When law enforcement officers arrest a suspected offender, the offender is deemed innocent until a criminal court judge declares otherwise. In that case, the police have no right to keep them in custody before the case's conclusion. The officers must seek an order from the judge to release the suspect before trial. But judges grant pretrial releases on various conditions, including posting bail. Bail is pretty expensive. But you can seek the service of a bail bond agent to secure a loved one's freedom immediately after an arrest.
At Bail Bonds Company, we offer reliable bail bonds and support throughout the legal processes until the end of your case. You can contact us for more information and assistance if you or your loved one is facing criminal charges in Inglewood.
Steps To Take After an Arrest
An arrest can be very intimidating, especially if it is your first time. Even second and subsequent arrestees feel anxious after their arrest. Facing criminal charges is a big deal. Once you are in police custody, there is no assurance that you will be freed soon. In some cases, arrestees remain in jail until the conclusion of their matter. Your entire life comes to a standstill since you can no longer be with your family, work, school, or even hang out with your friends.
But defendants have a legal right to freedom before trial. The law prohibits law enforcement to keep you in custody after your arrest. You should go before a judge within 48 hours of your arrest, whereby the judge will order your release on bail. It is a great relief for people whose lives are likely to be interrupted by an arrest. For instance, if you are the sole breadwinner of your family, your dependents will suffer significantly after your arrest.
Thus, be prepared to help your family members post bail after their arrest. You will easily find bail information in the police station where the defendant is taken after the arrest. The police rely on a bail schedule, which is usually predetermined. They can tell you approximately how much the defendant needs to pay to secure their release. But it would be best if you waited for the final confirmation by the judge. The judge will decide whether the defendant is eligible for bail, how much they must pay, and how they must pay it.
Armed with that information, you can prepare to post bail for them before so much time is lost while they are in police custody. Remember that the longer the person stays incarcerated, the more precious time is lost and opportunities to achieve more in life.
If the judge sets a higher bail than you are prepared or able to pay, you can negotiate for a bail reduction or release on personal recognizance. But that becomes easy if you have legal representation. Lawyers understand how these processes work and can successfully negotiate better terms for their clients.
How Courts in California Set Bail
Judges are usually guided by a predetermined bail schedule when setting bail for a particular case. Bail schedules provide details of how much a defendant should pay for release before trial based on the details of their charges. A suspect facing misdemeanor charges will likely pay less bail than one facing felony charges for the same offense. Serious felonies and violence-related crimes do not carry any bail. Defendants could be ordered to remain in jail until the judge concludes their case.
But judges can increase or reduce the bail as it is on the available bail schedule for individual cases. Whether or not the judge will increase a defendant's bail depends on the details of their charges and their criminal history. For instance, the judge can be lenient on first offenders but harsh on repeat offenders. If your charges have aggravating factors, for example, crimes against children or the elderly, the judge can increase your bail.
Judges also set bail based on a person's ability to stay within the court's jurisdiction after a bail release. Some defendants will likely flee right after they are freed on bail. In that case, the judge can increase your bail to make it even harder for you to afford it. If you have strong connections within your community, like a permanent job or a family, the judge can leave your bail as is or even reduce it. Strong ties in the community indicates your likelihood to stay within the community until the end of your case.
Again, you can negotiate for a fair bail if you feel the judge set it too high for your family to afford. If you have legal representation, that will be easy. Your attorney will request a bail hearing to appeal the judge's decision. A judge will be willing to reconsider their decision if they are assured of your court appearances and availability until the end of your case.
Various Types of Bail
California criminal courts allow different types of bail, depending on your financial situation. The most common of these are:
Personal Recognizance Release
Being released on your own recognizance means you do not pay anything to guarantee your court appearances. The judge trusts that you will appear in all court sessions regarding your case without fail. Defendants receiving own recognizance release are first-time offenders and those facing simple misdemeanor charges. You will only be required to sign your release form and give assurance of honoring all set court dates. Then the police will let you go.
Cash Bail
Defendants that fail to qualify for personal recognizance release are expected to post bail using money or an asset. If you have enough money to post the set bail, you will pay it to a court to process your release. The amount must be equal to the entire bail. If you do not have enough cash at the time, you can fundraise among friends and family until you obtain enough money. The court will not release a defendant until they meet all bail obligations.
You will receive the money back in full at the end of your case. But if you violate your bail conditions, the court forfeits the bail, and you could lose the whole amount.
Property Bond
If you do not have sufficient money to post bail but have a valuable asset, you can pay a property bond to guarantee your court appearances. California courts allow different properties or assets, real estate properties, vehicles, shares, and bonds. After the conclusion of your case, and once you honor all bail conditions, the court will give you back the property or asset you used as a bond. But if you violate your bail conditions, the court forfeits the full bail, and the agent will sell off the valuable property to recover the entire bail, which the court keeps.
The Need for Inglewood Bail Bonds
Not all families that seek their loved one's freedom from jail have the cash or property needed to secure their release. They need financial assistance to have their arrested kins return to their family, work, or business. Bond dealers play a significant role in ensuring that families in need of financial assistance receive the help and support they need with bail. Thus, you can consider bail bonds if someone you love is incarcerated but has no means to bail them out.
Bond dealers provide a surety bond to the court on behalf of defendants seeking freedom before trial. They assure the court of paying the full bail if the court forfeits the defendant's bail for one reason. For instance, if the defendant willingly flees the court's jurisdiction and cannot attend the trial, a judge will order their re-arrest, and the court can forfeit their bail. When that happens, the bond dealer must pay the court the full bail.
