Bond forfeiture means that the person loses the guarantee made by the bail bond company on their behalf. There are some circumstances in which the judge might excuse the accused for missing court and bail or bond can be reinstated.
Generally, a bond forfeiture would just revoke liberty and have the defendant return to jail pending trial. So no, a bond forfeiture is not analogous to "guilt" or conviction. in lieu of conviction is "in place of" or "instead of," so alone, that is not a conviction either.
If you start communication with both your bondsman and the court as soon as possible, your court date will, in most cases, be reset, and the forfeiture of your bond will be recalled. However, if you do not get back in touch with your bondsman or the courts, the warrant for your arrest will remain active.
If the prisoner is admitted to bail and fails to appear and surrender ing to the conditions of the prisoner's bond, the judge or magistrate by proper order shall declare the bond forfeited and order the prisoner's immediate arrest without warrant if the prisoner is within this state.
In cases where a citation has been issued, the person cited (the defendant) may, with permission of the court, voluntarily agree to waive any court appearances and instead simply agree to voluntarily forfeit the recommended bail amount.
The legal implications of bail bond forfeiture can be severe. Beyond the financial loss, the defendant may face additional charges for failing to appear in court, complicating their legal situation.