subject: The Bail Bond System And Its Benefits To The Course Of Justice [print this page] The justice system in any society is supposed to among other things ensure that persons who contravene the society's codes of conduct are adequately punished for their infractions. At the same time the justice system must ensure that the fundamental rights of a person accused of wrongdoing are not infringed in the pursuit of justice. There are lots of legal provisions in the state and federal laws that are designed to protect the rights of accused persons and one of them is the right to apply for bail and the posting of Dallas bail bonds. So, how does bail contribute to the course of justice?
Bail is a very important component of the justice system for various reasons. To begin with, a person arrested on suspicion of committing an offence is assumed to be innocent until that guilt is proved in a court of law. Suspects are often arrested and booked into police custody to await arraignment before a court. It is assumed that these individuals are innocent until proven guilty and therefore it is unfair to restrain them behind bars as they await trial because this amounts to prematurely incarcerating them. It is a contradiction to detain someone who is still considered to be innocent and in the process deny him other freedoms such as the freedom of movement and freedom of association as well as his right to live his life as he pleases.
It is on this basis that bail was introduced into criminal justice. Our bail laws were borrowed from English Common Law practice. As early as 1275, the Statute of Westminster enumerated crimes that were eligible for bail and those that were not. The Eighth Amendment to the constitution outlawed excessive bail reflecting provisions in the 1689 English Bill of Rights that had also forbidden unreasonably high bail amounts. States have enacted their own statutes concerning bail but all of them are aimed at safeguarding the rights of accused persons.
The time between arrest and commencement of trial varies from case to case but it can take several weeks or even months. The trial itself can also last for many weeks. If the accused are able to post Dallas bail bonds then they can get out of jail and continue with their day to day activities as they await the conclusion of their cases. They are thus able to enjoy all their fundamental rights and freedoms and can continue to be productive in their community as opposed to if they were locked up. Of course there are certain offences for which Dallas bail bonds are not permitted especially serious felonies like murder. However, there is no reason why petty offenders should be locked up together with murder suspects since they are not a danger to anyone and in most cases are unlikely to jump bail.
Dallas bail bonds also help to protect individuals' personal integrity. Respectable people sometimes commit minor offences unwittingly and find themselves in police custody. They can post Dallas bail bonds and go home and as such avoid the embarrassment associated with being locked up.
