ABOUT BAIL

When someone is arrested and taken into custody by the police, they will be taken to a precinct or a facility to get booked. Getting booked means that they will be fingerprinted, photographed, and must see a district court commissioner for their bail hearing.

In Maryland, the arrestee can legally be held for up to 24 hours before having the initial hearing. The court commissioner determines the bail based on what the defendant is charged with. The defendant will receive a copy of the harging documents. After seeing the commissioner, they are normally allowed one phone call.

If a bail bond has been set by the commissioner, that's where we come in. It's time to call Mike!

A bail bonding company pays the full amount of the bond set by the commissioner. Whoever signs for the bond (the indemnitor) pays 10% of the bond to the bail bondsman. No other money is due. Upon notifying the court that bail has been posted, the defendant is released.

The indemnitor can be anyone. It can be the defendant, a family member, a friend, or anyone else.

The purpose of the bond is to guarantee the appearance of the defendant at subsequent proceedings. If the defendant does not appear for their court date (skips bail), the bond will be forfeited.

When that happens, the bonding company is given an amount of time designated by the court to locate the defendant. If the defendant cannot be found in the allotted time, the indemnitor (the person signing the bond) becomes liable for the full amount of the bond.