Can the bail amount be reduced?
A. The court may reduce the amount of bail and accept a replacement bond issued for the lower amount. However, any reduction in the premium and/or collateral will depend upon the bail company/surety companies rates and policies. Q. What happens when a person who makes bail fails to appear in court? A. If the defendant fails to appear at all required hearings, arraignment, preliminary hearing, trial or sentencing, he or she has “skipped bail.” This means s/he has given up the right to stay out of jail while his or her case is going through the courts, and one of several things will happen: a) The Court will revoke the original bail and issue a “bench warrant” for the defendant’s arrest. Failure to appear at a hearing is an additional crime and carries a penalty of jail time in addition to any time the defendant may have to serve if convicted to the crime. b) The bail agent will try to find the defendant and return him or her to police custody. Once the defendant is back in custody, the
