How does a bail bond work and who needs one?
Posted on: 05/31/2016
You may have heard the news about someone being arrested and then released later on a bail. But what does bail mean and why does the defendant have to get back to court if he is released once? Well, you will need to read through the following to understand that.
Bail bonds give a person the opportunity to be released out of the jail on a precondition that they will appear in the court for a hearing. A bail bond system is incorporated for the procedure.
There are different laws regarding the bail system in US across various states, but if you have been charged with a crime or you are planning to post bail for someone, you will have to understand the basics of the bail system.
Bail Bonds—The Basics
Bail could be money or property deposited as a promise that the defendant will appear in the court for the trial. A bail bond is simply a promise, if broken will lead to forfeit of the bail money. This guarantees the bail is provided either by the Bail agency or some relative or a friend.
The purpose of the bail is that the defendant won’t have to be kept in custody until the trial starts. The bail amount is set by the judge and needs to be high enough that the defendant would care about forfeiting. There are preset amounts in many courts for the bail depending on the nature of the offence.
After the judge has set a bail amount, it needs to be posted with the court clerk. You may have to come during regular business hours or to the jail. When the amount is paid, a receipt will be issued as proof of the bail being posted.
What happens if you miss the court date?
If the defendant doesn’t show up on the hearing day, the court will issue an order for a forfeiture hearing and also for the arrest warrant. The defendant needs to provide a valid reason for why they couldn’t come. If the defendant doesn’t even show up for the forfeiture hearing, the bail amount will be kept with the court.
There are many intricacies involved with posting a bail bond. Therefore, get a professional bail bond agency for getting the best deal. Call Nor Cal Bail Bonds, a Dublin Bail Bonds agency you can trust.
