Thanks! This was a good explanation. You obviously understand this. I’m trying to.
So, lets say he had not died, and had shown up at trial. In that case the bail money is returned to the bail bondsman, right. Does he keep it? Or does it go back to the defendanat? (Less some fees/ percentage).
If he keeps it that’s a pretty horrible deal and I’m surprised people actually deal with them as frequently as they do.
Assuming that the bail is more like a loan than a fee, why would the death of the criminal mean the bondsman keeps the bail. Would not the killers heirs get whatever the killer would have got back for fulfilling the term of the bail?
The money the defendant pays to a bondsman - 10% of the bail is typical - is gone forever.
The bondsman keeps it.
In this case, the bondsman received $19,000, but he risked losing $190,000.
Off the top of my head, I'd guess the average bail is much lower, probably about $15,000.
So, most defendants are very glad to pay $1500 instead of sitting in the county jail for months, waiting for trial.
The bondsman only makes a promise to the court to pay.
Before trial, no money actually changes hands between the bondsman and the court.
If the defendant does flee and is not found, the bondsman (and his insurance company) would have to pay the court $190,000.
Also, the bondsman might have to pay many times his 10% fee just to get a bounty hunter to search for a bail jumper.
Financially, in the long run, it can be a very good business.
The downside?
Almost all your “customers” are sociopaths, or criminals, or drug addicts, or alcoholics, or ex-cons, or pathological liars, or potentially violent, or mentally ill.