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Simple English definitions for legal terms
bondsman
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A quick definition of bondsman:
A bondsman is someone who promises to pay money to the court if someone charged with a crime doesn't show up for their court date. This person is usually a bail bondsman. They charge a fee to the defendant and provide the rest of the money for bail. If the defendant shows up for court, the bail bondsman gets their money back. If the defendant doesn't show up, the bail bondsman keeps the fee and loses the money they paid for bail. Some states have banned bail bonding, while others regulate it.
A more thorough explanation:
A bondsman is a person who guarantees a bond. This means that they promise to pay a certain amount of money if the person who is supposed to pay the bond does not.
One common type of bondsman is a bail bondsman. When someone is arrested and charged with a crime, they may be required to pay a certain amount of money to the court as a guarantee that they will show up for their trial. If they cannot afford to pay this amount, they can hire a bail bondsman to pay it for them. The bail bondsman will charge a fee, usually around 10% of the total amount of the bond, for this service.
For example, if someone is required to pay a $10,000 bond, they may pay a bail bondsman $1,000 to cover it. If they show up for their trial, the bail bondsman will get their $1,000 back. If they do not show up, the bail bondsman will lose the $10,000 they paid to the court and will keep the $1,000 fee.
Some states have banned commercial bail bonding altogether, while others regulate the industry. In California, the bail bond industry is regulated by the California Department of Insurance and the industry is subject to California’s Penal Code.