Insights Into How Our Legal System Works

Bailing Someone Out Of Jail For The First Time? What Will Happen If They Make A Bail Jump

11 May 2016 by Yolanda Lane

Approximately 70,000 criminals jump bail each year, which is the equivalent to 1,200 per week. When you bail someone out of jail, they must appear at their scheduled court hearing. If they do not appear, this is known as bail jumping. Below is some information about how a bail bond works, and what happens if the person in jail fails to appear in court.

Bail Bond

When someone is arrested a bond is set. This bond is generally too expensive for most people to pay. This is when a bail bondsman steps in. You pay the bail bondsman a certain percentage of the bail, and the bondsman may charge extra fees. What they are allowed to charge you depends on the state you live in. For example, some will require that you pay 10 percent of the bail amount. Once the bail is paid, the bondsman then takes steps to have the person released from jail.

This bail amount is a guarantee that the person will appear for their court date. If they miss even one date, the bond policy will go into a forfeiture status, which is also known as a default.

Once this happens, the bail bondsman has a specified amount of time to find the defendant and bring them back into custody. This period of time varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. If the bail bondsman cannot find the defendant, the bond will go into judgment. When this happens, the bail bondsman has to pay the full amount of the defendant's bond to the court.

Bounty Hunter

Because the police are generally busy, they often hire a bounty hunter, also known as bail enforcement agents, to find the defendant. They will do everything they can to track them down and bring them back in. The bounty hunter can enter the defendant's home if they think they are in there. They cannot, however, go into someone else's home unless they have a search warrant. Once the bounty hunter finds the defendant, they will take them back to jail, and the bondsman will get their money back.

Bounty hunters are paid a certain percentage of the bail bond amount. What this percentage is depends on the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter works much like the police when they find someone. They actually arrest them and put them in handcuffs.

In most cases, the person that jumps bail will get more jail time. If this happens, you should contact an attorney to help you. Contact a bail bonds company like Chesterfield Bonding for more information.  

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