An arrest and detention in a local jail or police facility can cause panic, temporarily halting your freedom. Your primary concern will be to exit detention and resume your routine, earliest possible. Again, prompt jail exit enables you to hire a legal service to help with trial preparations. California has several ways of leaving jail pending oncoming trial.
Most arrestees prefer posting bail to regain their liberty right. If eligible, you must have a way of raising the required cash because it is usually expensive. When bail is excessive, consider speaking to a bondsman. At Bail Bonds Company, we provide an exceptional bail bonds service to aid our clients exiting jail in Los Angeles County, Agoura Hills.
Events Resulting in the Need for Bail
The work of law enforcement authorities is to maintain order. The police are always looking for lawbreakers whenever they are on duty. Whenever they witness someone in the process of commissioning or after committing a crime, they swing into action and make arrests. Whatever the circumstances of the arrest, the officers will move you to the nearest detention facility for booking.
However, if you have committed a minor offense like a traffic violation, the police can grant you a citation. The yellow paper contains your name, the crime you are accused of, and the date you should return to court. If the apprehending officer does not issue you this document, you will be taken into custody.
No one plans for or wishes to be arrested, even the repeat offenders, explaining why arrests are usually overwhelming.
Once you are in police detention, the police will collect all the crucial information about you and your crime and create a file that will be forwarded to the prosecutor. After the prosecutor evaluates your file and the proof against you, they decide whether to file charges. The detention goal is to undergo the booking process, which enables officers to gather crucial evidence to prosecute the case. Therefore, the officer will immediately commence the process when you arrive at the station.
The steps involved in the booking phase following an apprehension are:
- Writing down your correct official name and other details on your identity card.
- Taking your fingerprints.
- Recording mug shots or photos.
- Statement issuing.
You should call your attorney before arriving at the station to ensure they are present for guidance when making a statement to the authorities to avoid disclosing self-incriminating information.
After booking, the officers can decide to release you on bail if the amount for your crime is clearly stated on the Los Angeles County bail schedule. However, you should appear for the bail hearing if the offense is severe. The proceeding should happen 24 hours after the prosecutor has evaluated your case and decided to pursue charges for your crime.
At the proceeding, the judge will rule whether you are qualified for bail depending on your criminal record and your crime’s nature. Luckily, many arrestees are eligible for bail and usually acquire a jail term once they post the figure set by the judge.
If you have a history of jumping bail or are a threat to society, the judge will favor your continued stay in jail until a verdict is out. However, the court will order a speedy trial to keep you in prison for a short time.
Alternatively, when the judge grants bail and determines the figure, you choose the time and mode of payment. Once bail is posted, you will append your signature on the required paperwork and be free to go home awaiting trial.
The judge can also free you on your recognizance where you do not pay any money to exit jail. The option is available for defendants the court believes will comply with all its orders, including being present for scheduled hearings. A recognizance release is for those charged with a lenient misdemeanor or first-time offenders. Before releasing you, the court will explain the regulations for freedom and the punishment for any violations. You will then append your signature on a contract agreeing to be present whenever the court orders so.
Reasons for Posting Bail
The law provides for your right to liberty and fair trial. Therefore, you should not be unfairly detained for a long time. A bail transaction is necessary to help you exit jail if you satisfy the criteria provided in the law.
Bail is critical in guaranteeing that you obtain your freedom and still adhere to court orders, including being present for court hearings. So, bail posting entails depositing funds ordered by the court or provided on the bail schedule to exit police custody. Before the release, the court issues some requirements you must comply with during the probationary release duration. The conditions plus bail ensure you will return to court for planned proceedings and trial. When you violate the terms, the judge will revoke your bail, and the funds posted will be forfeited. However, when you willingly abide by court orders, and sentencing occurs, you will obtain a bail refund.
