What happens if someone fails to post bail?

Nothing terribly bad happens if someone is unable to post bail. In fact, it is rather common that someone will simply not have the money that is required in order to post bail. In such a situation, the person will most likely have to await his or her trial date in jail. This amount of time may last for a few days to a few weeks, depending on the court system that has to hear the case.

When someone is arrested and booked for a crime, the person will be assigned an attorney at no cost to the individual. This attorney is tasked with the job of trying to get the defendant out of jail on his own recognizance. This means that the attorney will work hard to make sure that the defendant does not have to pay bail, but is released from jail on what is, essentially, faith that the defendant will return to jail to stand trial for the crime that he or she is accused of committing.

If an attorney is able to get the defendant released on his or her own recognizance, then defendant does not have to pay money. However, the defendant will have to return to court to stand trial. If the defendant fails to return to court, the police will track him or her down. If the situation is serious enough (if the person committed a violent crime, for example), then private bounty hunters may be employed to track the person down and return him or her to court.
When a judge releases a person on his or her own recognizance, he is aware of the statistics that individuals that are released on their own recognizance are less likely to return to court to stand trial than those individuals that are released from jail on bail. As such, judges are very careful about who they release without requiring bail. For example, they might release a shoplifter on his or her own recognizance, but they would probably not release a carjacker on his or her own recognizance.

If you are unable to afford bail, you may wish to contact a bail bonding agency anyway. Many bail bonding agencies will accept credit cards for their services. You will be charged about ten percent of the amount of the bail in order to get out of jail.

Also, many bonding agencies will work with you to develop a payment plan, especially if you have a good credit history. You could also enlist the help of family and friends to help pay your bail bond down payment with the bonding agency. Consult with your attorney and a bail bonding agency for more information about what possibilities may suit your unique circumstances.