What Happens When Someone Skips Out On Their Bail?

So, you were a good person and rushed down to the county jail when your friend called to ask you to bail them out. Unfortunately, they did not return the “good person” favor, and failed to appear at their court date. So what happens now?

Well to begin with, from now on you should think about two things before agreeing to bail someone out of jail: One, what happens to the person if you choose not to bail them out; two, what happens to the money you post on their behalf if they decide not to show up in court. If you misjudge someone and agree to post their bail, and then they do not show up for court, the bail bond will be in default. This is not good for you, because you are at risk of losing to money you put up to free your friend.

Once they’ve skipped their court appearance, the court will send the bail bondsman a notice, informing them about that they have a certain amount of time – usually around 90 days – to turn in the accused and get your bond out of default status. This involves talking to them and convincing them to fill out some paperwork notifying the court that the person has been returned. If within this 90 days, the defendant still fails to appear, the court will issue a bench warrant for his/her arrest. This means a bail bond fugitive recovery agent will set out to find the defendant and force them to appear.

Now, if the defendant has skipped out on bail and you do not want to pay, you may have the urge to run away yourself. Don’t do it. Your bail agent will find you, because many of them have law enforcement backgrounds and have as much incentive to find you as they do to find the defendant. Once they find you, it won’t just be a slap on the wrist. They can bring a legal suit against you for breach of contract.

Unfortunately, no matter what, you are accountable if your friend skips bail. So if you are not 100 percent sure your friend will show up and keep your finances in check, don’t do it.

If you are in need of a bail bondsman to help with a loved one, contact Pizzo Bail Bonds today.