The role of bail is to collateralize your pretrial release. You do not wish to stay in custody for weeks until a judge rules on your case. Further, Los Angeles County jails are overpopulated, and resources are strained because of the many daily arrests. The government uses a lot of taxpayers’ money to keep these arrestees in jail until sentencing. Therefore, it is appropriate to release eligible defendants on bail to reduce jail strain and save taxpayers’ funds.
Even with the need to save money and reduce the population in jails, not everyone should be freed pending trial. A pretrial release is not automatic, and the discretion on whether you will exit detention or not remains with the judge. For this reason, a bail proceeding must decide on your qualification.
Agoura Hills Bail Hearing
The court assesses your case's nature before determining whether you should exit jail or not pending sentencing. It would help if you adequately prepared for the hearing. Before the hearing, talk to the arresting officer about the bail process and how you will post the money. Even if your case demands that you appear for a bail proceeding, the officer can estimate the amount you should expect to pay as bail. The judge depends on the same schedule to set bail. The only difference is that the judge can increase or decrease the amount.
If you do not have money to spend on the estimated bail, call an Agoura Hills bail bonds service and give them the estimate so they can prepare the money before the hearing. That way, immediately after the judge sets the figure, the bondsman will have funds in advance, ensuring a streamlined release.
Also, you and your attorney must be present in court. The judge will ask questions about your criminal record and the current charges. If you are in attendance, you will give the court a good impression, prompting the judge to be lenient when issuing probationary release conditions. If you skip the hearing, it portrays a bad image of you, which could lead to an increase in bail amount or stricter release regulations.
Showing up for the bail hearing is again recommended because you will also have the chance to plead guilty or not guilty. Your plea will be influential in the rest of the case. You will not need bail when you plead guilty because the judge will proceed with sentencing. Nonetheless, if you plead not guilty, the charge will proceed to hearings and trial, which takes time. You will need bail.
A quick release on bail is critical because it will give you adequate time to prepare the evidence you should acquire for a favorable decision in your trial.
Agoura Hills Bail Bonds
Not everyone is happy after the court grants bail because the amount is usually expensive. If you are one of these individuals who cannot afford bail, you will not be reuniting with your family or returning to work or business, which can be frustrating. If you are behind bars for too long, your employer will terminate you.
Similarly, if you have money but are unwilling to spend it on your release, you will not be pleased about being granted bail. Bail bonds will come as a solution for you if you are in a situation where you cannot exit custody because you do not want to spend your life savings on bail or cannot afford it.
An Agoura Hills bail bonds service will offer a surety bond to the court for you. The bondsman will then pay part of the total bail and promise to clear the balance if you fail to attend court hearings. When you contact the bondsman for the service, they will prepare a contract that, once you sign it, will have you released from jail within hours.
Nevertheless, it would be best to know that these companies are in business to make a profit. Their services are not free. You will be charged a premium fee of approximately 10% to cover the price of the bail bonds service. Therefore, when paying this fraction of the bail, you should know there will be no refund. A reputable Agoura Hills bail bonds service will not have hidden charges, making the service affordable even for families struggling with finances. You only pay 10%, and the bondsman consolidates the rest of the money. If you complete the court process as instructed, the bondsman receives a refund of their deposit, and you will not be paying any additional amounts.
Before the bondsman prepares a contract, they will need the following information from you:
Your Full Official Names
It would help if you furnished your bondsman with a correctly spelled official name as it appears on your identity card. This applies even if you are a cosigner for an arrestee.
Your Contact Information
Your Agoura Hills bail bonds service will need your contact details, including your phone number, employer’s contact information, social media contacts, and email address. The information is required in case they need to track down.
Legal Paperwork
Some of your legal paperwork or documents will also be submitted to the bondsman to verify the personal details you have provided. Besides, the records will be vital in checking your criminal account. The documents include your birth certificate, identification card, driver’s license, and social security number.
