One of the worst things you can do for your situation when being arrested is skipping bail. But what is skipping bail and why is it so bad to do? Skipping bail is failing to appear for your next court date after bail is paid and there are many consequences that come from doing that. When people follow the rules by appearing for all their court cases and are released at the end, they can expect to get their money back.
But while losing the money is certainly upsetting, there are a lot more consequences than that! Let’s talk about them.
Total Loss of Money
No matter how little or how large your bail is set at, you will lose all the money if you fail to appear for any of your court dates. Even if at the end of the verdict you are found not guilty the court will keep the money that they collected from the bonds company or yourself. This is where a bail bonds company hires a bounty hunter (yes that’s a real thing). They will come looking for you so that you show up to court and pack your debts which is usually in the agreement with the bonds company.
Collateral Damage
Interestingly enough most people don’t think to look at reviews from other people. More so because most people don’t want to disclose that they needed bail money in the first place so finding reviews in general can be hard. However, finding the right bail bonds company can be difficult and you want to make sure that who you are working with is experienced.
A misfiled paperwork or small error can result in your bail being denied. Make sure that the company is in good standing and has excellent customer service with past clients.
Future Bail
If you ever find yourself or your loved one in another court appearance for a different crime you can expect that they are likely to not even receive the option of bail again. Once they have proven to be a flight risk and irresponsible the judge is likely to not reward them with another bail again.
Affects Your Case
This will also have a negative impact on your case. Not only will the judge see you in a negative light but it’s possible that the jury will also be made aware that you are now considered a flight risk making you more susceptible to being found guilty.
Follow the Rules
When a judge gives you the option of bail they are essentially giving you a little bit of a leash to establish some trust and good behavior. By breaking that trust you end up worsening your case but also losing out on any bail money that you or anyone else put forward. You also will have an issue with the particular bond company you chose so there are a lot of implications to not showing up for your court date.