Have you or your loved one just been arrested? If yes, we understand the depression, stress, and trauma you are undergoing. This is why we at the Cali Bail Bonds are here to help you.
We know there are numerous Los Angeles bail bond agents. This makes it difficult to choose the best among them.
We at Cali Bail Bonds have extensive experience in helping defendants secure their freedom. We offer different types of affordable bail bonds. We have a reliable and efficient customer service team dedicated to ensuring you secure your freedom as fast as possible. We are available 24/7. Call us today to jumpstart your bail bond application process.
Simply put, bail bonds are security you give to the court to guarantee that you will attend court proceedings even if you have been released. There are different types of bail bonds.
The term ‘bail’ refers to money you pay at the courthouse to guarantee your freedom. On the other hand, ‘bond’ refers to any form of security you provide at the courthouse to guarantee your freedom. This security may be your car, company shares, life insurance policy, or house.
It is the judge that decides whether you will pay bail or provide bond. Note that under the United States Constitution, you have a right to be released on bail or bond regardless of the nature or seriousness of the criminal offense you have been charged with.
No one plans on being arrested. However, if you get arrested, you must know what will happen next. This will help you prepare the best way to secure your freedom and fight your charges.
When you are arrested, the police must read out to you your Miranda rights. They should explain why you are being arrested, your right to remain silent and contact an attorney, and the consequences of not remaining silent. If they don't do so, you can challenge the constitutionality of the arrest with the help of an attorney.
Moreover, the police should not search you or your property during arrest unless they produce a search warrant. Evidence acquired in searches conducted without a warrant is inadmissible. Suppose the police conduct a search on you or your property during arrest without a warrant. In that case, your attorney can apply for an expungement hearing to have the evidence acquired during the search removed from the court record. As a result, the prosecution will be left with insufficient evidence, and you will be acquitted.
You will be taken to the police station after you have been arrested. There, you will be booked. You will then be locked up inside a cell. While locked up, you will be allowed to see and talk to your family members, friends, and attorney. It would help if you used this opportunity to organize how you can get back your freedom. You will be arraigned in court within 24 hours from when you were arrested.
During the arraignment, you will be asked to take a plea. There are two types of pleas that you can take: guilty and not guilty. Your attorney is best placed to advise you which plea you should take.
After you have taken a plea, the judge will decide whether you should be released on bail or bond. Although being released on bail or bond is a constitutional right, the judge may refuse to release you on bail or bond if:
If the judge decides that you should be released on bail or bond, he/she will determine the amount of bail you should pay. This bail amount will be commensurate with the nature and seriousness of the criminal charges you are facing.
Sometimes, the judge may impose extremely high bail amounts. In such situations, the best thing to do is to appeal the judge’s decision on the bail amount.
You may post bail and get back your freedom. Unfortunately, the judge may increase your bail amount even after you have been released.
However, the judge can only increase your bail amount with sufficient cause. For instance, the prosecutor might have pressed more charges against you or come across new evidence that aggravates your case. Regardless of whether or not the judge increases your bail amount, we can help you post the amount of bail needed to secure your freedom.
The following are the different types of bail bonds available in Los Angeles:
Here is a brief explanation of each of them:
In a surety bond, your close family member or friend enters into a binding agreement with the court to secure your freedom. In this agreement, your friend or family member guarantees that you will attend court proceedings. This friend or close family member is normally referred to as a ‘surety.’
To be eligible as a ‘surety,’ your friend or family member should meet the following requirements:
If you are a non-citizen and have been arrested, you will have to post immigration bail bonds to secure your freedom. Typically, immigration bail bonds are more expensive than other bail bond types. This is because the judge believes that it is easy for you to flee.
It is difficult to get an immigration bail bonds agent in Los Angeles. However, we at Cali Bail Bonds offer affordable immigration bail bonds to non-citizens who have been arrested.
You may opt to use property bonds to secure your freedom. Here, you will surrender the title documents of your property to the court. For instance, you may leave your car logbook at the courthouse. If you fail to attend court proceedings, you will forfeit your property, and the court can sell it.
Property bonds may be the ideal choice for you if you have valuable property that you are willing to surrender its title documents to the court in exchange for your freedom. If you do not have such property, it would be best if you opt for cash bail.
If you have been arrested for committing a federal offense, you'd have to post federal bail bonds to secure your freedom. Typically, federal bail bonds are expensive, and most bail bonds agents are unwilling to help you post them.
We at Cali Bail Bonds can help you post federal bail bonds. We offer them at an affordable price too.
Sometimes, the court may order you to pay a certain amount of money in exchange for your freedom. This money you pay into court is usually referred to as 'cash bail.'
Cash bail is the most common type of bail bonds in Los Angeles. The amount of money you will pay as cash bail will depend on the nature and seriousness of the offense you have been charged with. If you cannot pay the cash bail by yourself, it would be best to seek the help of a reputable bail bonds agent.
Sometimes, you may be released on your own recognizance. This is especially if you have been arrested for a less serious offense.
Typically, it is the police who release defendants on their own recognizance. But, in some cases, the judge may also release you on your own recognizance.
You qualify to be released on your own recognizance if you can prove the following:
If you are released on your own recognizance, you will not be required to post bail to secure your freedom.
If you have been caught violating a traffic rule, the police officer will issue you a citation. You will be expected to appear before court at a later date.
If you don't, you will face additional criminal charges for failing to appear. If you are issued a citation, you don't have to post bail to secure your freedom.
Remember, you can post bail by yourself or use a bail bonds agent. It is the court that determines how much money you will pay as bail.
Typically, bail is posted at the courthouse. However, in some cities, you may be permitted to pay bail at the police station. If the court had ordered you to have a surety, the surety would have to leave copies of his/her identification documents at the courthouse.
Sometimes, the judge may impose on you certain conditions that you must observe when released on bail. Some of these conditions include:
Note that you'd have to attend all court proceedings after being released on bail. If you cannot attend any court proceedings for any reasonable cause, it would be best to notify the court. However, if you have hired a criminal defense attorney, he/she can attend these court proceedings on your behalf.
If you absent yourself from court proceedings without a reasonable excuse, you will be arrested. Moreover, you will forfeit the bail amount. If you had a surety, the surety will be arrested or may be asked to account for your absence. Sometimes, your surety may choose to stop being one. In such situations, you will be forced to look for a new surety. Note that you will also be arrested if you violate any of the bail conditions. If you are arrested for absconding court proceedings or violating bail conditions, you will stay in jail until your case is concluded.
Bail bonds agents make it easy to post bail. As a result, you or your loved one will get back your freedom more quickly. Here is why you should choose a bail bonds agent:
You may be wondering how bail bonds agents work. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how we work:
Sometimes, we may require you to provide some form of collateral. We accept any of the following as collateral:
Our bail bond application process is seamless and efficient. With our help, your loved one will be able to secure his/her freedom quickly.
There are numerous jails in Los Angeles. It can be difficult to know which among them your loved one is. Some of the most popular jails include:
The Twin Towers Correctional Facility is the largest known jail in the world. It covers an impressive 1.5 million square feet and houses over 3,500 inmates.
Do not be stressed out if you do not know which jail your loved one is in. Remember, your bail bonds agent can help you find out the whereabouts of your loved one.
Your loved one will be most likely arraigned at the courthouse nearest to the jail or where the offense was committed. There are many courthouses in Los Angeles, such as:
We at Cali Bail Bonds are here to help you secure the freedom of your loved one. Call us today at 562-376-5476 to process your bail application fast if you are arrested in the Los Angeles area.