Understanding Bail and Bond
What’s the difference between bail and bond in Oklahoma? I am Attorney James Wirth, and that’s the question. And actually, I mess this one up a lot. I mean, I know the differences, but I seem to interchange them frequently when I’m talking with people. It is important to keep them separate.
So what is the difference between bail and bond? Okay, so bail is what is set by the judge to determine what has to be paid in order for the person to get out, to bail out where they’re promising to appear at their next court date, and where if they don’t, then they can go after and keep that money. So it’s to incentivize them to go ahead and appear at court so that they lose something if they don’t. Okay, so that’s bail. So what is bond?
Bail vs. Bond: Understanding the Distinction
Well, bond is what a bondsman pays in order to cover the bail. So if you have a bail set at $1,000, you can pay that $1,000, and then you can get out that way. If you fail to appear for court, then the court, after I think 90 days, can request that they get to keep and forfeit that $1,000 to the court. Or your other option is, if you have a $1,000 bail set, you could talk to a bondsman, and you could pay that bondsman maybe 10%, so maybe $100, and then that bondsman will put down a bond that’ll cover your bail so that you can get out.
And then at that point, if you fail to appear, you’re not on the hook for the money. The bondsman is on the hook for the money, so they’re incentivized to pick you up and make sure that you appear for court. So the bail is the amount that has to be paid in order to get you out. The bond is the surety that the bail bondsman takes care of in order to cover that for you.
Get Legal Advice Today
If you’re dealing with this circumstance, knowing the definitions is nice, but you’re probably gonna want a little bit more advice from a criminal defense attorney about what’s going on with your case. To get that scheduled with an Tulsa attorney at Wirth Law Office, you can go online to MakeLawEasy.com or call 918-879-1681 for a low-cost initial strategy session.
