BY | November 6, 2023

People live by the rules to make sure that they never have an issue with the authorities. But whether you’re looking for trouble or not, there’s always a chance that you might have a run-in with the police. It could be for a DUI or even just a misdemeanor–no matter the situation, any encounter with the law could escalate to jail time if you aren’t being careful.

Depending on the officer that you encounter, there’s a chance that you might be arrested and put in jail. It’s not the most pleasant experience, but you can get released on bail for a price. The expectation is that you’ll show up to your trial to receive your sentence, even if you are released on bail. You show up, appear in front of a court, and you’ll be given an appropriate punishment or even be released if there’s no real case against you.

But what happens if you don’t appear for your court date? What if you jump bail? In this post, we’ll be talking about the consequences of jumping bail.

Exploring the definition of bail jumping

Jumping bail, skipping bail, or bail jumping are all the same thing. It simply refers to the act of purposefully avoiding your court appearance date.

If there is some reason that you’re unable to attend your court date, then you may be pardoned and a new date can be arranged. However, if the prosecution can prove that you purposely avoided the court date, then there will be serious consequences.

What are the consequences of jumping bail?

In order to deter people from bail jumping, there are a couple of consequences that you will likely face if you do it.

• You will forfeit your bail. Any amount of bail money that you paid will NOT be returned to you.
• You will be arrested again. You’ll be issued a bench warrant for your arrest if you don’t appear in court. The purpose here is to bring you back to court, and likely with no second chance of bail.
• Your bail might increase. If you’ve been re-arrested after failing to appear in court once, then you might have the chance to post bail again. However, the amount will be significantly higher.
• You’ll have a harsher sentence. The court will probably be a lot less lenient when it comes to sentencing you because you'll be deemed a risk that has little to no respect for the country’s legal system.

Understanding bail jumping charges

When you jump bail, your previous charges will still stick and you’ll be forced to forfeit any bail amount you paid before. However, you’ll also be charged with bail jumping, which is a completely separate crime. This will further increase your bail bond cost and also add on to your sentencing or punishment.

However, a bail jumping charge needs to be proved by the prosecution. If they can’t find any evidence or prove that you intentionally skipped your court date, then you could defend against it. While it’s not very common, you can give a valid excuse for failing to appear in court. It’s up to the judge to decide whether or not your excuse is good enough.

What you should know about bond jumping

Jumping bail is bad for a number of reasons. Consequences aside, it shows that you have complete disregard for your legal obligations. It means you are deliberately failing to appear in court and avoiding your sentencing. This can delay all of your legal proceedings and you’ll likely be chased down and arrested once again. This can be a harrowing experience, so it’s best to avoid it in the first place.

In addition, there are financial problems that occur as a result of bond jumping. For example, your bail money will be forfeited completely, and any assets that you’ve used as collateral will be lost. You’ll also be fined more, your sentence could be worse, and it’ll negatively affect your career and lifestyle.

Why do people jump bail?

People jump bail for a number of different reasons and they’re rarely justified.

• Scared of being sentenced to jail time. People who face criminal charges are usually worried about being put in jail for their crimes. However, avoiding your legal obligations can make your sentence worse. In many cases, you may be able to discuss your situation with the judge, especially if the charge is only minor, and you could be let off with a less severe sentencing.
• No trust in the legal system. It’s not uncommon to be distrustful of the legal system, especially if you’ve had personal problems with it in the past. Perhaps you or someone you know has been treated unfairly by the law, or perhaps you have a bias against them due to things that you’ve seen or heard. This mistrust can lead someone to completely avoid their court date out of fear that they will be mistreated.
• Attempting to flee. Some people may try to completely avoid their legal obligations by fleeing to another state or even another country. However, if you are caught trying to do this, then your punishment will be far more severe.
• Unable to attend due to personal circumstances. There are rare situations where someone may be unable to attend their court date due to personal circumstances. You could be injured in hospital, or you could have a family crisis that is preventing you from attending the hearing. This is one of the only situations where you may be let off for failing to appear, but you will be rescheduled at some point.

Conclusion

The lesson here is to never jump bail. Make sure you show up on your court date and deal with your legal obligations to avoid further problems with the law. If you’re unsure about the bail system or are in need of more advice, then don’t hesitate to contact our experts today at Future Bail Bonds to learn more.