How Do Bail Bondsman Pay Bail?

This week’s question is taken from Yahoo! Answers, where we frequently answer bail bond questions:

How do bail bondsman pay bail?

When a defendant cannot afford to pay the total amount of bail set by the judge: how much would the individual need to pay a bail bondsman in order to be released if, for example, the amount of bail is $6000? Will the defendant have to pay the remaining balance to the court or bondsman? What happens to the bail bond if the defendant fails to appear on the court date?

Answer:

A bail bond is simply a piece of paper that the bondsman gives to the court or jail which guarantees the defendant will show up for their scheduled court date, or the court will be paid. The bondsman does not pay the court anything unless the defendant does not show up and cannot be found.

Some bail related definitions may help:

Bail: (In your case, $6000) this is the amount the court wants guaranteed to let the defendant go while awaiting trial. 

Bail Bond: A contract between the bondsman and the “indemnitor” (contract signer) agreeing to get the defendant back to court or the indemnitor will pay the bail ($6000).

Bail Premium: The fee is 10% of the total bail amount. This is the bondsman’s fee for taking responsibility for the defendant and indemnitor and to ensure they do what they say they will.

If the defendant doesn’t show and cannot be located, the indemnitor is going to pay an additional $6000. This is the guarantee the bondsman is making. The $600 is the bondsman’s money. It is not a down payment and a bail bond is not a loan– it’s more of an insurance policy.

If the defendant does show up, the $600 is still the bondsman’s money, but no more is owed on the bond or on the bail.

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One response to “How Do Bail Bondsman Pay Bail?”

1. Surety Bail Bond writes:
   

   Bail laws are state to state and very confusing for the average person. Going through the bail process can be an emotional journey. Contacting a Bail Bond Agent could be the path for you. The agents I have worked with are energetic, tenacious and compassionate to my emotional situation. Having the help of someone who understand our legal system can help you focus on your loved ones.

   @ March 8th, 2011 at 06:50