Bail Bonds: A Brief History

Pennsylvania bail bond companyYou know that whether you’re in Pittsburgh, Allentown, Reading, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania, Liberty Bail Bonds are the experts that you’re going to call when you’re in need of a Pennsylvania bail bond company. But do you know where the idea of bail originated? Pre-trial release dates all the way back to ancient Roman times, but the way the Romans approached bail is much different than the process most bail bond companies use today.

According to research done by Timothy R. Schnacke, Michael R. Jones, and Claire M. Brooker, “bail bond decisions are all about prediction, albeit today about the prediction of a defendant’s probability of making all court appearances and not committing any new crimes.” In America’s beginning, English laws were occasionally carried over, but began evolving almost immediately. Their research goes on to state that,” It is commonly believed that the first true commercial money bail bondsmen, persons acting as sureties by pledging money or property to fulfill money bail bond conditions for a criminal defendant in court, were Peter and Thomas McDonough in San Francisco, who began underwriting bonds as favors to lawyers who drank in their father’s bar.”

Bail reform was very common from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. While Pennsylvania bail bonds and the duties of bail bondsmen continue to evolve, we at Liberty Bail Bonds know how to work fast and efficiently secure the release of your loved one.