Why Bail Makes Sense

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Waking up to the news your loved one has found themselves in jail is no fun, nor is finding yourself in jail unexpectedly. Thankfully, the legal arena has made provisions for those charged with non violent crimes to get out of jail until the time of their trail. This provision is more commonly known as posting bail or getting a bail bond. Read on to learn more about the process:
Why Bail Makes Sense:
The process of posting bail was created as a way to allow someone accused of a crime to be freed from jail until they were due to show up at trail for either their sentencing or to be found not guilty of their charges. It makes sense for a person accused of a non violent crime or who isn’t a flight risk to remain out of jail until they are sentenced. …show more content…
In this situation, the defendant hires a bail bond company who guarantees the amount of bail to the court. In Washington, there is no set bail premium, either on the minimum or maximum spectrums. Another surety option is a co-signer acting on the defendant’s behalf. They will have to put up collateral in order to get a surety bond for the defendant’s bail. If the defendant fails to make their scheduled court appearances, the co-signer will be held legally responsible and their collateral will be seized.
Washington State Bail Laws:
Washington State does have a preset bail schedule. This means a defendant accused of a misdemeanor crime can find out the amount of their bail shortly after being booked into a county fail or enforcement facility. When the crime is more serious in nature, though, an arraignment has to take place in order for bail to be established. Once bail is determined, the defendant can post a cash bond themselves or contact a bail bond company to get the surety bond process started.
Cost of Bail Bonds Via Washington State Bail …show more content…
However, if hiring a bail bond company, $50 is the minimum cost for any bond per Washington State law. Bail bonds company, represented by bail bondsman, typically charge 10% of the total bail amount for their services. This fee isn’t refundable, even if the defendant shows up for their scheduled court appearances.
Most Common Crimes Committed in Washington State:
According to a FBI report, entitled Crime in the United States, in 2015, there was a 3.9% increase in the overall number of violent crimes and a 2.6% decrease in property crimes when compared to data from 2014.
Types of Crimes Committed in Washington State:
Domestic violence offenses made up 50.2% of all “crimes against persons,” according to the 2016 Crime in Washington Report issued by Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. More specific crime info as follows:
There were 22,993 arrests for DUI, 119 of these were juveniles.
There were 386 hate crimes reported.
There were 1,519 assaults on law enforcement officers and one officer killed in the line of duty.
There were 11,020 arrests for drug abuse violations. Of this number, 11.9% including possessing or concealing marijuana and 20.3% was possession or concealing heroin.
There were 5,602 sexual
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