How Bail Bonds Work

If you ever find yourself needing a bail bond to be released from jail pending a trial, there are some things that you need to know before you agree to the terms of the bond note. When you are arrested a judge will determine if bail is allowable and what the amount will be. Bail bondsmen offer their services to those who do not have family members that can post their bond or can not afford to post it themselves. If you do not appear for your court date or commit another crime while on bail the issuer of the bond note can revoke it to receive their posted bond amount back.

How do bail bonds work? A bail bond is a contractual agreement between two parties; someone posts bond so you can be released from custody with the promise that you will show up for a court case or trial. If you do not show up for your court date, called 'jumping bond', a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. If this happens chances are you will not be offered bail again and will have to remain in custody until your trial date. This also puts the original bond note into a state of collections and could cause financial distress if there was a co-signer on the note.

A co-signer on a bail bond takes a certain amount of risk when agreeing to the terms of a bail bond. If the person flees the area, does not show up for a court date or is otherwise unreachable, the co-signer will be responsible for the entire amount of the bond note. Generally bond premiums, a percentage of the bond posted, are not refunded when the case is closed and is retained by the bond company for services rendered. If property has been put up as bond it can be confiscated or possession processing could start within thirty days.

The effectiveness of how bail bonds work depends on the type of crime, previous offenses and the amount of bail that is assigned. Bail bonds were created to allow suspects the ability to be released from jail until their trial date. Bail bonds were also created to reduce the amount of stress on jailing facilities and allow room for violent offenders to remain in custody. Violent or repeat offenders may require a larger bond amount and a bond agent may ask for a larger amount to guarantee the suspect's appearance in court.

How do jail bonds work? Jail bonds are essentially the same as a bail bond but also include all-cash bonds. An all-cash bond is generally for low bail request amounts. An individual can post the entire amount of bail in cash to allow the person being held to be released from custody. In some states you can use United States Treasury Bonds the same way as you would use cash. When the case is resolved the cash or Treasury Bonds are returned. If you are using cash for a jail bond, any court costs or fees will be deducted from the bail amount before it is refunded. If you post a jail bond with a Treasury Bond you will have to pay court costs and fees before they are returned to you.

Being held in custody is a stressful time for all parties involved. Being afforded the opportunity to be released on bail is not a requirement by any court. You can be denied bail if you are a flight risk, have previously jumped bail or there is reasonable suspicion that you will not appear for court dates. When released on bail it is your responsibility to notify the court and you bail agent if you are moving, will be changing your phone number or need to travel out of your county for business. Failing to do so could lead to having your bond revoked and a bench warrant being issued for your arrest.