Chapter 7: WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
A golfer knows it’s going to be a bad day when he wakes up to a rainy sky. A manufacturer knows it’s going to be a bad day when he comes to work and is greeted by picket signs. A bail agent knows it might be a bad day when he receives a notice from the court saying a defendant didn’t appear on the designated date and time. At this point, the bail agent has to worry that the defendant has become a “skip” – a defendant who has absconded, which means he has secretly slipped out of town to avoid prosecution.
When a skip absconds, the bail agent has a limited time to locate the defendant before being held responsible for the full bail amount and having to pay off the bond. The time limit to locate a defendant varies from state to state. It’s 180 days in California. Bail agents in Pennsylvania have only 20 days, while those in Florida have 60. If the defendant isn’t located, the bond will be in forfeit; because the defendant or cosigner didn’t meet the conditions of the bond agreement, the full bond amount must be paid. The court will also issue a bench warrant, which means that any law enforcement officer who encounters the defendant should arrest him.
Back to Bail Bonds 101 Home >> |
