Valley, AL asked in Criminal Law for Alabama

Q: if i post my own bond but use a bail bondman do he keep all my money

my bond was 700.00 and i was not allowed to post it myself,i has to get a bondman now that the case is over do i get any of my money back.after all i put up my money and paid the bondman 35.00

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1 Lawyer Answer
William E. Scully Jr.
William E. Scully Jr.
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Daphne, AL
  • Licensed in Alabama

A: I'm not reading you very well, buddy. Here's the way the bail bond system is supposed to work: You get arrested. The court wants to make sure that you show up for court. They make you post bail, which is security to help ensure your presence. In your case, it sounds like the judge insisted on corporate surety only, rather than a cash bond. If you had posted a cash bond, then you would get the money back at the end of the case if you showed up when you were supposed to. If you posted a corporate surety bond, then you would pay the bondsman a premium, usually 10 or 15%. This is their fee for taking the risk that you might fail to appear. The bondsman can incur expense to bring you back if you fail to appear (see Dog the Bounty Hunter). Sometimes, even if you post a cash bond, the court will condemn the bond at the end of the case to ensure payment of the fine and court costs.

In summary: You get the money back if you posted the cash bond. But you don't get the money back if you posted a corporate surety bond.

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