In life, unfortunate things can occur, leaving you or a loved one behind bars. Staying in jail for a long time is a nightmare, which is why you need to make bail. Bail is money deposited by the accused or a third party to guarantee that the accused will show up in court at a future date. Bail can be set in cash or bond. If you don’t have the entire amount of bail, contact Bail Bonds in Beverly Hills, CA. We are an experienced bondsman who will help you understand the bailing out process, conditions of bail, what the court accepts as bail, and how the failure to show up in court at a future date will affect you.
Overview of Bail Bonds
When posting bail, one can do it in the form of cash, bond, or through a property bond. A bail bond is the most prevalent in Los Angeles, CA because most defendants are unable to raise the amount in cash. Posting this form of bail is a piece of cake. All you need is to contact Beverly Hills Bail Bonds who will process the bond, a procedure that takes around twenty minutes. After a few hours, the accused is set free.
Bail agents gain from this process by taking up to 10% of the bond amount as a nonrefundable fee. The fee charged varies from one company to another. Some bail bond services will offer discounts if the defendant:
-
Is a union member,
-
Government employee,
-
Represented by a lawyer, or
-
A member of the United States military.
If you are already in jail, the third party who will be securing your release by contacting the bail bond services is called a cosigner. The cosigner has certain obligations or responsibilities in ensuring that you appear before the court in the future. Should the accused skip town on the date he or she is supposed to appear before the court, the bail agent will first try to find the accused, and if they fail, they will turn to the cosigner for repayment.
Collateral
Bail agents will need something of value from you to be guaranteed that once you make bond, you are not going to run away since they will have to pay the bond amount if you don’t show up in court. The amount of collateral depends on the bail agents you pick. Property like land or small assets like jewelry can be used as collateral. For low assets, the court must be in physical possession of the item. However, for a house, the bail agent or court will require the deed for the land.
With the collateral, if you fail to appear in court, they will seize the collateral if its land or vehicle and collect it to recover the amount owed in court. In case the defendant shows up in court as agreed upon, the collateral is returned either you were found innocent or guilty. The amount of collateral to be given back, however, depends so much on the premium that the bail agent and the person bailing you out had agreed. The collateral will be returned within five working days after the case has ended and after all your pending bills have been cleared. To understand collateral better and to find the best premiums, reach out to Beverly Hills Bail Bonds.
The Bail Bond Process
If you are the person being accused of a criminal offense, a family member or a bail bond company should review the California Bail Schedule to find out the amount required for you to be released out of jail.
The amount of bail depends on the offense committed. Most minor crimes like driving under the influence but without causing an accident will see the accused booked and then released with no bail.
The arresting officer is often the person who sets the amount of bond, and it can match the one on the bail schedule or exceed. However, the final decision about the bail amount is determined in your first court appearance after the judge evaluates your case. Below is a summary of the bail bond process:
-
Booking and processing.
It is the first step after an arrest. The arresting officer takes you to the nearest police station where your photograph and fingerprints are made. The process takes at least eight hours because the process involves even checking your criminal history.
-
Setting of bail
Your bail is set in under a bail schedule. The bail amount in this schedule is used by judges to determine the bond amount. It enables even the arresting officer to set a jail amount before you see a judge.
-
Contacting Beverly Hills Bail Bonds to begin the process of release
After the amount has been set, the next thing is to call a family member or friend who will act as your cosigner or reach out to a licensed bail agent or Bail Bondsman directly. Our bail agents will explain all the information you need on bail application and contract.
-
Complete a bail application and contract
Because the application process has been explained to you, the next thing to complete the contract through email or fax, if you can’t fill the contract, the cosigner should do it, but after they are aware of their financial obligation, in case the defendant fails to honor the commitment. After the agreement is filled and payment planned, a bondsman is sent to post your bail.
-
Knowing the cost of bail bond
The amount determined by the court varies based on various factors. The court relies on some of the following factors to decide whether to increase or reduce the bail amount:
- The severity of the offense,
- Was anyone injured during the crime, and if any, how serious are the injuries?
- Were drugs or weapons involved in the offense?
- Is the accused a threat to public safety?
- Does the accused have a criminal record?
- Does the defendant have any business interests or property in the community?
- Chances of the accused showing up in court after a bail release.
-
Accused is released on bail
You will be released on bail if the court feels that you are not a threat to the community if you have significant community ties, or if the evidence is not enough. However, for a serious offense, the chances of being denied bail are very high unless you convince the court otherwise during the bail hearing.
-
A bail bond is exonerated
After the defendant has fulfilled all his obligations as required by the court, the bond is returned despite the outcome of the case.
Conditions of Bail
If the court appears as if they might not reduce your bail or release you on bail, your lawyer can suggest a few requirements to be set. The conditions will help lower the bail amount or prevent being denied bail. These conditions include:
-
House arrest, coupled with electronic monitoring
-
Putting on a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAM)
-
Surrendering your passport and driver’s license to the court
-
Avoid driving under the influence of alcohol at any BAC level
-
You should stay away from the victim of the offense
-
You should not leave the state of California
Other Methods of Posting Bail
Cash
Apart from bonds, you can set bail through cash. Cash bail is the easiest way to have someone released from behind bars. Paying in cash has its advantages since the amount payable is often lower than the bond amount, although cash bail must be paid in full amount.
Courts accept cash bail in various forms such as checks, money orders, cash, or personal checks. If the money is believed to originate from criminal activities, then it will not be accepted, or you will have to show the court the source of the funds.
If you are released on cash bail and manage to attend all court hearings in the future, once the case has been resolved, you will get a full refund within two to three months.
Failing to make a Court Appearance after Bailing Out
After gaining freedom by bailing out, on the date you are required to appear in court you fail to do so, the court will issue an arrest warrant. If you were being charged with a misdemeanor, you would get an additional misdemeanor. For a felony charge, failure to show up in court leads to an additional felony charge.
For those defendants that posted bail, they forfeit the money to the court. If you posted a bond and had put up collateral for the amount, the bond company will sell the collateral or use a bounty hunter to apprehend you in case there is no collateral.
Your bail will not be forfeited if you appear before the court within one hundred and eighty days of bail forfeiture claiming that:
-
You had injuries
-
You were sick and had a medical report to confirm so
-
You are disabled hence could not attend court
-
You were being held in custody by another jurisdiction
-
You are insane
Find a Bail Agent near Me
In most bail bond cases in Los Angeles, CA, the accused or their family members lack enough money to make bail or even collateral to put up for a bond. Whatever situation you are in, Beverly Hills Bail Bonds is there to ensure you make bond in a stress-free manner. Find us today by calling 323-579-1415 for free information on bail bonds that applies to your situation.
