Bail Bond Hearings in South Carolina
Magistrate and Municipal Court judges conduct most bond hearings by the setting amounts and conditions of bonds. Circuit Court judges conduct bond hearings for cases that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or death and may also conduct bond hearings for incarcerated defendants arrested for failure to appear in the Court of General Sessions. Hiring a bail bondsman is a common method for posting bond in South Carolina. Bail bondsmen are sureties that charge a non-refundable fee based on a percentage of the overall bond set by the bonding judge. An individual may also act as a surety by depositing the entire bond amount with the Clerk of Court or by pledging property to the court as collateral that can be lost if the defendant violates conditions of bond. A defendant who fails to appear for a scheduled court date in the Summary Court may be found guilty in the absence or a warrant could be issued for the defendant's arrest or both. If a defendant is arrested for failure t