How Does a Bail Bondsman Work?

Most people who are arrested are allowed bail. If the judge feels that the person may be a flight risk, they may denial bail and the accused will be held in jail until their court date. If the crime is a major crime such as murder, bail is usually denied.

Basics

When a person is arrested, bail is given as a condition that the person arrested will show up for future court hearings.  The judge is the one who states how much bail will be set at. If the arrested person cannot come up with the amount of bail, a bail bondsman can be called to post bail. The bondsman will post bail in exchange for a fee, which is normally 10 percent. If the person arrested fails to show up to court for a scheduled court date, someone must be responsible to pay the bail in full as well as all expenses the bondsman will have to incur to find the person who bailed.

Duties

Bail bondsmen are allowed to hold someone in custody as well as arrest an individual who fails to appear for a scheduled court date. Bondsmen often work with bounty hunters to bring in fugitives. Bondsmen can go to another state to obtain a fugitive and they can also enter any property they believe the fugitive may be hiding.

Fees

The fees that are paid directly to a bondsman cannot be refunded. Bondsmen normally work for themselves in small offices. They usually work near jails as well as prisons. Bail bondsmen are not associated with law enforcement at all. If the defendant does appear in court, the bondsman is given back the bail he posted.