What Happens When a Bond is Revoked?
Is your loved one in custody, facing a criminal charge? Under the Connecticut bail laws, your friend or family member doesn’t need to be in jail during criminal proceedings. Getting out on bail allows them to work on their case with their legal team and maintain employment.
However, the court has the discretion to revoke a bail bond, which can have significant implications for the defendant. In this guide, the Connecticut Bail Bonds Group team discusses how to revoke a bond so that defendants know what not to do during criminal proceedings.
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Bail Process – Background Information
Bail is a monetary and refundable payment a defendant must make before the court orders their release from jail. This payment provides the court with collateral should the defendant try to flee or avoid prosecution.
A bail hearing should take place within 48 hours after arrest. During this hearing, a judge considers various factors to determine the bail amount, including:
- The severity of the criminal charge
- The defendant’s ties with the community
- The defendant’s housing and employment situation
- The defendant’s history of failing to attend court dates
Once the court sets the bail amount and the defendant posts bail in full, the police will release the defendant from jail.
Someone else can also post bail on behalf of a defendant, such as a friend or family member. If the bail amount is steep, the defendant should consider bail bond services.
A bail bondsman posts bail on behalf of the defendant in exchange for a fixed and non-refundable fee.
Common Bond Conditions
During the bail hearing, the judge will also set out-on-bond rules. Under bail conditions, the defendant may need to:
- Reside at a specific address throughout the trial
- Report to a police station on a daily or weekly basis
- Adhere to a curfew
- Surrender their passport
- Refrain from consuming alcohol or drugs
- Participate in a bail support service
- Refrain from making contact with the victim or their family
The court can set any rules it deems necessary. The defendant must comply with all restrictions until the matter concludes through an acquittal or sentence.
Bond Revoke Meaning
The court system takes possession of the funds that the defendant posted as bail. If the defendant follows all bond conditions and appears during all hearings, the court will repay the bail money at the end of the case. Bail is repayable even if the court finds the defendant guilty.
Bond revocation may follow if the defendant fails to appear on court dates or doesn’t comply with the bond conditions.
In practice, the court often gives defendants one free pass. Should the defendant fail to appear, the court will issue a Bail Commissioner’s Letter (BCL), which includes a future court date that the defendant must attend.
If the defendant fails to attend the court date in the BCL, the court will revoke the bond on the pending case. In other words, the court no longer considers the bail that the defendant posted as collateral.
The court can also revoke the bond if the defendant fails to comply with one or more bail conditions.
The Consequences of Bond Revocation
Bond revocation has significant consequences for the defendant. Most significantly, the existing bail agreement between the defendant and the court is no longer in effect, which means the defendant must return to custody. Upon revoking the bond, the court will issue a warrant for the defendant’s arrest.
Bond forfeiture is another consequence of bond revocation, which means the court will not repay the bail amount when the case concludes. The defendant or party who posted the bond on behalf of the defendant will lose the funds they posted as bail.
After rearrest, the defendant must attend another bail hearing where the judge will set the bail amount. However, during the second arraignment hearing, the court will consider the defendant’s failure to follow bail conditions and will likely set a higher bail amount.
Failure to attend court is a criminal offense. If a defendant fails to appear on a court date, they might face an additional criminal charge with prison time or a fine as a penalty.
At Connecticut Bail Bonds Group, we recommend that defendants follow all bail conditions to avoid bond revocation.
Do You Need Bail Bonds in Connecticut?
If you need a bail bondsman in Connecticut, look no further than our Connecticut Bail Bonds Group. We can help your loved one get out of jail while providing an affordable alternative to a high bail payment. Contact us today to request a bail bond in Connecticut.
