The last thing you want to happen in your life is to find yourself on the wrong side of the law and detained for any time. Fortunately, California laws allow you to secure a release as you await trial by posting bail. The challenge is that bail is often expensive, and you might not have the money to post bail in full. To get around the matter, you can turn to a seasoned Maywood bail bonds company, which can post your set bail amount in exchange for a 10% premium. At Bail Bonds Company, we understand you are facing a lot and can guide you throughout the process and ensure you do not spend unnecessary time in jail at pocket-friendly costs.
How Bail and Bail Bonds Work
Bail is the amount you should post with the court to secure your release as you await your trial and ensure you appear in court when required. Judges award bail to defendants to honor the presumption of innocence until the accused is proven guilty beyond any reasonable doubt, allowing them to build their defense without punishment.
If the police arrest you and they do not have your arrest warrant, you can post the amount on the bail schedule under PC 1269b(b). A bail schedule lets you secure your release immediately after booking and processing. Different jurisdictions have different bail schedules since bail schedules vary depending on your alleged crime committed, residency, and county.
The bail schedule is inflexible, and police will only accept what is outlined in the bail schedule. Therefore, you should go before the judge during an arraignment or bail hearing if you want to pay less.
Some of the factors the judge will consider when granting bail or setting the bail amount include the following:
- The nature of the crime and the surrounding case facts.
- Potential penalties for the crime.
- Your community and family ties (reputation, residency lengthy, and employment history in your community).
- Criminal record, including the history of failing to attend scheduled court hearings.
- Whether you are on parole or probation or have a pending appeal of a conviction.
- Current restraining orders.
- Whether you pose a threat to yourself or the community.
Generally, bail for felonies is up to ten times more than the amount required for misdemeanors. The more dangerous and severe the crime, the higher the bail amount.
The 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bans judges from setting excessive bail. Bail should neither raise funds for the government nor be used to punish an individual for being suspected of committing an offense.
Different Methods of Posting Bail
You can pay your bail:
Through a Cash Bail
You should deposit the entire bail amount with the court to obtain your release on cash bail. Depending on the jurisdiction, you can pay by a traveler’s check, cash, bank cashier’s check, personal check, or money order.
If you abide by your release terms, including appearing in court when required, you will receive a refund within sixty to ninety days after your case exoneration. If you jump bail, the court will forfeit the money.
Property Bond
Defendants occasionally use property bonds. In this case, the defendant allows the court to place a lien on their property. Some assets used include real property, stocks, and motor vehicles.
The court will refund the property used if you make all court appearances.
Through Maywood Bail Bonds
You can contact a bondsman if the set bail amount is more than you or your family can afford. The bond service will post bail with a surety bond where the company guarantees to pay you the entire bail amount if you skip bail. In exchange, the bondsman will charge a 10% premium of the total bail amount. Please note the premium is non-refundable regardless of the case outcome and whether you comply with your release terms.
You can also use bail bonds to maintain a low profile, especially if charged with a controlled substance sale or white-collar crime. If law enforcers believe you feloniously obtained your cash bail, the judge will hold the release and schedule a PC 1275 court hearing to settle the matter. Therefore, you should verify that you lawfully acquired the amount by the preponderance of the evidence. Some of the pieces of evidence you can use the prove you legally obtained your bail money include:
- Your credit card statement.
- Bank statement.
- Pay stubs.
- Sales transactions.
- Loan agreements.
- Bank statements.
If you can prove that you legally obtained your bail money, the court will remove the 1275 hold and release you under the required bail amount.
The judge will deny you bail if you cannot show that you did not feloniously acquire your bail amount. They can even increase the amount depending on your case circumstances. The court believes you are less likely to make court appearances if you illegally obtain cash bail.
Due to the financial risk of posting bail for you, your bondsman can require collateral. Collateral is anything valuable that assures the bonding service that you will not jump bail and cover all potential losses if you fail to make your court appearances.
Information You Need Before Contacting the Bondsman
You might not know what to do when a loved one is arrested. In this case, contacting a Maywood bail bonds service can assist. However, there is information you should gather before calling your bondsman. These details include:
- The defendant’s full name — The bondsman needs to know your defendant‘s full name. Give the legal name as it appears on official identification documents, like a driver’s license. Do not provide shortened versions of their name or nicknames.
