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Why some people want to get rid of commercial bail bonds

Bail Bonds Billboard
Some California lawmakers say it's time for commercial bail bonds to go.
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Thomas Hawk/Flickr Creative Commons
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On any given night, about 5,000 people are in an L.A. County jail because they can't afford bail. Bail bond agents generally charge a 10 percent fee to bail a person out, which means hundreds, if not thousands of dollars that a defendant will never get back. Some lawmakers think it's time to reform bail, making it easier for thousands of people to get out of jail while their cases proceed through the justice system. 

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