Having a loved one arrested and in jail is very stressful. You feel hopeless, especially if you need help understanding the court processes or anyone who can help them. Fortunately, criminal courts allow bail releases to enable defendants to attend trial from home. It means your loved one will not remain incarcerated for long. But you must guarantee their court appearances with a large sum of money.
If you want to help a loved one out of jail and their bail is too expensive for you, consider seeking the help of a bondsman. At Bail Bonds, we are highly recommended for defendants in Desert Hot Springs. We can work quickly to locate your loved one in jail and process their release. That way, they can soon come back home and return to their usual lives as if the arrest did not happen.
Reasons to Pay Bail
An arrest is very disruptive. When the police have a warrant for your arrest, they will do it immediately after they locate you, whether at home, on the streets, at work, or at school. The arresting officer does not allow you time to wind up what you were doing or even say goodbye to your loved ones. Sadly, even the police cannot tell you how long you will be in jail. The uncertainty is very stressful, especially if you will likely miss a lot because of the arrest. Some people lose their jobs, business opportunities, and family bonds due to arrests.
Thus, you should seriously consider a way to help your loved one after their arrest. Think of the time they will likely be in police custody and what they could lose within that period. Think of their people at home and suffering, especially if the defendant is a family person. Consider the possibility of being terminated at their workplace or missing classes and substantial time in school. Paying bail for your arrested loved one can help them return to their lives without losing so much time. It can only be hours before they are out on bail.
Bail also allows them to prepare for trial. If left in police custody until trial, your loved one will not have a chance to gather evidence, look for eyewitnesses, and hire an attorney to help them with the case. A bail release allows them to prepare well for trial. It makes the entire court process fair, even for the accused. Once out on bail, they can look for a competent attorney to represent them in court. They can also seek advice and weigh their options to improve their chances of success. They also have the opportunity to return to the alleged crime scene to gather evidence and look for and interview possible eyewitnesses.
Bail releases are also good for the criminal justice system. The system does not have enough holding cells for all the defendants the police arrest daily. Jails and cells would be very congested if every arrestee remained in police custody pending trial. The justice system will also be overworked, costing taxpayers more money to keep it operational. Besides, the law only allows detention for people guilty of criminal charges. Before trial, the defendant is deemed innocent. The police have no right to keep your loved one in custody until a court declares them guilty.
The Bail Process After Arrest
When the police arrest a suspected offender, they must take the offender to the police station for processing or booking. The booking process entails recording the defendant’s details (like their name, date of birth, and address), mugshots, and fingerprints. This information is entered into the police record. The officer conducting the booking process will also review previous records to verify the defendant’s criminal history. That information helps the prosecutor determine the actual charges based on the details of the current violation. The officer will finally keep the defendant in jail, awaiting the judge’s communication.
The district attorney files criminal charges in court immediately after they receive your loved one’s file from the police. Soon after, the judge will hold the initial hearing for the defendant. In the initial hearing, your loved one will answer their charges. The judge will set a trial date if they enter a no-contest or not-guilty plea. Then, the bail matter will follow.
The judge will first establish your loved one's suitability for bail. They will consider the defendant’s criminal history, the circumstances of the case, and their flight risk. The judge will grant bail if your loved one’s criminal history is not severe and they have strong community ties (like a family, permanent job, or business).
The judge will also set the bail amount according to the local bail schedule, the case details, and your loved one’s criminal history. Judges use an existing bail schedule to determine the bail amount for a particular misdemeanor or felony. But that amount is usually not permanent. The judge can increase or decrease it when setting a defendant’s bail. The judge can increase their bail if your loved one has a serious criminal history. Bail amounts for misdemeanors are lower than for felonies. Also, a serious or violent felony will have a higher bail than a non-violent felony.
Your Bail Payment Options
Once the judge sets the bail, they will give your loved one payment options according to your ability to pay. The first option is usually cash bail, whereby the defendant pays the full bail to the court to start the bail release process. Cash bail works well for defendants with enough cash to pay the entire bail. The process is also seamless. The court keeps full bail until the conclusion of the case. If your loved one does not violate their bail release, the court will return full bail to the defendant, regardless of their case outcome. But if they fail to appear and the court forfeits bail, the defendant does not receive a dime after the case.