- The location of the jailhouse holding your loved one — The paperwork the bondsman draws to send to law enforcement authorities depends on providing the proper jurisdiction. The more information you can provide, the more prepared your bondsman will be, speeding up the release process.
- The defendant’s booking number — When the jail book a suspect, it gives them a booking number. The booking number becomes the suspect’s ID while in police custody until their case is closed. It assists the jailhouse in keeping information on all persons. Your bondsman will require this number to draft relevant paperwork and promptly post Maywood bail bonds to the correct account. You can always contact the jail to obtain the booking number.
- The required bail amount — While the bondsman can obtain this information by contacting the jail holding your relative, knowing it helps you understand what premium you owe.
- Know the alleged criminal charges — Tell the bondsman the charges filed against the defendant and whether they are a felony or a misdemeanor.
- The defendant’s date of birth.
- The defendant’s address and phone number.
- The suspect’s employer’s address and contact details.
You should also understand that a bail bond is essentially a loan. What makes it different is that the court will refund your bondsman, provided you keep up your end of the bargain.
As a co-signer, you should ensure the defendant attends their scheduled court hearing and obeys their release condition. You vouch for the accused and ensure they have the support to return to court and become responsible community members.
A co-signer can be any person who knows the accused. The stronger your relationship, the greater the possibility of the bondsman approving your Maywood bail bonds. Relatives, colleagues, long-term friends, and spouses are ideal candidates.
Own Recognizance Release
Sometimes the judge can allow a defendant to fight their criminal case from outside the police's custody without the necessity of posting bail. All the defendant does is promise to return to court and attend all court hearings.
O.R. release is the default rule in Los Angeles County. Only defendants charged with violent or serious felonies can be held on bail. In other words, the judge can grant your own recognizance release to you unless:
- You are charged with a crime punishable by death.
- Your release would compromise public safety.
- Your release would not guarantee your court appearance.
When granting the O.R. release, the judge will set conditions. The release conditions should be reasonably associated with the alleged criminal charge and expected to improve public safety. Typical conditions include the following:
- Release to a loved one with a promise to take you to court.
- Regular check-ins with a designed agency.
- Surrendering your passport and travel restrictions.
- Driving restrictions.
- Staying away from the alleged victim or refraining from visiting specific people or places.
- Order to surrender firearms to police.
- GPS/electronic monitoring.
- Home detention.
- Not violating another crime.
- Submitting to random alcohol and drug testing.
- Enrolling in mental health treatment, residential treatment, or substance abuse treatment program.
- Not driving a vehicle while drunk.
- Seeking or maintaining employment.
The judge will issue a bench warrant for your arrest if you violate your bail condition. The police can return you to their custody at any time.
How Long Does It Take to Secure a Release After Posting Your Bail
There is no specific duration for being released after posting bail. The answer varies from one case to the next because numerous factors are involved in the release. They include the following:
- Traffic — Jailhouse process times depend on how busy the jurisdiction is. If you paid the bail in a jailhouse with many defendants, it could take longer to secure a release.
- Staff— If the number of people working in a jailhouse when you post your Maywood bail bonds is vast, the faster they process your release.
- Paperwork — A lot of paperwork is involved when bailing out a loved one. The officer overseeing your release process should closely check everything, including whether you have several warrants, before releasing you.
- Your number in the queue — After posting your bail bonds, your name is added to other defendants who have also paid their bail. Therefore, if you are at the bottom of the list, you should wait longer.
Can You Bail a Loved One Out on the Weekend or at Night?
Most Maywood bail bonds service providers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can secure the release anytime. Nevertheless, how soon they are released from detention depends on the abovementioned factors.
Bail Bonds Rates
The California Department of Insurance sets rates for all bondsmen. Therefore, if the required bail amount is ten thousand dollars, you should pay your Maywood bail bonds company a bond fee of one thousand dollars.
