How Do Bail Bonding and Fugitive Recovery Work?

In order to secure your release from jail after being charged with a crime, you often need to pay a bail bond. A bail bonding company can help you meet that obligation. The company will ask you for a percentage of the total amount of bail, or collateral, and in return, they will pay the full bail bond to the court. 

Understanding Fugitive Recovery

In order to secure your release from jail after being charged with a crime, you often need to pay a bail bond. A bail bonding company can help you meet that obligation. The company will ask you for a percentage of the total amount of bail, or collateral; in return, they will pay the entire bail bond to the court. After being released on bail, you must meet certain release conditions determined by the judge, including showing up at all court dates. If you don’t show up, you are considered a fugitive. The bail bond company can hire a Fugitive Recovery Agent to find you and return you to court.

How Does Fugitive Recovery Work?

Fugitive Recovery is considered a necessary part of the bail bond process. Once a bail bonding company pays your bail, you are essentially their responsibility. They have a vested interest in making sure you show up at all hearings, court appearances, and trials. If you don’t show up, the bail bond company has a limited amount of time to get you back to jail before they are personally liable for the total amount of bail. They may hire a Fugitive Recovery Agent to track you down and return you.

l  The Bail Bond Investment – When a bail bonding company puts up bail in return for your release, they are investing in you as a client. If you jump bail or fail to show up in court, the bail bonding company’s investment in your bail is at risk. They may worry they aren’t going to be able to recoup their investment.

l  Protecting the Investment – Because your bail bonding company wants to protect their investment, and the law recognizes that criminal defendants are risky investments, bail bond agents are authorized to arrest clients who jump bail. In general, bail bond agents don’t have the time or experience to chase down criminals, so they outsource the job to Fugitive Recovery Agents. Some bail bond agents do handle the process themselves, however.

What Do Fugitive Recovery Agents Do?

Fugitive Recovery Agents are people who have the ability to track down fugitives. They have ways of finding people and typically are very aggressive about doing so. They are paid a certain percentage of the bail bond amount in order to produce the client. However, they are only paid when the client is returned, so they are very motivated.

Use of Fugitive Recovery Agent in Bail Bonding

Bail bond agents and bail bonding companies might hire a Fugitive Recovery Agent to pursue a client who has jumped bail and return him to the authorities. They will receive a percentage of the bond amount if they are successful but won’t receive anything if they are unsuccessful. The Fugitive Recovery Agent specializes in tracking down and detaining fugitives and is legally authorized through the court to do so. Fugitive Recovery Agents may use extensive means to make an arrest, including breaking into the fugitive’s residence, harassing his family and neighbors, and engaging in other extreme means of recovery. Fugitive Recovery Agents usually have a background in law enforcement or the military and have experience in pursuits, firearm use, and hand-to-hand combat.

Holding Fugitive Recovery Agent Accountable

Most bail bonding companies do hold Fugitive Recovery Agents accountable because they don’t want to risk injury to their clients or to innocent bystanders. Both Fugitive Recovery Agent and the bail bonding company that employed them can be held accountable in court if a client or bystander is injured or dies. A bail bonding company will usually give Fugitive Recovery Agents some rules or guidelines to follow to make sure everyone stays safe.

Get Legal Help from a Bail Bonding Company

If you or a loved one needs legal help from a bail bonding company in Daytona Beach, FL, contact our team at Bob Barry Bail Bonds. We can offer advice and help you navigate the bail bonding process. We have decades of experience with law enforcement and the courts and can make the process as stress-free and efficient as possible. Call us today or contact us online to learn more about us and find out how we can help you and your family.