How does someone get bailed out of jail? Does the bail money get returned when the case is over?
Bail is financial assurance that a defendant will return to court after being released from law enforcement custody. There are typically two ways to post bail. First, “cash” bail may be posted with the county sheriff’s department to cover the entire amount of the bail. At the end of the case, if the defendant appears for court, the person posting the bond will receive a check for the entire amount of the bail posted. Secondly, a “bond” through a bail company may be posted. In a bail bond scenario a defendant (or someone on their behalf) typically pays about 10% of the entire bail amount to a bail bond company, which puts up the entire bail amount through a pledge of their cash or property as collateral. The 10% fee is not returned to the defendant at the conclusion of the case because this is the fee earned by the bail bond company for using their cash or property as financial guarantee that the defendant will appear for court as ordered.
Related Questions
- What happens if we one of us gets ill and has to return earlier? Is there an extra charge or is our money returned in case of illness or injury?
- I am a defendant who was bailed out of jail on an Amwest/Far West bail bond. What does cancellation mean to me and my court case?
- Is bail money returned when the accused turns up for trial?