Bond dealers are always ready to process their client's release from detention. The bond agents have the paperwork ready and have studied the process in advance to ensure no delays once they start processing a defendant's release from jail. This makes Inglewood bail bonds the quickest way to get someone you love out of incarceration after their arrest. It could take time if the family decides to handle the matter independently, meaning the defendant will remain behind bars more than they should.
Bond agents are also familiar with the local courts and jail processes. An ordinary individual will not have that information. You will likely face challenges if you decide to maneuver the system alone. But an experienced agent will know what to do at any given time to process your bail quickly and successfully.
The Bail Process
If you choose Inglewood bail bonds after someone you love is arrested, it is necessary to know the process you must take to have a bond agent process their release fast.
Begin by identifying the bond dealer you wish to partner with for this process. Choose and contact a reliable, affordable, and professional dealer. Once you contact the company, a bond agent will take over your case. Bond agents work directly with clients on behalf of bail bond companies. They understand the bail processes better and the desire for families to get their loved ones out of jail as quickly as possible. Thus, your case will be in the safe hands of a professional bond agent. The agent will require specific information from you to start the process, including:
- The defendant's full name
- Date of birth
- Their address
- Work details
- The jail where you are held
- Their report or booking number
- The criminal charges they face
- Their criminal history
- Any extra information you have that is relevant to their arrest
The next process would be preparing the paperwork required to bail your loved one out of jail. The agent will require you to sign some documents before they begin the bond process. Remember that bond dealers offer help with the hope that defendants will honor all court dates and not violate any bail condition that could cause the court to forfeit their bail, but you must secure the bond services. It means paying a bond premium, usually a small percentage of the bail amount. You must also sign off on a collateral for the bond.
The bond premium is the fee your family will pay for the bail bond services. The standard charge is usually 10% of the bail, though some bond dealers charge less. Delivering the entire bond premium upfront before the bail process begins would be best. But if you cannot raise the total amount, bond dealers are usually open for negotiations. The agent can allow you to pay a part of the money, then the rest in easy installments.
Once the paperwork is complete, the agent will start the bond process. The agent will meet you at the jail where your loved one is detained to sign the release forms to secure their freedom. That should take a few minutes, depending on how crowded the jail is in that instance.
Collateral For Inglewood Bail Bonds
A promise by the defendant to honor all bail conditions is usually not enough for the bond agent to sign up with them. Bond dealers need some form of collateral that they can use in case the court forfeits the defendant's bail. Remember that when it happens, the dealer will be required to pay the full bail to the court. Thus, they will use the collateral to recover their money. Therefore, you must prepare collateral when you decide to work with a bail bond dealer. Fortunately, you have several options to choose from, including the following:
Bank Account
You can sign authorization forms giving the bond dealer permission to obtain money from your bank account if the offender fails to appear as ordered by the judge. However, your bank account must have sufficient funds to cover the bail. The agent will not take any money from your account until necessary. For instance, if the offender fails to appear and the court orders the agent to pay the entire bail, the agent will obtain the money from your account to cover those costs.
Credit Cards
You can use your credit card if you do not have sufficient funds in your bank account. You will sign authorization forms allowing the agent to obtain money from your credit card if the defendant violates their bail conditions.
Real Estate Properties
If you have a house, building, or a piece of land, you can use that as collateral to obtain Inglewood bail bonds. You can use the property's documents as security for the bond. Any real estate property can be used to obtain bail bonds, provided the owner gives consent and signs over the documents to the bail bond dealer.
A Vehicle or Car
Most bond dealers in Inglewood accept vehicles and cars as security for bail bonds. However, the vehicle's value must be more than the bail amount. The genet will not take your car away, only signed documents that give them the authority to take your vehicle if the court forfeits the defendant’s bail.
A Home
If your only valuable asset is your home, you can use it to obtain bail bonds to obtain the release from jail of someone you love. The agent will not take over your property at once, only the document that gives them the right to the property if the offender fails to appear. When that happens, the bond dealer will sell off your home to recover the bail amount.
Pawnable Items
If you have pawnable items, you can use them as security for Inglewood bail bonds. Pawnable items could be electronics, antique furniture, tools, equipment, or gaming systems. Their value should be slightly more than the bail amount.
The agent will hold the pawnable items until the case ends. If the defendant appears in all court sessions as required, the agent will return your items with no additional conditions.
Valuable Jewelry
If all you have is jewelry, you can allow the bond dealer to keep it until the case ends. The agent will have the right to pawn your valuable pieces if the defendant fails to honor all set court dates. But if the defendant is patient enough until the end of the case, the agent will return your jewelry.
Jail Information
Inglewood Police Department
Court Information
Inglewood Courthouse
Find Affordable Inglewood Bail Bond Services Near Me
Is your loved one in jail, and you can not afford to bail them out?
This is a challenge most families face after a loved one's arrest. Bail is expensive for many families in California. But bond dealers offer assistance with bail and the entire process. At Bail Bonds Company, we take up your case right after your loved one’s arrest. We know how important it is for your family if the defendant is out of jail immediately after their arrest. That is why we work round the clock to ensure the paperwork is done in minutes. You can count on our support and professionalism if your loved one is facing an arrest in Inglewood. Contact us at 323-579-1415 for more information and assistance with bail.
