When is the court required to forfeit a defendant's bail?

• A. When the defendant pleads guilty
• B. When the bond is posted
• C. When the defendant fails to appear
• D. When the charge is dropped

Answer: (C)

When someone is released on bail, they are expected to appear in court at the scheduled times. If they fail to appear, the court forfeits the bail, meaning the money or bond posted is kept by the court as a penalty to ensure attendance. This forfeiture acts as a financial incentive to appear as required. The other scenarios don’t trigger forfeiture: pleading guilty doesn’t automatically cause the bail to be forfeited, posting the bond is simply the act that secures release, and if the charges are dropped the bond is typically exonerated and the money is returned or released.