What is a "bond forfeiture"?

A bond forfeiture occurs when the court retains the bail amount because the defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court date. When a person is granted bail, they or a bail bond agent pay a certain amount to secure the release from custody with the promise that the defendant will return for their court proceedings. If the defendant does not return, the court views this as a breach of that promise, leading to a bond forfeiture.

In this process, the court legally decides that the bail amount will not be refunded and is instead forfeited, which means it is kept by the state. This serves as a mechanism to encourage defendants to appear in court and aids in maintaining the integrity of the judicial system. The other options refer to different aspects of bail processes but do not accurately define what occurs during a bond forfeiture.