A bail bond is a longstanding tool that is used to provide insurance to the court that a person who is arrested and charged for a crime can be released and show up for the court date.
The bond is collateral that is set by the judge. When determining the amount of the bond, the judge considers several factors. These include past criminal history, the seriousness of the charge, as well as the potential risk of flight for the individual.
Once the bond is set by the judge, the person charged, or his or her family or friends, sign a contract with a bail bonds agency. This contract allows the bail bond agency to put up the money to get the individual released, with a legal agreement that they will be repaid that money should the person not show up for court.
Becoming an Indemnitor
The Indemnitor on a bail bond is the person who puts up the collateral and signs the contract. The Indemnitor is responsible for the individual if he or she does not show up for court. This may include showing up for multiple court dates, and one missed appearance can result in significant costs and additional fees to locate the individual.
Should the individual skip out, the Indemnitor will lose any collateral put up for the bond. This could include a vehicle, a home, property, or other forms of collateral accepted by the bail bondsman.
Getting Out of a Contract
One of the benefits of using a bail bond company is that you have some control over your contract. If you are concerned that the individual you assisted might not go to court or might be involved in additional crimes, you can contact your bail bond agent and ask to have the bond revoked. This means you are asking the bail agents to utilize their recovery agents and place that individual back in custody. There are additional costs involved and these costs should be explained to you prior to signing any documents. This option can only be discussed if the client has not had a warrant issued for their arrest yet.
Keep in mind that once you sign a bail bond contract, you are locked into that contract until the individual has attended all required court hearings. It is critical to consider all of the risks and the factors before becoming an Indemnitor on any bail bond contract.
To find out more about bail bonds from the experts, talk to the team at Sanctuary Bail Bonds. Call us with questions at 602-224-5247.
