Tag Archives: Credit Cards for Bail

Should People Be Allowed to Use a Credit Card to Pay for Bail?

Posted on by

Indianapolis Bail Bonds 317-876-9600

Indianapolis Bail Bonds 317-876-9600

Many people wonder about credit card rates and annual fees. When it comes to responsible credit card use, it is suggested to never charge anything that you cannot immediately pay off. For example, many people charge car purchases to their credit cards, while not realizing that the average car loan rate is around 5 percent, whereas credit card interest rates are commonly 15 percent or more. Credit responsibility is a hard topic to debate. There are good and bad times to make a significant charge to your credit card; and everyone’s situations and scenarios are different. But what about other scenarios regarding credit card responsibility?

In particular, what about using a credit card to pay for bail? Should people be able to use credit cards to get out of jail on bond? Is this a responsible choice for people, courts, and society in general? Should Indiana courts be allowing defendants to pay for a release from jail with a credit card? Take a closer look at this topic and let us know what you think. Continue reading and learn about credit cards and the new “swipe and go” system courts are using to release defendants from jail in Indiana.

Using Credit Cards for Bail is Risky and Can Cost Taxpayers Money

Right now in certain Indiana counties, people are given the opportunity to use a credit card to obtain a release from jail directly through the courts. Courts are allowing defendants to pay their bond on a credit card but many feel that this method is unfair, irresponsible, and even dangerous. This is because there is no accountability for people who can get out of jail by simply handing over a credit card number. Many people question how defendants out on bond by means of credit can be trusted to appear for their court hearing on their own. This inquiry is certainly understandable. It is currently a very controversial topic among law enforcement and law officials in Indiana.

When a person is arrested for a crime, a judge will figure out if they are a likely flight risk, or a potential danger to their community. To avoid over-crowding in jails, a judge may release this person on their own recognizance; meaning they are trusted to show up for their hearing willingly. Instead of a judge releasing them on their own recognizance, they can choose to enroll them in a government-operated taxpayer pretrial program. This obviously costs taxpayers money. The last option for a judge is to establish a bond amount to guarantee this person will return to court for their hearing.

If a judge sets a bond amount, a defendant can now either pay a court directly to be released; or they can choose to outsource a private bail bond agency to obtain a release from jail. The bail bondsman takes on the responsibility of the defendant’s full bond amount, and only charging a small percentage of the bond amount as a non-refundable fee. This costs taxpayers nothing at all. Once this responsibility of bond is handed over to a bail bond company, it is their job to make sure the defendant shows up for court so that the bail bondsman can get their bond money back. Looking at past accounts and references, as well as recent statistics calculated by the U.S. Department Justice, this private bail bond system works very well and again, costs taxpayers zero dollars.

Allowing credit cards to be used for bail takes away from the economic advantages of bail bondsmen and agencies. These swipe-and-go systems are typically operated by out-of-state parties, online; so no one is there to see that defendants show up for court. Using credits cards for bail will more than likely lead to reduced attendance in court, repeat offenses, and of course extra costs for taxpayers because law enforcement will need to be used to track down those who skip bond. Credits cards for bail seems like a risky system.

Woods Bail Bonds Provides Bail Services You Can Trust in Indianapolis

Woods Bail Bonds

Woods Bail Bonds 317-876-9600

Call James Woods, Owner of Woods Bail Bonds in Indianapolis, for answers to your bail services questions today. Our team of highly trained and licensed bail bondsmen have decades of experience in the bail industry. We can offer a fast and friendly release from jail that doesn’t cost fellow taxpayers money at all! Call us today at 317-876-9600 and get more information about bail services in Indianapolis, IN and its surrounding counties.

Using Credit Cards to Get Out of Jail in Indiana

Posted on by

Indianapolis Bail Bonds 317-876-9600

Indianapolis Bail Bonds 317-876-9600

Currently in Indiana, defendants are using a “swipe and go” system for bail. This means they are allowed to pay their own bond with a credit card. Many believe that this system is dangerous and irresponsible. There is no true accountability for those who simply swipe a card to get out of jail.

How can they be trusted to show up for their scheduled court date? This is the hot topic on the minds of law officials in Indiana.

Court Scenarios for Bail Applicants

When someone commits a crime, a judge determines the flight risk and the potential danger the defendant may pose to the community, as they always should. In order to keep our jails from becoming over-crowded, the judge can either release the person on their own recognizance, which is a promise on their part to return for court, or put them in a government-run and taxpayer pretrial program, or set an amount of bail to guarantee that the person will return on his or her court date.

In the third scenario, a private and local bail bonds agent will accept responsibility for the defendant’s return and will charge the defendant and not the taxpayers to provide that service. Once the responsibility is transferred to the bail agent, it is that agent’s job to make sure the defendant returns to court because it is now their money on the line as well. By all accounts, including years of statistics compiled by the U.S. Department Justice, this system works extremely well and cost taxpayers nothing.

Liabilities of Credit Card Bail

The swipe-and-go-system, run by an online out-of-state party, completely removes any transfer of responsibility to a licensed, insured, and bonded bail agent who lives and works in the local Indiana community. It removes the economic interest that a bail bondsmen has in making sure the defendant shows up for court. By doing so, we will see a reduction in the attendance rate, a likely rise in the repeat crimes, and not-to-mention, extra cost to taxpayers for requiring law enforcement to retrieve the missing defendant.

Turning this part of our criminal justice system into a arrangement parallel to buying gas, commit a crime and be out of jail with no hassles and no inconvenience, will have long-term negative consequences; as well as, cost taxpayers more money in the long run without doing anything to keep our neighborhoods safer. A drunk driver in Indiana or a repeat assailant should be considered a very real criminal and a very real threat to our public safety. The swipe -and-go methods simply make it easier, much easier, for criminals to be back out on the streets quicker and with virtually no oversight or real consequence.

Indianapolis Bail Bonds

Woods Bail Bonds

Woods Bail Bonds 317-876-9600

For more information about bail bonds and the system surrounding the current bail ordinances in Indiana, call Woods Bail Bonds in Indianapolis today. You can reach Jim Woods or a member of his highly qualified and friendly team at 317-876-9600 day or night. We are happy to answer any questions you have about bailing someone out of Hamilton County, Marion County, or any other Indiana county jail. We are here for support and guidance. Call 317-876-9600 anytime for information surrounding the new credit card laws for bail bonds in Indianapolis, IN or any other bail bond topic.