Films depict anything from war to space exploration, to intergalactic conflicts involving intelligent lifeforms, Jedis, and spaceships, or even deep exploration of dreams and the human mind, time travel, and drama in the courtroom and prison system. How many great films have dealt with prison breaks and escapes from the law?! In reality, however, the day-to-day of the courtroom and the justice system might not be as enthralling or dramatic as depicted on the big screen. This goes for instances where films deal with setting bail.
For many years, Freedom Bail Bonds has helped people who find themselves in a tight spot regain their freedom until they see their day in court. Our goal is simple: to facilitate someone’s release until their legal situation can be determined. Whether the verdict is guilty or not guilty is far beyond our jurisdiction. And yet, the setting of bail is often dramatized in interesting ways and has skewed people’s perception of bail amounts and how bail is set. It’s important to note that bail amounts are set by the courts, usually in predetermined amounts based on the crime.
Let’s take a look at some famous television shows and movies that frequently deal with the bail business.
Law and Order
With their famous opening theme, unmistakable to anyone that has ever flipped through the channel in the middle of the night, Law and Order frequently deals with bail and bail setting. For the most part, they do an okay job at not over sensationalizing it, as their goal in the show is to represent the work of law enforcement and the judicial system somewhat accurately. In a 1999 episode titled “Hunters,” two meddling bounty hunters working for a local bail bondsman get in the way of a murder investigation. Their carelessness and curiosity end up causing the deaths of two more victims.
Bounty hunters never interfere with investigations or take part in any law enforcement other than enforcing the terms of the bail. Although it’s quite easy to vilify and depict the bounty hunter as a blood-thirsty detective, their job is pretty straightforward.
A Time To Kill
Ah, nothing like a 90s-directed John Grisham story to get those criminal juices flowing. Grisham is very good at selling what might seem like overly-dramatic stories that tug at the emotional heartstrings. In the film, a young African American girl gets brutally attacked and raped by two white supremacists. It’s hard to forget the scene where Samuel L. Jackson rage-filled and blood boiling bursts into the court hallway where the two accused men are being led out from their bail hearing and shoot them to death with an M16 rifle. In the film, the judge also denies bail to Carl Lee Hailey, the father of the little girl.
How to Get Away With Murder
In this crime drama series, a criminal defense attorney herself is accused of murder. During the dramatic bail hearing, the defense attorney attempts to convince the judge that there was considerable evidence that other suspects were the real murders. This doesn’t normally happen in a bail hearing and also the judge denies bail here as well.
Common Myths of Bail and Bail Hearings
One myth is that bail is frequently denied to people. In real life, a judge can deny bail because of a few circumstances. If the judge has considerable evidence and reason to believe that the accused is a flight risk or is a threat to the public. Other circumstances in which bail might be denied include high profile major crimes or repeat offenses.
Portraying the bail hearing as a dramatic and tense-filled moment is a favorite in tv shows and crime dramas. The truth is that most bail hearings are pretty straightforward and without much fanfare. The judge doesn’t have complete discretion over the bail amount. The amount of bail is often predetermined by law and corresponds to the kind of crime that the person is accused of committing.
The bail might be based on several other factors including the crime itself, criminal history, the age of the defendant. Most bail amounts in films and movies are often depicted in the millions. Unless it is a mega high profile case or murder case, the amount will likely be in the thousands or hundreds of thousands. To give just an example, the bail amount for something like assault in states like New Mexico and Texas can range from $2,000 to $5,000 and felony bail for theft can range from $5,000 to $20,000.
Find a Trusted Bail Bondsman For Your Case
Here at Freedom Bail Bonds, we assist people who are struggling to meet bail amounts. If you or a family member has been arrested and is facing charges, this is a stressful time. Don’t let the movies fool you into what can be done. We can help you get your loved one out until their day in court. Call us today.