You may have heard the phrase “someone posted your bail; you’re free to go” on a television show, and you probably guessed that bail has something to do with jail. What exactly is bail? Here to explain the answer are the certified bail bondsmen of John Chism Bail Bonds in Jacksonville, AR.

Essentially, the choice whether or not to “post bail” is a legal decision that you or one of your family members may have to make if you are arrested for a crime and placed in jail. For example, if you are arrested for a DUI, the judge on your case may set your bail at $2,000. This means that you can either pay the court $2,000 to be released from jail or you can pay nothing and remain in jail until your court date. Because court dates are often several months in the future, many people choose to pay the bail amount and go free.

If you decide to post bail, you are also making a promise to return to court on the day of your court case. If you fail to appear, the court will keep your bail money. If you show up to your scheduled court date, regardless of whether you are found guilty or innocent, the court will return your bail money to you. In that sense, bail is sort of like a security deposit. The judge on your case determines that amount of your bail and, for very serious crimes like murder, may decide not to set a bail amount at all. If this happens, you will have no choice but to remain in jail until your court date.

If you cannot afford to post bail, and you have no friends or family members to bail you out, you can turn to a bondsman. A bondsman is a person who runs a business of bailing people out of jail. Rather than paying your bond, the bondsman posts bail on your behalf, and you pay the bondsman a non-refundable fee for his help. After you show up to court, the bondsman gets his bail money back from the court, and he keeps the fee you paid as profit.

To speak with an Arkansas-certified bail bondsman about your bail, call (501) 941-5505. For 24/7 bail bond assistance, visit the John Chism Bail Bonds website.