What is a bail bond?
A bail bond is a contract between the defendant (someone who has been accused of a crime), the state, and the surety (the bail bondsman and his insurance company). The contract guarantees the appearance of the defendant for any and all court dates as required by the judge until the case has been adjudicated. Should the defendant fail to appear, then it is up to the bondsman to make sure that either the defendant is returned within a specific amount of time or the bond gets paid. The bail bond itself consists of two documents: an appearance bond, which is the aforementioned contract, and a power of attorney, which is like a check or a promise-to-pay that is filled out in the amount of the bond.