This is a question that many people have. Most people have heard of it, and many have seen it on TV, but they still do not have a very good idea of what bail is. Even on TV, bail is often toned down or glossed over so that the show can focus on the story at hand. This is how so many people know about bail, but have no idea how it actually works.

Bail starts when a person is arrested. This is when a person is assigned their bail amount. Typically, the amount is determined by a judge reading off of a bail schedule. A bail schedule is just a list of every crime possible, and what the bail should be for each crime. Every county has its own unique bail schedule...