If you ever thought of bail bonds as the poor man’s way of bailing out of jail, you are completely wrong. It is the wiser man’s way of bailing out of jail, and the most popular way.
With bail bonds, you pay only 10% of the full bail amount to the bail bonds company over an extended period of time. You typically continue making payments after the defendant’s release from jail. This 10% is not refunded back, but it sure is a softer hit to your finances.
With cash bail, however, you have to come up with 100% of the money for the bail and turn it over to the court. Only when you pay 100% of it, does the defendant get out of jail. Assuming the defendant is compliant with all release terms and conditions and shows up for court, this money is refunded back after the trial, after a waiting period, and likely with deductions due to court fees. There is no telling how long exactly you will have to wait until you get the money back since it is dependent on the length of the trial.
Bail is expensive, regardless of the crime, so you can see why most people would prefer the bail bond route rather than the cash bail route. Is $100,000 or $10,000 better for you? That should be a no brainer, as should the bail bond company you choose: Lancaster Bail Bonds.