So for example, a guy murders people, gets arrested and a bail is set for 5 million dollars. Does the guy walk off if the bail is paid? plz 🙂
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Bail is not a fine. It’s not something you pay to get out of criminal charges. Bail is collateral that you pay to remain out of jail while your criminal case is pending as assurance that you will come back to court. In other words, it’s money you put up to not be in jail while you wait trial with the promise that you will actually show up to court. If you show up, you get your money back. If you don’t, you forfeit that money and you’ll be a fugitive with an arrest warrant.
Different jurisdictions have different bail rules, but generally, the more serious the crime, or the more prior arrests/convictions you have, the higher your bail amount will be, or you might not even be offered bail. For a first time offender charged with a minor crime, you might be offered a few hundred or a few thousand dollar bail. For serious felonies or a person with multiple prior arrests or convictions, you might not be offered bail at all and you’ll simply be held in jail until and during your trial.
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