Being stuck in a jail holding tank is a sobering reality-check to someone who finds himself in this situation. His only hope of getting out from behind bars is a good friend on the outside who will post bail. An hour or so after calling the friend, the bail bondsman picks up the prisoner and drives him to the bail bond office. Asked to read the contract and sign on the dotted line, the prisoner is released to the free world to get on with his life until the next court date.
Function
Depending on what is written into the bail bond contract--such as no leaving the state, no visiting bars, no drinking, or no handling of firearms--the defendant is expected to stick to the rules of the bail bond contract. Failure to follow the stipulations of the contract may result in the revocation of bond by the bail bondsman.
Features
Court stipulations written into the bond contract may result in the judge revoking the bond due to failure to comply with the stipulated rules. This action will send the defendant straight back to jail with no chance of bond.
Read More: What Does "Bond Exonerated" Mean?
Considerations
Flight risk is always a concern for the court and the person posting bond. The one posting the bond stands to lose his money, property or both if the defendant skips out on the bond. GPS ankle bracelets have batteries that need to be changed regularly. Failure to replace batteries by the defendant means failure to locate the defendant by the authorities. This, in turn, means the bond may be revoked by the court or the bail bondsman.
Effects
Engaging in illegal activities or being somewhere he isn't supposed to be will send the defendant right back to jail, and the bond will be revoked by the court. Hopping on a plane and flying out of the country won't help either; the bail bondsman will know about it. After all, that's a big part of his job. He'll haul the defendant back to court, revoking the bond.
Significance
When a bail bond is revoked and the defendant is sent back to jail, the bond fee has to be paid due to the defendant's violation of the stipulations in the contract of the bond...or due to him engaging in illegal activities while out on bond. The bail bond has to be paid. The person that put up bond, the indemnitor, loses anything of value that he has promised on the defendant's behalf as part of the bail contract.
Resources
Writer Bio
Victoria Ries is a freelance writer whose work has been published in various print magazines, including "Guideposts," "BackHome," New Homesteading" and "Mother Earth News." Ries enjoys working on diverse topics such as travel, animal rescue, health and home business. Ries is currently working on her B.A. in psychology.