Your loved one’s other option would be a property bond. This type of bond is suitable for defendants or families that do not have enough money to pay cash bail but have valuable property they can use to guarantee their court appearances. The court will appraise the property to ensure its value is slightly more than the required bail amount. They will also verify the property documents to ensure that they are legitimate. If everything works well, the court will keep the property documents until after the case. Regardless of its outcome, you will receive those documents after the case. But the court will forfeit the property bond if your loved one violates their bail release.
Your loved one’s third and most popular bail option today is a surety bond. You need the financial help of a third company to pay a surety bond to secure your loved one’s release after an arrest. Surety bonds are for defendants and families that cannot afford bail. If you lack the financial ability to help your loved one out of jail, you can contact a reliable Desert Hot Springs bail bondsman for help. Since bondsmen are always prepared for eventualities like these, processing a defendant’s release from jail does not take time. But first, you must understand how these companies work and what is expected of you or your loved one.
Requirements for Desert Hot Springs Bail Bonds
If your loved one’s bail is more than you can afford, leaving them in jail until the case’s conclusion is still not a good idea. Remember how much they will likely lose if so much time passes before returning to their accustomed life. Thus, criminal courts allow defendants to seek the help of third-party companies to secure their pretrial release. Bail bondsmen offer financial assistance and guidance to ensure your loved one goes through a seamless court process until their case’s conclusion.
But you must reach out to them right after your loved one’s arrest. That way, your preferred Desert Hot Springs bail bondsman will start the bail process immediately to avoid delays that could prolong the defendant’s stay in police detention. You must also provide your loved one’s identifying details to make it easy for the bondsman to locate them in a local jail.
The bondsman can ask you to be the defendant’s co-signer for the bond service. As a cosigner, you will ensure that your loved one abides by all the bail conditions the judge gives them before their bail release. For example, you must ensure they attend all court processes related to the case. If that does not happen, the court can forfeit their bail. That means that the bondsman will bear the total cost.
The bondsman could also ask you to offer collateral for the Desert Hot Springs bail bonds service. The bondsman will use the collateral to recover its money if your loved one violates their bail and the court forfeits it. The bondsman will give you several options for valuable property as collateral. Unlike courts, bail bondsman accept all kinds of property, including art collections, jewelry, vehicles, real estate properties, and other valuable assets.
Once you meet all the requirements, the bondsman will start the process. It will be minutes before your loved one is out of police detention.
The Bail Process When Working With a Desert Hot Springs Bail Bondsman
It is advisable to look for an affordable bail bondsman immediately after your loved one’s arrest in Desert Hot Springs. That way, you will be well-prepared when the time to post their bail comes. That will also save you time and minimize the time your loved one will remain in police custody. Remember that the longer they stay in incarceration, the more they will likely lose in life.
Once the judge sets bail and allows your loved one to secure their release, you can begin the bail process with the chosen bondsman. Contact them online or through a phone call. Bail bondsmen offer great flexibility because you do not need to visit their offices to start the process. The bondsman will ask for the name, age, address, and case details of your loved one. They will also need to know where the police are holding the defendant. If you do not have complete information, the bondsman will use their close connection with local jails and courts to find your loved one.
The bondsman will require you to pay a premium for the bond service before they can start the process. Typically, bail bondsmen have a 10% charge for their service. Some companies charge more than that, while others charge a lower rate. You can negotiate a lower premium to make the service even more affordable. The premium doubles up as the bondsman fee. Therefore, you will not be charged more in the future.
A reliable Desert Hot Springs bail bondsman will allow the defendant to pay in installments if the premium is still higher. They can make a down payment and then pay the remaining amount over an agreed period. Bail bondsmen also allow convenience in payment options. You can opt for the most convenient payment method.
Bail bondsmen are available throughout the day and night. You are assured of finding help even if your loved one is arrested at night or over the weekend.
Jail Information
Palm Springs Jail
Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
Court Information
California Superior, Riverside County - Palm Springs Courthouse
Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
Find Reliable Desert Hot Springs Bail Bonds Near Me
When someone you love is arrested, you must do everything possible to bring them back home. Fortunately, the law allows bail payment as one way a suspected offender can be released pending trial. But you must secure their release by paying a particular amount as bail. The problem is that their bail can be expensive. If so, you can opt for a bail bondsman’s help.
At Bail Bonds, we are always available for all defendants in Desert Hot Springs. We believe suspected offenders must not be held in police custody until declared guilty. Besides, your loved one needs time to plan for trial and obtain evidence to strengthen their case. We quickly process our clients’ bail releases to minimize their custody time. Contact us at 323-579-1415 for more information about our bond service.
