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August 2005 |
Question:
An acquaintance of
mine is in jail, and wants me to post bail for him. Will I get my money
back?
Answer:
As a matter of fact, it is possible that you won’t! New legislation was passed in Florida that went into effect July 1, 2005, which transfers the responsibility of handling bail bonds from the courts to the Clerks of Court. It requires the Clerk of Court to apply monies posted as a Cash Bond toward the payment of court fees, court costs and criminal penalties prior to returning Cash Bond money to the depositor. (Section 57, Section 903.286, Florida Statutes) This bill went into effect July 1, 2005, and the Clerk of Court began complying with this statutory requirement on that date in all criminal cases. So, if you want your money back, it would be wise to make sure your acquaintance has the means and intention to pay you back!