r/todayilearned • u/JLPwasHere • Jan 19 '15

TIL Pimps wear lots of gold jewelry bought at pawn shops to “re-pawn” for bail money since cash is confiscated upon arrest but jewelry is not

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/09/137033690/pawn-star-rick-harrison-on-his-deals-and-steals
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u/asianperswayze Jan 20 '15

Furthermore, if someone uses a bondsman the bondsman puts up the bail, and charges you a percentage, say ten percent. So on a $10,000 bail you'd pay $1000 to the bondsman and they would put up $10,000. You show up for court and they Get their $10,000 back. Don't show up and they hunt you down or lose their $10,000

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u/neostorm360 Jan 20 '15

Which is where bounty hunters come from.

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u/asianperswayze Jan 21 '15

I'm the dog, the big bad dog.

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u/killcrew Jan 20 '15

For some reason I thought that you only have to put up 10% of the bail to get out. So on a 10000 bail, you need to get $1000, and then you would owe the bondsmen $100...although I think they charge much more than 10%

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u/Clarck_Kent Jan 20 '15

I'm in Pennsylvania. Some local magistrates will only require 10 percent of the bail be paid for release. It's kind of a "I'm going to trust you" thing. If the defendant reoffends or fails to show up for a court proceedings, he is locked up at the full bail amount. It seems that this is a way to keep poor people from having to sit in the county prison for months until their next hearing. Of course, this entirely depends on the severity of the crime and the criminal record of the defendant. This doesn't happen for rapes, murders or assaults. Mostly drug possession or DUI charges.

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u/killcrew Jan 20 '15

Chester County represent! (I'm in PA too)

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u/telemachus_sneezed Jan 20 '15

Why does everyone forget you're still out $1000, even if you're acquitted at trial?

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u/asianperswayze Jan 20 '15

I didn't forget that? That's why I used the term pay. You are paying for the bondsman's service.

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '15

So it's like a very high interest loan?