If a loved one has recently been arrested for the first time, then you may be new to the bail process. You may not know exactly what goes into bail, how it is paid, and how a bail bonds agent can help. But even for the person who does understand how this process works, there are a few things about bail and bail bonds that are unknown to many people.

Bail is the total dollar amount that a judge requires the defendant or their loved ones pay in order to get them out of jail and waiting at home for their court date. The purpose of bail is to hold the defendant accountable for making all the appropriate appearances in court and to prevent anyone from trying to skip town and evade the law, hoping to avoid being sentenced. But if someone cannot pay for bail, then the defendant must sit in jail while they wait for their court date. There is a third option, however, and that is hiring the services of a bail bonds agent to post bail for you if you don’t have the cash or collateral available.

How Does A Bail Bond Work?

If the defendant cannot pay the bail amount that the judge sets for them, they or someone on their behalf can get assistance from a licensed Bail bondsman.

To get a bail bond posted , the defendant is required to pay the bail bondsman percentage of the bail amount. The licensed bail bondsman will then begin the process to secure the remainder of the bail amount set by the judge in the form of collateral. In most cases, if the defendant does not have enough to cover the collateral, the bondsman would ask the defendant’s friends and family to help with covering the amount of bail.
In rare instances, an additional cash payment plus full collateral is required for the bail bond to be posted for the defendant.

But What Happens If The Defendant Fails to Appear to Court?

We often get asked the most common question asked in the bail bonds industry, “What if the defendant fails to appear in court?” If that does happen, the bail bond would then be forfeited and the court would require the remaining amount of the bail to be paid. If there was collateral used to secure the bond, the bail bondsman would use the collateral to pay the court the remainder of the bail amount.

It is highly recommended that the defendant appear for their designated court date. If they do appear as agreed. At the end of the court case, the bail bond would be resolved and the collateral would be returned.

If you would like more information about bail bonds or are in need of a licensed bail bondsman, Contact All Out Bail Bonds, for bail bond services in Southwest Florida, contact us through the following numbers: Fort Myers: 239-599-5088, Punta Gorda: 941-584-4492.