One of the conditions of being released on bail is that you attend any and all future court dates regarding the charges against you. Whether you use your own money for bail or that of a family member or bail bondsman, there are consequences for not attending a court date.
1. Forfeit bail money: When you fail to appear for a court date, you forfeit any bail money. In other words, any money you or a family member gave the court to bail you out will not be returned, even if you show up at a later date or have what you consider a valid reason. Depending on your financial situation, this could present a hardship for you or — worse — for your family member.
2. Owe bail bondsman: When you use a bail bondsman, you pay them ten percent of the bail amount as a non-refundable fee. The bail bondsman then pays the full amount of your bail to the court. You may not realize, however, that the bail bondsman, like your family member, will not see their money returned. If you or a family member gave the bail bondsman anything as collateral, it will not be returned until the bail bondsman is reimbursed for the original amount plus any additional penalties and fees.
3. Additional charge: Not showing up for a court date only serves to compound your problems. In fact, the judge will add the charge of Failure to Appear, commonly referred to as FTA. If you only had minor, misdemeanor charges, this can be particularly frustrating.
4. Warrant: In addition to forfeiting your bail money and having an additional FTA charge, you are likely to have a warrant issued for your arrest. There are over two million arrest warrants active in the United States and you would, unfortunately, join that list.
5. No future bail options: Whether you turn yourself in or are re-arrested due to the warrant, the judge is not likely to be as generous the second time around, regardless of the reason behind the failure to appear. When the court initially sets a bail amount, it is because they are trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. It is highly unlikely that bail will be an available option a second time and even if it is, it may be difficult to get a friend, family member, or bail bondsman to help you again.
If you have extenuating circumstances that prevent you from attending your scheduled court date, contact your attorney immediately to discuss your options.
For more information on bail, contact a company like Steele Boys Bail Bonds.
Share15 December 2021
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