Posting a bond can be an intimidating procedure, especially if a loved one is sitting in jail and you’ve never had any experience with the criminal legal system before. While the details can get confusing, there are essentially two ways to post a bond. An individual can post a bond for a family member, friend, or loved one, or a professional bondsman can post a bond for a criminal defendant.
If the bond is posted by a private individual, that money is refunded at the conclusion of the case regardless of the ultimate outcome, so long as the defendant complies with his or her bond conditions. This is an important caveat. The universal condition is that the person appears in court for all court appearances, however there are often other conditions. If the case involves alcohol, a condition of bond could be no alcohol use. In a domestic violence case, the bond could include a no contact order. The judge can impose these and other conditions, so it is imperative to know all of the conditions of your bond.
If a bondsman, also known as a professional surety, is used, they charge a percentage of the bond which is non-refundable. The conditions of bond are the same as if the bond was posted by a private individual, the bondsman simply allows people to post a bond without having to produce the full dollar amount of the bond. Check out our video below and call us if you have any questions!
