3 Things Jumping Bail Will Cost You
If you or your family have worked with a bail bondsman to have you released from jail following a criminal charge, you may have a fear of returning. You may think that jumping bail or failing to appear for your court appearance is a good idea. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are several things this poor idea could cost you. Here are a few.
Your Collateral
Depending on the amount of money your bail bond agency is required to post for your bail bond, they may require you, or your family, to post collateral in addition to the fee you will be required to pay.
This collateral is often in the form of property, vehicles, additional sums of money, personal checks, or other items of value. The bail bondsman will normally place these items in safekeeping and return them to their owners when you appear in court.
If you jump bail, the bond company will not only keep the fee they are entitled to but they will also have the right to keep the collateral. This will mean forfeiting this property to the bonding company.
Your Freedom
By jumping bail you may gain your freedom for a period of time, but you can believe the bail bonds agency is not just going to simply allow you to walk away. When you do not appear in court, the full bond they have posted for you become due. This is usually a large amount of money that they can only get back by getting you back to court.
If the bail bondsman is unable to find you, they may enlist the assistance of a bounty hunter who will search for you for a percentage of your bail. Bounty hunters usually have extensive experience and investigative skills that make them highly successful in their quests.
You will also accrue additional charges. The court will also issue a bench warrant for your arrest for failure to appear. This warrant will be placed in the system and will come up anytime your personal information is run.
Your Ability To Post Bond in the Future
Jumping bail makes you a high risk for a bail bond agency to post any future bail bonds. This means that you may end up sitting in jail for an extended period for this crime or for any crime you may commit in the future. If a bail bond is posted for you, the best thing to do is to honor the commitment you have made to that agency. Jumping bail is not worth the cost. Reach out to a bail bonds agency to learn more.
