What Exactly Happens to Bail Money?
Did you know that the average bail amount is $55,000, according to the Justice Policy Institute?
If you’ve recently been charged with a criminal offense, you may be looking into bail options.
Are you interested in learning about what happens to bail money once it’s paid? We’ve got a quick guide to help you get a better understanding of how bail money works. Keep reading to learn more!
What Is a Bail Bond?
A bail bond is a type of financial insurance that will get paid to the court. This insurance will guarantee the court that the defendant will appear when there are court procedures related to their case.
Typically, bails bond are a percentage of the total bail amount that the judge sets. A bail bond doesn’t include any collateral or fees. Think of a bail bond as a type of insurance policy so that you won’t have to pay the full amount of the bail to the court.
What If the Defend Is Found Guilty?
Bail money is first paid when the case is still active in the courts. Bail money will be provided back to the person who posted bail if the defendant isn’t found to be guilty or if the charges are dropped against them.
Where Does Bail Money Go?
Once bail has posted to the courts, the money that’s posted will be held onto by the court system.
Until the defendant has completed all of the charges, the court will continue to hold on to the bail money. After the defendant has shown up for each court date, the courts will return the money back to the individual who painted the entire bail amount.
On the other hand, if the defendant skips out on any appearances to the court, the bail amount will be held by the court. The money that the court makes off of the bail money will be distributed throughout the city and county.
If you are found guilty, the courts will refund the bail money that was posted. How the bail money is returned to you is completely dependent upon who paid your bail money. For example, if you paid a bondsman to post your bail, you’ll owe your bondsman 10% of what your bail amount was.
Understanding What Happens to Bail Money
We hope this guide has helped provide you with clear information about what happens to bail money after you have posted it.
If you decide to set bail money for yourself (or someone you love), consider how much the courts are asking for. Choosing if it’s worth it to pay the full amount can put a financial strain on you if you’re not ready to do so.
Courts require that you have to post the bail amount in full, so you can always decide to get a bail bond instead of paying for the bail amount yourself!
Are you considering getting a bail bond to set bail to the courts? We’re here to help you. Click here to contact us today to learn more about the services we offer.
