EDINBURG – A Mission-based bail bondsman will have to pay up $50,000 after a jury verdict in a bond forfeiture case.

A bond forfeiture case hasn’t been seen in court in Hidalgo County for decades. This is the first jury trial involving a bond forfeiture the judge overseeing the case and prosecutor can refer to.

The judgment in Tuesday’s case serves as an example for any future bond forfeiture cases.

The case stems from the arrest of Omar Guerrero, a former Hidalgo County Clerk, in 2013.

Guerrero failed to show up in court in Oct. 2013, after making the $50,000 bond.

Arnoldo Corpus of Corpus Bail Bonds posted the bond but was unable to get Guerrero to show up in court.

Typically the state and bondsman reach a setting if not, the case goes to trial. In this case, the state sued Guerrero and the bondsman, Corpus.

Corpus' defense was the state didn't follow proper procedure in calling for Guerrero the day he was due in court in 2013.

On Tuesday, a jury was presented with documents of evidence. The jury decided the paper trail held Corpus responsible for paying back $50,000.

Corpus has 31 days to pay the money or challenge the jury’s decision.

McAllen-based bondsman, Rene Ortega, says this is a lesson learned for all the bail bond companies in the county, saying, "We'll probably all learn from this."