What Happens If the Person I Bailed Out Doesn’t Appear in Court?

An unfortunate scenario for someone who bailed someone out of jail through the help of a Denver bail bondsmen is the defendant’s non-appearance in scheduled court hearings. Defendants who are out on bail are required by law to show up or be subjected to a number of consequences, which can ultimately jeopardize their case pending before the court.

As a bail bond co-signer, you may find yourself in trouble, too!

 Bail bonds have some type of collateral involved. With a defendant who’s a no-show in court, you risk losing your possessions and property that you’ve put up for collateral, such as automobiles, deeds of trust, or jewelry. Also, by agreeing to co-sign a legally binding Denver bonds contract, you are expected to meet all the conditions set by the document. To a certain degree, you need to assume responsibility. Thankfully, there may be a few chances for you to make things right:

Depending on the court’s discretion, the accused may be given a few more days to turn themselves in and get their Denver bond out of default status. The court alone can decide on this option, taking into account the history of the accused.

In some cases, failing to appear in court may be deemed acceptable. For instance, if the defendant is hospitalized, you shouldn’t be too worried about losing all the money and collateral. However, you need to establish this cause for the no-show, without the court thinking the accused is willfully trying to avoid the process.

A bounty hunter may be hired to track down the accused. This way, the defendant can appear in court within the extended time set by the court or be returned to custody.

If the person you cosigned a bail bond for skips court hearings without a reason acceptable to the court, their Denver bonds may be forfeited. Possibly, none of your collateral will be returned. You will be required to complete some paperwork to take the bond out of default.

Before co-signing a bail bond, make sure that you are helping a jailed family member or friend who can commit to always be present when called upon by the court. Remember that court appearances are a bail bond condition that is non-negotiable.