Bail Bonds | Denver Criminal Defense Attorney

1.  What is bail?

2.  Do I have a right to release on bail?

3.  How is the amount of bail set?

4.  What are the most common types of bail bonds?

5.  What is a “personal recognizance bond”?

6.  What is a property bond?

7.  What is a bail bonding agent?

8.  What are “bond conditions”?

9.  Am I required to appear at all court hearings?

10.  What happens if I fail to appear in court as required?

11.  What should I do if I miss a court appearance date?

12.  What is a consent of surety?

13.  The bonding agent gave me consent of surety but charged a fee to stay on my bond.  Is this legal?

14.  I co-signed for a bail bond and the defendant missed court.  Do I automatically have to pay the amount of the bond to the bail bonding agent?

15.  Is a bail bonding agent authorized to arrest a defendant?

16.  Does the bail bonding agent have the power to revoke my bond?

17.  Can I get my money back if the bond is revoked by my agent?

18.  Has a court order been issued to protect victims and witnesses?

19.  Can I leave Colorado while I am out on bail?

20.  Do I have to notify the court of a change in my address?

21.  What is “collateral”?

22.  How do I get collateral back?

23.  Can I be charged for storage of my collateral?

24.  Do bonding agents accept credit cards?

25.  If I pay premium or collateral using my credit card, can the agent charge me an extra service fee?

26.  My collateral was damaged by the bail bonding agent.  What should I do?

27.  How can I make installment premium payments?

28.  If the court dismissed the charges, can I get my money back?

29.  I am being charged bounty hunting fees.  Is this legal?

30.  How do I get a receipt or copy of my bail contract?

31.  I cannot find the bonding agent who wrote my bond.  How can I contact the agent?

32.  How long does the bonding agent have to write my bond?

33.  The bail bonding agent took my money but didn’t post the bond.  What should I do?

34.  The bonding agent posted bond, but the defendant did not get out of jail.  What can I do?

35.  What is the cost for a bail bond posted by a bonding agent?

36.  How much collateral can the bonding agent take?

37.  The bonding agent asked me to sign a receipt that says my collateral has been returned to me, when it has not.  What should I do?

38.  The bonding agent took the full amount of the bond from me in cash.  Is the agent required to give the money to the court?

39.  A bonding agent contacted me to write my bond.  Is this legal?

40.  What is a co-signer?

41.  What is the responsibility of the co-signer if the defendant fails to appear?

42.  Is it improper for a bonding agent to contact co-signers?

43.  What is the minimum age to co-sign for a bond?

44.  How do I get help if my questions are not answered?

45.  I have a lien on my property.  How do I get it released?

Important Hints:

1.  Read all agreements carefully before you sign.

2.  If you don’t understand something, ask for an explanation.

3.  Always get a receipt.

4.  Get copies of important documents.

 

The above was obtained from Your Guide To Bail Bonds In Colorado obtained through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Insurance.