When someone lands themselves in handcuffs and has to call their friends or family to help them make bail, it’s usually a sign that some troubling behavior has occurred. For most, having to deal with the lengthy court process and the potential embarrassment that comes with an arrest is enough to deter them from making any more costly decisions, however there are always those few that fail to learn from their mistakes.
Jumping bail doesn’t occur all too often, but when it does, it comes with serious consequences that need to be understood by the person making the choice to flee their responsibilities. If you’re thinking about skipping out on your bail bond in Angleton, TX, take a look at some of the consequences that you face:
- Skipping town on bail means forfeiting whatever you put up for the bond. Usually, this is someone else’s money that was put up on your behalf, so on top of being in hot water with the bondsman who issued your bond, you’re also going to be on the wrong side of whoever trusted you with bail money!
- Bail jumpers are subject to facing added charges in addition to whatever they were initially being charged for. Bail jumping is a criminal offence and can add repercussions onto your initial sentence if you’re found to have intent when skipping town.
- You can bet that if you’re going to skip town while you’re out on bond, the bail bondsman who issued you the bond is going to want to make sure you show up for your day in court! You might just find out that there’s a skip tracer following close behind you: a bounty hunter who’s out to get their reward for bringing you in.
- If you jump bail, even if you come back of your own accord, it’s going to hurt your case when you finally have your day in court. Judges don’t look too kindly on people who run out on their legal responsibilities and even if you’re on your best behavior with a good case in favor of you, skipping town is going to leave a black mark on your record anyway.
- Fleeing while out on bond can dramatically impact any future legal situations you may find yourself in. If you’re arrested again in the future, a judge may potentially deny you bail due to your history as a “flight risk.” Flight risks pose a bigger problem for courts and thus aren’t always given the opportunity to post bail.
If you’re paying attention to the long list of repercussions above, you’ve probably got the idea by now: skipping out on your bail bond in Angleton, TX isn’t a good idea. You’re going to put yourself in a world of trouble with the legal system, your bondsman and anyone else who’s involved in your bond. It’s best to follow the law to the letter when you’re out on bond and that means staying close to home!