail vs. Bonds Fees
All of this can be a serious hardship for families. The person who has been arrested and charged with a criminal offense cannot go to work while being trapped behind bars. This could result in job loss and a loss of income for a family that is already struggling. If they could pay the full bail amount, they at least would receive that money back eventually, even if the defendant were to be convicted or plead guilty.
Fees for bail bonds are nonrefundable, though, because the only way the service can be offered is if the business makes some amount of profit. Normally, fees for bail bonds in Williamson County, TX are only 10 percent of the total bail amount. Without this service, the defendant may be strongly tempted to accept a plea bargain from the prosecution, even though that means pleading guilty.
Low-income individuals working full time and making minimum wage or a little bit more are only earning about $1,200 per month. It can be impossible for them to come up with $5,000 or even $2,000 cash bail. Instead, they can regain their freedom by paying $500 or $200 to an organization such as Williamson County Bail Bond. Now they can get on with their lives while waiting for the case to be resolved.
