Forfeiture Of Bail

Sec. 21.  Forfeiture of bail.  –  When the presence of the accused is required by the court or these Rules, his bondsmen shall be notified to  produce  him  before  the  court  on  a  given  date  and  time.  If  the accused  fails  to  appear  in  person  as  required,  his  bail  shall  be declared forfeited and the bondsmen given thirty (30) days within which  to  produce  their  principal  and  to  show  why  no  judgment should be rendered against them for the amount of their bail.  

Within the said period, the bondsmen must:

(a)  produce  the  body  of  their  principal  or  give  the  reason  for  his non-production; and

(b) explain why the accused did not appear before the court when first required to do so.

Failing  in  these  two  requisites,  a  judgment  shall  be  rendered against the bondsmen, jointly and severally, for the amount of the bail. The court shall not reduce or otherwise mitigate the liability of the  bondsmen,  unless  the  accused  has  been  surrendered  or  is acquitted.

WHAT DO BONDSMEN UNDERTAKE TO DO UNDER THE BOND?

>     When the appearance of the accused is required, the sureties shall be  notified  to  produce  the  accused  before  the  court  on  a  given date
>     If  the  accused  fails  to  appear  as  required,  the  bond  is  declared forfeited  and  the  bondsmen  are  given  30  days  within  which  to produce the accused and show cause why judgment shouldn't be rendered against them for the amount of the bond
>     Within the period of 30 days, the bondsmen must:
1.    Produce the body of the accused
2.    Explain satisfactorily why the accused didn't appear when first required to do so
o      If they fail to comply with these requisites, the court shall render judgment against them on the bond.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF ASSUMING THE OBLIGATION OF BAIL?

>     The sureties become in law the jailers of the principal
>     Their   custody   of   him   is   the   continuation   of   the   original imprisonment and though they cannot actually confine him, they are   subrogated   to   all   other   rights   and   means   which   the
government possesses to make their control of him effective when the  accused  jumps  bail  and  the  trial  shall  continue  and  the bondsman held to their undertaking and sureties

UNDER WHOSE DISCRETION IS THE REDUCTION OF THE LIABILITY OF A BONDSMAN UNDER THE FORFEITED BOND?

>     It is wholly subject to the discretion of the trial court
>     To be refused or granted according to the merits of the particular case before the court, and the exercise of such discretion will not be  disturbed  on  appeal  unless  grave  abuse  of  discretion  was
committed  or  that  there  are  circumstances  which  the  trial  court failed to consider

WHAT  IS  THE  DUTY  OF  THE  BONDSMAN  WHEN  ACCUSED  IS REQUIRED TO APPEAR?

>     Notice alone to the accused is insufficient.
>     The bondsman is duty bound to produce the person of the accused when  his  appearance  is  required  by  the  court,  which  shows  that mere notice is not sufficient but the bondsman must make every effort to see that he actually makes his appearance
>     Failure  to  do  so,  trial  court  may  consider  it  negligent  in  the performance of his duties which the SC cannot disturb

WHAT ARE THE REQUISITES TO JUSTIFY THE  BONDSMAN’S EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY?

>     Within the period of 30 days, the bondsmen must:
1.    Produce the body of the accused
2.    Explain satisfactorily why the accused didn't appear when
first required to do so
>     Failure of the bondsman to produce the accused when required by the  court  and  subsequent  presentment  will  not  exonerate  the bondsman’s  liability  unless  he  gives  satisfactory  reason  why  he
failred to appear when first required to do so
>     SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION—act of God, act of the obligee, act of the law exonerates the sureties.  If the accused died, the fact of death  must  be  before  the  breach  and  the  fact  of death  must  be established   by   competent   evidence   for   the   sureties   to   be exonerated from liability.