In some countries, a criminal defendant is permitted to post a bail bond in exchange for being released while his or her court case is pending. A bail bond company or an individual generally posts the bond and thereby agrees to pay a certain amount of money if the defendant fails to appear at a scheduled court date. A bond forfeiture occurs when the defendant doesn’t show up in court, and the company or person who put up the bond must pay the defendant’s outstanding bail amount. A forfeited bond …show more content…
During the hearing, the judge will decide whether or not the defendant had a good reason for failing to appear in court. If the judge determines the defendant did not have cause, he or she will ordinarily issue a warrant for the defendant’s arrest. Typically, the judge also specifies that the defendant must be found by a certain date. If the defendant cannot be located by that date, the court will move forward with bond forfeiture proceedings.
If a defendant has put up collateral in order to secure a bond, a bail bond company may sell the collateral in order to obtain cash to pay the bond once a bond forfeiture has been ordered. If the defendant’s family or friends have given collateral, such as a mortgage or car, they will also likely lose those items. Additionally, the bail bond company may attempt to recover any costs associated with locating the