Your Responsibilities And Expectations When Out of Jail on a Bond
Going to jail on any offense if not a pleasant experience for anyone, but if you should find yourself in trouble and you need to get out, a bail bondsman may be your best option. But if you are bonded out of jail, there are things you need to do to comply with the court and the bondsman -- and most of the time, the responsibility is going to fall on you to take care of them.
Getting A Bond
Before you can be released on bond, you will have to appear before the judge to be arraigned. The judge may determine that you are not a flight risk and therefore allow you out on PR (personal recognizance) without a bail amount, or the judge may find different and order you held in lieu of bail. If the latter is the case, you will need a bondsman, like Betty Bail Bonds, to get you out of jail. If you are in the second group, there are rules you need to follow to get out and stay out of that cell.
Check-Ins
In most cases, the bail bondsman is going to require you to check in with them at regular intervals. The reason is simple. They want to be sure you are still in the area and have not tried to flee. The check-ins are often in person check-ins, not phone calls made to the office. The bondsman may set these check-ins themselves or the judge may order them. In either case, it is in your best interest to make sure you are there when you are supposed to be. If you miss even one, the bondsman may revoke your bail and return you to jail -- and getting a new bond after being revoked will be nearly impossible.
Surrendering Passports or travel Papers
Another thing the court or the bondsman may ask you to do is surrender your passport or any travel visa you might have. For obvious reasons, having the ability to leave the country makes you a flight risk and the bondsman does not want to lose their money, so they will hold your passport until the case is resolved with the court. If you are considered a flight risk, the bond will be set much higher and place the bondsman at risk to lose a considerable amount of money if you were to not appear in court.
Drug Testing
If your case is related to drugs, you are a known user, or you are found in possession of any drugs when you were arrested, the bondsman may require you to report to his office for random drug screenings. You cannot use any illegal drug with you are out on bond, and if you do, the judge can revoke your bail and return you to jail immediately. It is your responsibility to follow this rule, and if you violate it, you will have to take the responsibility for that, too.
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