They are legally allowed to detain the defendant. > If the defendant fails to appear in court, the bond agent is allowed by law or contractual arrangement to b

They are legally allowed to detain the defendant. > If the defendant fails to appear in court, the bond agent is allowed by law or contractual arrangement to bring the defendant to the jurisdiction of the court in order to recover the money paid out under the bond, usually through the use of a bounty hunter. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bail_bondsman https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bail_bondsman