Learning About Criminal Law Cases

If your relative was released on bond, you may be wondering about the protocol that will be utilized if they fail to appear before a judge on their scheduled court date. A bondsman outlines the process that they use at the onset of being hired to provide bail bond services.

Bond Services

Bond services are not available to everyone who is arrested. A person's past behaviors, including the number of times that they have been charged with a crime and the actual act that they are being accused of, could have an impact on whether or not a bond amount is set. Additionally, these behaviors could have a bearing on the bail amount that is selected by a judge.

Bond services will involve either paying the full bond fee that a bondsman charges or a partial fee. If a partial fee is all that is requested initially, a bondsman will finance the remainder of the bond. It is critical that a client pays the monetary amount that has been outlined by a service provider. A contract is a typed agreement that a bondsman will sign off on. After reviewing the contract, a client may be asked to sign the paperwork.

The Outcome

A court hearing may not be held immediately after an individual is released from jail. This does not mean that a bondsman will not stay in touch with the individual, however. If the payment arrangement that has been agreed upon will require a client to make monetary payments on a recurring basis, a bondsman will contact a client as needed. Even if a bond amount has been satisfied in its entirety, a bondsman may still stay in touch with a client.

They will remind them of their upcoming court date. This may take place through an email or a telephone call. A client should never lie to their bondsman or attempt to avoid them. If a bondsman thinks that they are not hearing the truth or if they have a suspicion that a client won't attend a court hearing, they may place a closer watch on the client.

If the court date arrives and the individual does not show up as they are required to, it is the bondsman's right and duty to attempt to locate the person who failed to appear. They may revoke the bond, which is an official process. The revocation of a bond will ultimately lead to the charged individual being re-arrested.

To learn more about failure to appear bail bonds, contact a bondsman in your area.