Professional bail is a part of the free market system here the United States. When a person is arrested, they are charged with a crime, and a judge will set a bond based on specific characteristics. Things like community stability, previous criminal history, ability to flee the country, and the nature of the charges are all included in the judge’s decision. It is important to remember that a bonding company does not have any input on the bond amount nor do they discuss any part of the case with the courts.

Bond Fees

When the bond is issued by the court, a professional bail bondsman can then become involved. When a defendant or someone who is acting on their behalf, also known as a co-signer, contacts the bondsman they immediately begin the process of securing release. Bondsman will normally charge 10% of the total bond in order to secure a defendant’s release. This fee is the result of the risk that the bail bondsman is willing to incur. When a bond is $10,000 the professional bondsman is accepting the risk that the defendant will show up in court for every motion, hearing, and trial, or face the consequence of having to pay it to the court system. In the case of a $10,000 bond, the defendant is only responsible to pay $1,000, which is a lot easier to manage.

Bondsmen Help

Professional bail bondsman, often times, try to develop relationships with their clients in order to help them feel comfortable speaking openly. If a defendant has a problem, they can always contact their bondsman to discuss the situation and try to find a solution. Many people are often surprised at how much a bondsman can do when something goes wrong or if an error happens. Bail bondsmen do not like to hire bounty hunters to put defendants back in jail, as it does cost money. The use of a bounty hunter is the last resort for professional bondsmen as it often creates a rift with clients who don’t understand why they have been re-arrested.

What do Bounty Hunters do?

Bounty Hunters perform the recovery side of bail when a defendant either fails to appear in court or shows signs of violating the bond. Bounty Hunters do not cost the tax payers any money, but will actively work to find a wanted defendant in order to return them to jail. They will conduct database background checks that provide access to a vast amount of information about a person. The bail enforcement agent will also conduct interviews in person and on the phone to learn about the location of a wanted defendant. Ultimately the percentage of how many defendants escape from a bounty hunter team is very, very low.

Money Back When Case Completes

When a defendant completes a case, regardless of the disposition, the bond fee is not returned because the premium is fully earned upon the defendants’ release from jail. The only items that may be returned, if any, is collateral cash, real property, or personal property that has been put up. It is important for cosigners and defendants to understand that a bail bond is a type of insurance. It can be compared to the automotive insurance industry. If you have car insurance to protect yourself from a vehicle crash but do not file a claim, the insurance company does not return your premium. That is the fee that the insurance company charges to incur the risk.