The Bail Pricing Process

Everyone knows what a bail bond is. It is an affordable way for people to pay their bail. This has allowed countless people to enjoy their freedom while they await the outcome of their case. Bail prices are often thousands of dollars which defendants would have to pay with cash or use collateral like real estate to pay for without bail bonds. Thankfully, bail bonds do exist and allow us to afford bail without having to fork over thousands of dollars or sit in a jail cell because we cannot afford the money.

While this is known by most people, very few understand how bail prices are determined. Well, it begins during the arraignment process. When you are accused of a crime, you must go before a judge for arraignment where the judge determines if there is enough legal proof that you may be charged with a crime. If they find the legal threshold to be met, they will set a bail price that you may pay to avoid waiting in jail pending the outcome of the case. But how does the judge determine how much your bail will be? They use the law that dictates the maximum amount your bail can be. They determine factors such as flight risk and previous criminal history. The prosecutor on your case will often suggest a bail price that they can accept or reject as well. Again, this is all bound to the maximum bail price set by the law.