If a person is arrested and charged with a crime their bail can be set by the court. The judge will consider many factors when determining how much bail to set such as flight risk, family obligations, community connections and public safety risks.
A bail bondsman or a bail agency will post the full amount of bail as collateral for the defendant. This collateral can be a bank account real estate property or other assets. The bail agent will then return this money to the court when the defendant has complied with all of their court dates.
When a defendant posts bail, they must pay an initial fee to the bondsman or agency which is usually 10% of the total bail amount. This fee is not refundable if the case is dismissed or the defendant is convicted of the charges.
Once the premium has been paid the bondsman or agency will take custody of the person and begin a process to get them released from jail. They will then work to contact a friend or family member who has been responsible for paying the premium and will help to get them out of jail as quickly as possible.
The bondsman will also make sure that the defendant shows up to all of their court dates in order to avoid having their bail forfeited by the courts if they skip them. If they do not appear, the bondsman will have to pay the courts the entire amount of the bail as well as any other costs associated with finding them and bringing them back to court.
Another way that bail bonds can work in California is through property bonding. In this instance, the bondsman will ask a relative or friend to put up their home as collateral for the bail. This will reduce the defendant’s chance of missing a court date since their home is on the line.
Some people also decide to sign a recognizance bond, which means that they agree to show up to all of their court dates in exchange for not having to pay any bail. This can save the defendant hundreds or even thousands of dollars in bail fees.
Getting out of jail in California is very important not only can it save you a lot of time and stress but it can also help you to avoid a criminal record that could affect your future job, driving licence or other aspects of life.
The first step in the process is contacting a bail bondsman or visit this website to find out more about how they work and to get them started. Once you have a bondsman located, they will ask you to pay a premium which is usually about 10% of the total bail amount.
Once you have the premium paid the bond company will work to secure the release of your loved one from jail and arrange for their transfer to a local jail facility. The bond company will also work with the jail to transfer your loved one to a different jail if necessary.
