Answering 24/7/365| Georgia caps the premium at 15%
Forsyth County · Cumming · Johns Creek, GA
Forsyth County · Cumming · Johns Creek, GA
Everyone at the counter speaks in shorthand, and nobody stops to explain it. Here is the vocabulary of a Georgia bail case in plain English, so you can follow the conversation instead of nodding along.
The hearing where the charges are formally read and a plea is entered. Separate from first appearance, and later in the process.
The condition of release. Often used loosely to mean the money, but strictly it is the whole arrangement that lets someone out pending trial.
A charge that under Georgia law cannot be released on a signature or unsecured bond. Requires cash, approved property or a surety.
A warrant issued by a judge, usually because someone failed to appear in court.
The financial instrument guaranteeing appearance. Cash, property or surety.
A preset list of bond amounts for certain charges, allowing release before a judge sets an individual amount.
Intake at the jail: search, property inventory, medical screening, fingerprints and photograph. Until it finishes, no record shows in an inmate search.
The full bond amount paid directly to the jail or court. Largely refunded at the end of the case, less non-refundable fees.
Property, a vehicle title or other asset pledged to secure a bond, usually on larger amounts. Returned when the bond is exonerated.
The rules attached to a bond — no contact, no new arrests, drug screening, curfew, reporting. Breaking one can revoke the bond.
Also called an indemnitor. The person who guarantees the defendant will appear, and who is liable for the full face value if they do not.
The release of the bond obligation at the end of the case. Collateral is returned at this point.
Missing a scheduled court date. Triggers a bench warrant and puts the bond into forfeiture.
An offence punishable by more than twelve months. Tried in Superior Court in Georgia.
The initial hearing before a judicial officer, required within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest or 72 hours with a warrant. Held in Magistrate Court in Forsyth County.
What happens to a bond when the defendant fails to appear. The surety becomes liable for the face amount unless the person is returned within the statutory window.
An instruction that keeps someone in custody regardless of any bond posted — probation, another county’s warrant, immigration, or medical.
See co-signer.
The Forsyth County court at 1090 Tribble Gap Road that handles first appearance, warrant applications and much of the bond setting.
An offence punishable by up to twelve months. Tried in State Court in Georgia.
Official Code of Georgia Annotated — the state’s statutes. Section 17-6-30 caps bail premiums; section 17-6-12 governs restricted offences.
Release on a written promise to appear, with no money posted. Not available for bail-restricted offences.
A felony hearing where the state must show probable cause. Bond can be revisited here.
What a bondsman charges to post a bond. Capped in Georgia at 15% of the face amount, minimum $50 per bonded charge. Never refundable.
Real estate pledged to secure release, subject to a judge’s approval. Slower than a surety bond, typically days rather than hours.
A judge cancelling a bond, usually after a violation of conditions or a new arrest. The person returns to custody.
The party that guarantees the bond — in practice, the licensed bail bond agency.
A bond posted by a licensed bondsman on the defendant’s behalf in exchange for the premium.
The Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit court that handles all felony cases in Forsyth County.
Release without money up front, with liability only if the defendant fails to appear. Unavailable for bail-restricted offences.
We would far rather explain a term twice than have someone sign a contract they only half understood. Call (770) 888-4585 at any hour and ask. There is no charge for a question and there is no such thing as a stupid one at two in the morning.
Keep reading
The questions people ask us at two in the morning.
Read more →SB 63, bail-restricted offences and what changed in 2024.
Read more →The full sequence from arrest to walking out.
Read more →The 15% cap, the minimum, and what is refundable.
Read more →One call to 24-7 Best Bonding starts the paperwork. We answer around the clock, every day of the year, and we drive to the Forsyth County Jail so your family does not have to.