Physical Description
Some offenses, primarily those with harsh sentences, can tempt you to skip Agoura Hills after release. In these situations, the bondsman will want a description of your vehicle to make it easy to track you if you choose to flee.
Employment Details
The bondsman will want your supervisor’s name and contact information. Being in touch with your supervisor will let the bondsman know your whereabouts because they are responsible for you.
Advantages of Hiring Agoura Hills Bail Bonds Service
Detention in a police facility is devastating for everyone. Luckily, bondsmen can streamline probationary release even when you lack the bail funds. The merits of hiring a bondsman are:
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Quick Jail Out
You should not post funds for your pretrial jail exit in a recognized release. Unfortunately, the option is available for non-violent offenders with outstanding criminal histories and community ties. You must pay a hefty bail if you do not satisfy this criterion. You will not leave jail until you raise funds, which delays the release. Nevertheless, with a bondsman on your side, money is not a reason for you to stay in jail. If you sign a contract with them, they immediately have a bondsman come to your jail for a quick release.
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Your Finances Remain Private
One significant demerit of paying cash bail is that it can raise suspicions about the source of the funds, attracting the attention of the prosecutor, judge, and police. The court will order scrutiny of your finances to corroborate their legitimacy. The financial investigation will delay your release and invade your privacy. However, your financial life will remain private when you rely on a bail bonds service.
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Retain your Assets and Funds
Paying cash bail is the easiest way to obtain probationary release. You can quickly liquidate assets and pay cash bail if you have assets. Nevertheless, you will not sell these assets at their market price because you have an emergency, resulting in a loss of money.
You will not need to liquidate your assets when you hire a bondsman. Instead, you can use the assets or money as collateral for the surety bond, and once the case is over, you will have a refund.
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Agoura Hills Bail Bonds are Affordable
Bondsmen make surety bonds affordable because you only need to deposit 10% of the bail figure with them, and you will be freed awaiting trial. Even though the fee is non-refundable, it is a small percentage of the bail.
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Bondsmen Offer Convenience
Posting bail is complex, and you will have many questions about the process, primarily if it is your first time. You will have minimal interactions with court employees when in jail, and the only chance you will have to ask the question, there are many other arrestees with the same question. However, when you enlist a bail bonds service, you will be assigned a bondsman who is just a phone call away. The bondsman will rely on their extensive knowledge to answer all your questions regarding the process.
Considerations when Enlisting an Agoura Hills Bail Bonds Service
Being eligible for bail but unable to consolidate the funds can be devastating. Your only option remains to hire a bail bonds service to help with your pretrial release. However, with bondsmen flooding Agoura Hills, it is challenging to identify the right one to help with your case. Therefore, you must be careful when hiring to find the appropriate bondsman.
First, you should consider the bondsman’s availability. Hire a company whose bondsmen are available around the clock so that you will not spend the night in jail even if an arrest happens at night.
Secondly, the company of your choice must be licensed to offer a bail bonds service. Request to see copies of their valid license and certificates. You can trust a certified bondsman to remain professional throughout the process and provide affordable services. Besides, being licensed shows the service has the experience and skills to be released.
You are looking for more than just financial support in your Agoura Hills bail bonds service. It would help if you had a professional to guide you, even after you are out awaiting trial. The only way you can be sure a company will be there to guide you is by reading their reviews. If previous clients seem happy from the reviews, you should hire the bondsman.
When hiring, it would also be beneficial to consider the company's communication and payment policies.
Jail and Court Details
Santa Monica City Jail
Santa Monica Courthouse
Find the Right Bail Bonds Service Near Me
Arrests are mentally and physically devastating. You should regain freedom as soon as possible and prepare for your defense. At Bail Bonds Company, we understand you do not want to stay in jail because of the inconveniences it causes. Our bondsmen offer flexible payment modes and accept several payment modes to make jail out easy for you in Los Angeles County Agoura Hills. Contact us at 323-579-1415 to speak to our profound bondsmen for the service.
