Have you ever considered what happens if you skip bail?
Failing to appear in court after being arrested and released on bail is the last thing you should do, according to Inessa Chavez, vice president of All American Bail Bonds in Santa Clarita.
“There is a number of things that will happen if you skip bail,” Chavez said. “First and foremost, failing to appear in court means your bail is automatically forfeited and a warrant is issued for your arrest.”
The bail agent who posted the surety bond for the defendant will immediately try to locate the person and bring them back into custody.
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“When posting a surety bond, a bail agent is guaranteeing to the court that the defendant will appear at all their court appearances, including their judgment day,” Chavez said. “Once bail is skipped, the agent has a vested interest in locating the person and returning them to custody.”
If the agent cannot locate the defendant within 180 days, they must pay the total bond amount to the court, and will seek full reimbursement from the indemnitor that signed the bail contract.
“When the indemnitor signs a contract with a bail bonding company, they are agreeing to take full financial responsibility in the case that the defendant skips bail,” Chavez said. “This means that if a parent is the indemnitor for their son or daughter, they are financially responsible for repaying any losses incurred by the bail bonding company as a result of a missed court appearance by their child.”
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If collateral was used as part of the surety bond, it will likely be used to repay the bail bonding company and is therefore lost to the indemnitor.
“It’s extremely important that a defendant who has been released on bail follows all the conditions of their bail contract and appears at all court appearances,” Chavez said. “It’s also critical for the indemnitor to carefully read through the contract and ask their bail agent any questions they have before they sign it.”
Chavez continued, “At All American Bail Bonds in Santa Clarita, our bail agents are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to explain the process and answer questions. Our goal is to help make an already stressful situation go as smoothly as possible, for everyone involved.”
“With Us You Are Never Alone”
23360 W. Valencia Blvd. #E
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
661-255-2245
Call Toll Free: 888-755-2245
24 hours a day — 7 days a week
If your loved one is in custody and they wish to talk to an All American Bail Bonds representative, call:
818-990-0003 or 661-267-6777
CLIENT.SERVICES@ALLAMERICANBAILBONDS.COM