Radio talk show today was talking about the bail bond issue, whether posting bail should even be necessary until after a trial, etc. Anybody have experience with this? Say you are pulled over b/c of tail light problem, officer finds you have unpaid parking tickets and a bench warrant, so presumably takes you to the jail. Just curious, what happens to your car? What about bail, if you are not carrying enough cash enough to pay the full amount? Are the only options a jail cell, or pay the bail bonds folks 10% with your credit card?
One listener called in saying “Not something to worry about unless you’ve done something illegal.” Expert on this topic replied “no, many clerical mistakes occur that cause drivers to be arrested and taken to jail for no reason”.
I always pay my fines so never have to worry about it. Motor club provides bail money anyway. The guy that used to be my go to for towing me, quit and went into the bail bond business. Fwiw.
I have no problem paying fines or paying bail. It is just a means to make sure you show up for trial. Reading Tocqueville recently on his report on democracy, he saw fines and bail as a negative associated with the elite. I see it differently. No point ruining lives for misdemeanors. If you don’t have money for fines, bail, or insurance, maybe just take the bus.
I don’t know about now but over 25 years ago [ I don’t remember what for ] I was pulled over and they said there was a bench warrant for me I had to post bail and go to court when I got to court they found a ticket from 15 years before that had been dismissed. As far as car went my wife was with me so no impoundment they left her take the car home. So yes a chance of clerical mistakes.
Interesting, excellent, informative post. Wondering, did you post bail using the bail bond method (10% non-refundable), or did you post the entire amount? If the latter, did you pay cash or by check/credit card. If bail bond, did you get a refund on the 10% – b/c of clerical mistake not your fault?
One caller on the radio show said if you pay the 10% for bail bond, surprise, surprise, you may have to pay the 10% again. Bail bond apparently doesn’t last indefinitely, if case continues on for some time. Sort of makes sense b/c bond company is effectively loaning you the loot, so if it lasts too long interest adds up and you have to pony up some more.
Yeah I told this before but my bil was in Desmond’s. He got a ticket for parking. One morning the police picked him up and hauled him to court. Can’t remember if they cuffed him or not. In his suit coat pocket he happened to still have the ticket and payment but just forgot to mail it. The judge let him off. Don’t know how he got home again. I was staying with him on army duty at the time when he warned me keep clean in Des Moines.
I’d love to have sympathy but in my State a “tail light” violation is nothing more than a 60 day Repair Order (replace the bulb and mial in proof) unless you’ve got something else going on.
A hunderds pounds or “weed” or a body in your trunk after a “probale cause” search and tou may have some explainuing to do
I got several fix it’s. One in Iowa, no problem just mail it in declaring the headlight was replaced. The other one was a blown fuse for my tail lights. Never wrote me up at all and was nice because I didn’t know it. I had no drugs or bodies though.
No I paid cash a sort of funny ending to the situation I was told to go to the clerks office to get my money back [ I just knew I was going to go to jail ] they handed me a check that I refused to take they asked why and I told them that they would not take a check from me I would not take one from them after some argument they did come up with the cash.
In a lot of the jurisdictions in Virginia it is better to go the bondsman route. If you pay your bond in cash, after court they take all fines, court costs and fees out of it. 10% to a bondsman could actually save you money.
The one where the guy was arrested for not returning a rental video to Blockbuster years ago made the news. https://fortune.com/2016/03/25/man-arrested-vhs-tape/
Back before the U.S. Congress passed a law many decades ago (a rare case of common sense) it was very common for anyone pulled over in any state to receive a ticket (or multiples) and be forced to post cash bond to cover them or go to jail. It was legalized extortion and made worse by the existence then of the very ornerous Justice of The Peace system.
A cop would stop someone and claim they were speeding even if they were not. They would then escort the alleged offender to a JP’s home at 10 at night and forced to pay up or be jailed. That happened to my late father twice in Beaumont, TX and he never sped. Same cop going through; same cop going back the other way. In both cases; JP and pay up or else.
I’ve also been through that extortion racket with multiple city cops/jurisdictions with about 90% of those tickets undeserved. Long hair, beard, custom bike is all it takes to get stopped and written up; often for multiple fake offenses. In one case; 8 tickets at once which I managed to clear 6 of them later but still never got my money back.
I forget the name now, but not to meuntion the thing now if your cash can be confiscated charged with being a drug runner without any evidence. Cash, car, etc taken without conviction.
Minnesota at least tried to roll it back some. The sheriff was greatly for it because they get extra resources. About the only thing I strongly disagreed with him on. Totally unconstitutional.
I forget where or when or what make of car it was but some years back a I saw a souped up police car with a bumper sticker that read donated by your neighborhood drug dealer.