When a person is charged with a crime in Manatee County or Sarasota County Florida, they have the option of posting bail to gain their release from Jail. The bond amount is set by the Court according to the charges. The cost of the bond is 10% of the total bond amount. The Bail Bonds company may require some form of guarantee, or collateral to assure the client's appearance in Court.
A bail bond is a contract between a person incriminated of a crime and a businessman called a bail bondsman. Bail bondsmen pay the entire amount of a person’s bail in return for a small fee, in Florida the fee is 10% of the bail itself. The bondsman keeps this fee once the person is relinquished from jail. Once the person is released from jail they agree to appear at their next court appearance, but if they do not the bail bondsman then forfeits the amount of money they put up to secure their release. When the person “skips” bail, the bondsman can utilize licensed bail agents, commonly called “bounty hunters,” to track down the incriminated and make them appear for their trial.
Prior to the posting of a surety bond, the bail agent performs a detailed interview and a thorough application of the proposed guarantor additionally known as an indemnitor.
The bail agent guarantees to the court the appearance of the Defendant for every court date. If a defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court appearance, the bond is forfeited and a warrant is issued by the court. At this point the indemnitors will be liable to pay the amount of the bond
The collateral requisites may vary according to the charges, amount, and individual circumstances. Once the client complies with all the conditions of the bail bond contract, the bond is discharged and any collateral is returned to the depositor.
By law in the State of Florida, the premium charge is 10% of the bail bond or $100 minimum per charge. A premium is a non-refundable fee for the accommodation of paying the bail amount on the behalf of the accused.
