What is bail and its purpose?

Bail is money or other security, such as a bail bond, provided to the court to obtain an adult defendant’s release from jail. Bail is not a fine or court fee. The purpose of bail is to make sure that a defendant attends all required court dates. If the defendant keeps all scheduled court dates, the court releases/returns bail at the end of the case to the person who posted/paid it. This process can take three to four weeks.