Specialists In The Bail Bond Business

The amount and type of bail are fixed by the judge at the first appearance before the court. A court will consider the defendant’s individual circumstances when the amount of bail is set. The bail amount must be sufficient to ensure that the defendant will appear for all scheduled proceedings. A court must also consider the safety of the community, the seriousness of the alleged crime and the defendant’s record.

A bail bonding agent posts a defendant’s appearance bond and guarantees that the defendant will appear whenever required. Bail bonding agents must be licensed by the state and have an appointment from an insurance company or be a qualified cash bonding agent. Bail bonding agents are paid a premium, which is usually nonrefundable, to post the bond. If the defendant fails to appear, the court may order the bond “forfeited” and require the bonding agent to pay the court the full amount of the bond. Bail bonding agents have the right to apprehend, return the defendant to custody, and to use collateral taken for the bond to pay the bond forfeiture and costs.

Yes. The most important condition of the bond is your agreement to appear at each and every court hearing. It is your responsibility to know where and when those hearings are set.

The court may issue a warrant for your arrest, revoke your bond or increase the amount of your bond. You may also be charged with a completely new crime, known as “failure to appear.” The bail bond may be forfeited and the property or money deposited as collateral for the bail bond may be lost.

It is important for you to act quickly. If you posted a bond with a bail bonding agent, contact the agent immediately. The bail bonding agent may provide you with a “consent of surety.” You must take the consent of surety to the court clerk and ask for a new court date. If you did not post a bond through a bonding agent, then go to the court clerk as soon as possible and make arrangements for a new court date. In either case, a warrant was probably issued for your arrest for failure to appear.