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What does it mean to jump bail?

On Behalf of | Dec 11, 2018 | Criminal Defense

If law enforcement arrests you in Virginia and takes you to jail, you will most likely have to pay a bond to get out. This bond is a certain amount of money you pay to guarantee you will show up on your court date. Typically, the court sets bond amounts high to give you more motivation to go to your court date. Because of this, you will probably use the services of a bail bond service to help you pay the full amount of bond.

If you fail to show up for your court date, the bail bond service loses the money it put up for your bond. The court issues an arrest warrant. However, according to All Star Bail Bonds, jumping bail is generally not going to result in a manhunt for you. It really depends on the amount of the bail.

Beyond the arrest warrant, the court may also suspend your license and may add additional charges to your case. It also will usually raise your bond amount once you return to jail so it could be more difficult to get out again.

When you use a bail bond service, you have to put something of value up as collateral for your bond. Sometimes this is a money, but it may also be property or other valuable assets. If you jump bail, the bail bond service takes ownership of the collateral. If your bond is high enough, a bounty hunter may start looking for you to bring you back.

In any case, once you get caught, you will go back to jail. This information is for education and is not legal advice.

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