The courts usually grant bail bonds to defendants they feel are not a flight risk. In some cases, defendants in Oklahoma have been granted bail by the courts. Instead of appearing in courts when they are expected, they choose to run and not show up. In some cases, these criminals who ran were caught and wished that they had not run in the first place.
The first criminal is Alicia Terry, she was charged with homicide but got out on bail pending her trial. She decided to skip bail which made the law enforcement search for her and capture her. She faced additional charges in addition to her original charge and was sentenced to life in prison.
The second criminal is Noah Leone who was charged with money laundering and other criminal activities. He was not considered a flight risk, so he was allowed to be released on bail. He decided to skip town. A bench warrant was issued and his case progressed badly from there.
The third criminal is Ebony Ferguson who was charged with arson. Instead of appearing in court as she was supposed to, she decided to run. When she was caught, she got harsher bail conditions because her bail bond was revoked.
Johnson Hope is the third criminal who was charged with assault and burglary. He decided to jump bail which made law enforcement commence an immediate search and arrest for him. He got additional charges for jumping bail and was sentenced to years in prison for his crimes.
The fifth criminal is Andrea Ellis who was charged with embezzlement of funds. She was granted bail but she decided to skip town. She took on a new identity in a different state. When she was found, she got prison sentences not just for the embezzlement charges which she was found guilty of, but for jumping bail.
Consequences of jumping bail in Oklahoma City
There are several consequences for jumping bail in OKC and they include:
Bench warrant
This is a legal order that is issued by the court or judge. The order is for law enforcement to arrest a particular individual and bring them to court through any legal means necessary. So, when a bail bond jumper fails to appear in court when required, does not comply with the bail conditions that led to their release from custody, failed to pay their fees or fines, a bench warrant is issued on them. So, the law enforcement by the bench warrant is entitled to arrest the named individual at any place or time, take the defendant into custody without any need to issue a new arrest, make the defendant appear in court for not just the original charges but the additional charges of bail jumping. This leads to additional legal troubles for the bail bond jumper.
Bail forfeiture
One of the reasons why a bail bond jumper will wish they did not jump bail in Oklahoma City is that their bail can be forfeited. In lay terms, their bail gets canceled. So, if a bail bondsman in Tulsa, OK or a surety company issued the bail bond on the defendant’s behalf, they bear the financial loss because they have to pay the full bail amount. To handle this financial loss, if a collateral was involved like in a surety bond, the surety company seizes the collateral and liquidates it. Legal action may be initiated against the bail bond jumper. They may also have to pay additional fees.
Harsher bail conditions
A bail bond jumper will regret jumping bail because the judge may impose harsher bail conditions on them if their bail bond is not revoked. Some ways the judge enforces these harsher bail conditions is by increasing the bail amounts which makes it difficult or impossible for the defendant to be released, the defendant may have to stay in custody for their trial, there may be GPS monitoring in the defenat, house arrests, check-ins with a probation officer, restrictions in travels. These bail conditions are usually harsh and uncomfortable for the defendant because they are restricted in so many ways.
Loss of collateral
In a situation where the bail bond jumper used collateral for their bail bond, they risk losing their collateral when they skip bail. The collateral is usually valuable items, assets, properties, lands, vehicles, etc. In the case of a surety bond or even cash bond where the bail bondsman in Moore, Oklahoma pays the percentage or full bail amount for the defendant, the bail bondsman in Bethany can seize the collateral. They can liquidate the properties to receive their loss, and the collateral is kept for the payment of the forfeited bail bond.
Additional charges
Sometimes, the bail bond jumper faces additional charges because they jumped bail in Oklahoma City. a Failure to Appear (FTA) charge is filed when a defendant fails to appear in court as required for their trial. A bail jumping charge is filed when the defendant intentionally refuses to appear in court when they are aware of their bail bond obligations and stipulations. Sometimes, a charge for contempt of court is filed against them to show that the defendant willfully disobeyed the court order to appear in court. Based on these charges, the bail bond can be revoked, there may be an increase in bail amounts, the defendant may face an extended prison sentence because of these charges and they have a criminal record that affects life opportunities like employment housing, etc.
Conclusion
The tales of these 5 criminals who jumped bail and were later caught are cautionary to anyone who may be contemplating skipping bail. Running away will not solve your legal issues, it is only a fleeting easy way out because when the law catches up with you, you will regret your action. Instead, face your trial and serve your punishment. You will be glad you did. If you are facing charges relating to jumping bail, you can hire a bail bonds lawyer in Moore, Oklahoma to argue your case before the court. You do not want the losses or punishment associated with bail bond jumping because it is not worth it.
