Under Florida Statute Section F.S. 903.18, any cash bond may be substituted for a surety bond anytime before a breach of bond. The statute allows you to substitute the cash bond for a surety bond. If you do this a bail-bond company would take on your liability and your money will be refunded.
People often decide to secure the bond with a surety company over remaining with the cash bond so that they can free up that money to retain an attorney, pay restitution, or pay unexpected bills.
In determining bond, the court will consider the following factors:
- Nature of the alleged offense.
- Financial circumstances of the defendant.
- Defendant's address and ties to the community.
- Defendant's occupation and employment history.
- Extent and nature of any criminal history of the defendant.
- Defendant's family and relatives that live in the community.