Photo by Rioncm, Creative Commons.

In what way does Kentucky lead the nation in judicial reform? No, this isn’t a joke about Kentucky.

In most states, your ability to get out of jail after a misdemeanor arrest was predicated on your ability to pay. In the 1970s Kentucky instituted a highly successful pretrial system that allows non-violent offenders pretrial release without bail. This allows savings of time, effort, and money for both the accused and the judicial system. Although other states have similar programs, Kentucky has gone so far as to prohibit commercial bail bonding. This is becoming a very popular idea nationwide  — so much so that this week, representatives from the New Orleans criminal justice system have been attending meetings with the U.S. Justice Department to discuss instituting such a program locally. (Read about it on nola.com)

We’ll have to keep our eye on this one.

So what WOULD you do if you or someone you know were to land in jail? Regardless of what happens with bail reform efforts, it’s important to know that a lawyer can help you get a friend or a loved one out of jail without needing to involve a bail bondsman or other surety agent. This can help save substantial time and money.

If you do use a bond company, the extent of their help will be to require you to pay a non-refundable percentage of the bond amount while the company guarantees the rest of the bond. The bond company will also insure that the defendant appears for their court date. Celebrities not included.

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