Brown & Swain Bail Bonds 252-504-6600

03/07/2026

10/18/2018

Bail can sometimes be for a large amount, and a bail bond agency is on the hook for the whole thing if the defendant doesn’t show at trial. This is why bail bond agencies will sometimes take collateral when they sign an agreement with you, and return it after the trial starts.

10/16/2018

For some less serious crimes, many municipalities have a bond schedule that allows the accused individual to post bond quickly without having to wait to appear before a judge and having bail assessed.

10/11/2018

In 1789, the Judiciary Act was established to ensure that noncapital offenses (those without the possibility of the death penalty) were subject to bail, and bail could be offered in capital crimes at the judge’s discretion.

10/09/2018

Part of the Eighth Amendment, which helps define the American bail bond system, demands that anyone facing prison be informed of his or her crime.

10/04/2018

Is the amount of bail set by the court ever discretionary? If you guessed yes, you're right. Although bail is sometimes determined based on an established schedule, for some offenses a bail hearing is held and the amount is set by the presiding judge.

10/02/2018

Proposed in 1789 and adopted two years later, the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution is short, sweet and clear: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”

09/27/2018

The concept of a bail bond system was created by Tom and Peter P. McDonough in San Francisco in 1898. Back then, the only option was to offer cash - the amount varied depending on the crime - as good faith that you would return to court if let out of jail.

09/25/2018

Why is the opportunity for a reasonable bail included in the U.S. Constitution? The earliest leaders in America wanted to avoid an oppressive society in which someone arrested for a crime did not have a fair opportunity to prepare for trial, which is the reason behind making bail available except in the most serious of crimes.

09/20/2018

One forerunner in the bail bond industry is Peter McDonough, who developed a network of wireless communications with police stations to ensure clients could be freed on bail.