Potential Bail Jumpers Beware! This Is What Happens If You Skip Out On Court Dates Or Flee!

You’ve probably seen the glamorous life of people living life on the lamb after jumping bail on TV. However, BailOption has a very important message for all of you potential bail jumpers out there. Don’t do it! What you see on TV is make-believe and fake. Even reality shows like Dog The Bounty Hunter are staged. 

Police Have Arrested You. Now What?

The police have arrested you. Now, what? Police will take you to the police station for booking. They will also hold you in custody. Usually, the police will require you to post bail depending on the severity of the alleged crime. However, you may get lucky. The police may even release on their own recognizance.

Bail is a process in which a person pays money as collateral in exchange for their release. The terms of the agreement are usually pretty simple. The agreement says you will released on the condition that you will return for court hearings. If a person attends all scheduled court dates, the bail will be returned in full minus any administrative costs. However, what happens if a person fails to attend their court date or skips out on their bail?

What If You Fail To Appear For Hearings?

If a person fails to attend their court date as instructed, the court will issue a warrant for their arrest. If a person still does not appear in court within a reasonable period of time or provide the courts with a satisfactory reason for their absence, the prosecution will likely file additional Failure to Appear charges against the defendant. Failure to Appear charges can be added to a person’s list of charges. This of course depends on the defendant’s pending accusations.

What Happens To A Defendant’s Bail Money?

In addition, failing to attend a court date after posting bail will result in the county claiming a person’s bail money. Since bail can easily reach six and seven figures depending on the offense, this can be an incredible financial loss. If a person uses a bail bond agency to pay their bail, the bail bond agency will be responsible for the full amount unless they are able to locate and surrender the defendant to the courts.

BailOption Is Here To Help!