Bailing out a loved one can be ridiculously high, and even the lowest bail amount can still be expensive. Bail Bonds Company is dedicated to helping families lower their burdens, irrespective of their case. California law allows for discounted rates on bonds if you have retained a criminal defense attorney and paid your entire premium amount within 72 hours. The discounts are permitted for the following:
- AARP members.
- Government union workers.
- Members of the U.S. military.
Flexible Bail Bond Payments
With bills to foot, you most likely do not have extra money lying around to post bail. Most established Maywood bail bonds companies understand that it is difficult for you to choose between your financial responsibilities and securing your relative’s release from detention. That is why they offer customized, flexible payment plans that suit clients’ budgets.
With a flexible payment plan, you should first make a down payment for your bail bond and pay the outstanding balance within the agreed-upon period. Providing flexible payment plans is an effective way to aid hardworking individuals to get out of detention and return to their work when they otherwise could not afford to secure Maywood bail bonds. It also allows defendants to continue supporting themselves and their families and work with their attorneys to build the case defense.
Typically, the required down payment depends on the set bail amount.
To qualify for a flexible payment plan, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a legal California resident — You can prove your residency using a utility bill with your current address, identification like a driver’s license, and bank statements.
- You should have a co-signer willing to sign your bond — While the co-signer can be a relative or friend, you should ensure they understand the risk of co-signing. The bondsman will hold the co-signer accountable if you fail to make scheduled court appearances. They should be a California resident and have good credit scores.
- Earn an income twice your total bail amount — The co-signer should also submit evidence that they earn double your bail amount. That means if your bail amount is twenty thousand dollars, the co-signer should prove their income exceeds forty thousand dollars. They can use recent pay stubs.
Please note that an interest rate applies to your outstanding balance, and you should pay the bail bond premium in full regardless of your case outcome.
How to Know Your Loved One’s Bail Amount Online
The Internet has made many difficult situations easier by keeping you informed. It helps you know your relatives or friend’s required bail amount. Knowing the amount permits you to consider different options for posting your bail.
After knowing which jailhouse is holding your loved one, you should start with the county’s official website. Typically, the county website has an “inmate lookup tool” that makes recent arrests and criminal records in the jurisdiction available to users. All you need is to type the defendant’s name, and you will learn more about their pending criminal charges, arrest record, and the required bail amount.
If you have challenges finding the “intimate lookup tool” on your county’s website, you can search for one on the official police department’s website.
What Happens If You Need Help in Finding the Bail Amount Online?
Finding your relative might seem impossible when you cannot find the arrest records online. Luckily, the following offline resources can come in handy:
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The Courthouse or the Arresting Law Enforcement Authority
One effective way of knowing the defendant’s bail amount is to contact the arresting law enforcement authority, like the police department or sheriff’s office, that made the arrest and request their assistance.
Moreover, you can contact the courthouse that holds these records after arraignment (the initial court hearing following your arrest). You can find the contact details of the sheriff’s office, county courthouse, and local police department online.
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Contact Your Friendly Maywood Bail Bonds Service
The California judicial system has acquitted your bondsman. They can easily contact the courthouse and ask the appropriate questions, offering you the peace of mind you require.
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Contact Your Criminal Defense Attorney
Your defense lawyer can also access the arrest records from the courthouse and tell you. Retaining a lawyer at this point is fundamental because they will start building your case’s defense and can negotiate with the judge to reduce your bail amount cost.
How Long Does It Take for Bail Amount to Appear Online?
The set bail amount sometimes appears online after a while. Every court has its policies, and other factors affect the duration. You can expect it to take up to three days, but it can be faster.
Police Department, Courthouse, and Jail Contact Information
Maywood Police Department
Century Regional Detention Facility
Maywood Jail
East Los Angeles Courthouse
Contact a Skilled Bail Bondsman Near Me
Provided the judge does not consider you a flight risk or a threat to your community, you can bail yourself out after your arrest to secure your release. However, your options can be limited if you cannot raise the set bail amount. That is why you should consult a reputable Maywood bail bonds service provider. Bail Bonds Company understands how complicated the process of posting bail is and can guide you regardless of your arrest time or financial ability. Please contact us at 323-579-1415 to learn how we can help you and obtain your prompt release.
