Even Greener Pastures

Steven can you explain what “bailing out means”? We do not have that on Europe.

Sure, Sofia. That`s just the bond/deposit someone pays to get out of jail while awaiting trial. In a way it´s a bit like the Pfand (deposit) you pay on a returnable bottle of something at the store. You get the deposit back when you bring the empty bottle back.

They have that in Germany I believe, it`s called a „Kaution“, which is just some sum of money to guarantee you won`t disappear while free on bail before being convicted or acquitted. „Bailing out“ is just the verb for posting the bond (bail, it´s the same thing) to get out of jail pending trial. If you can`t „bail out“, that just means you are stuck in jail the whole time awaiting trial.

A „Bailbonds man“ is like an insurance person who charges 10% as a bond fee. The bond is like an insurance policy. In other words, if the bail amount is $5,000, the person arrested pays the bailbonds man $500 for the $5,000 bond fee. That $500 is never recoverable. If the person shows up for trial and other pre-trial hearings, as he or she is supposed to, then bond at some point is what we call „exonerated“ and the $5,000 is paid back to the bondsman/insurer. The bondsman keeps the $500 as his fee. That´s how they make their money. If the accused skips town, and never shows up to court, the $5,000 is lost (forfeited) and then the bondsman can hire a „bounty hunter“ to find the person and bring him back. That´s what a bounty hunter is.