Norwalk Bail Bonds

After your arrest in California, the odds are that you must post a certain bail amount before being released from jail. While paying your bail to secure your release appears easy, it is more complicated than you presume. The procedure involves many events.

Often than not, individuals who have never navigated the justice system before don't know the next step to take when required to post bail. For example, if you face arrest for a particular crime, and the judge sets a high bail amount like $50,000, does it mean that you remain in custody if the bail amount is more than you could afford? Could your family or friends pay? Could you use a bail bonds agent to post your bail? What does the bail bond process entail?

Knowing what bail is and how it works, how judges set bail amounts, the payment options you could use, among other factors, is essential if you face arrest in Norwalk, CA. At Cali Bail Bonds, we are devoted to offering quality bail bond services when you or a loved one faces arrest. Our Norwalk bail bond agents will spring into action the moment you contact us for services.

Facing Arrest, Jail-Booking, Determining Bail Amounts and the California Justice System

Per California law, bail refers to a criminal suspect’s release after their arrest, before court hearings, or trial.  Bail could - even though not every time - involve the arrestee posting bail in court. By paying your bail, you assure the court that you would return for the rest of the court proceedings. Also, note that bail is not a penalty the court imposes before the court finds you guilty of your alleged offense. But, bail is a means to make sure that you show up in court without you remaining in jail until trial.

Bail plays a crucial part in the justice system. It limits the jail space required and ensures that criminal defendants will appear in court during hearings. In addition, arrestees could walk out of jail on bail at any stage of the case. For instance, immediately after your arrest or after the judge has sentenced you.

Typically, after facing an arrest, three things could happen, including you are released on your own recognizance, you face criminal charges and walk out of jail after posting bail, or you face charges and stay in jail until sentencing.

Facing Arrest

When law enforcers arrest you for a crime, they take you into custody. Typically, you are taken to a detention facility for a booking process. At times, the police could release suspects without filing charges. However, if the law enforcers file charges, the arrestee must stay in jail until they walk out on bail, the court sentences you, or the judge resolves the case.

Booking Process

Booking refers to an administrative procedure that the police do after your arrest. During the booking process, the law enforcers do various tasks like:

• Taking your photo
• Recording your personal information like name, age, and date of birth
• Taking your fingerprints
• Taking your personal property and keeping them safe
• Performing a background search for any warrants of arrest against you
• Doing a health checkup or assessment
• Placing you in a jail cell

Post-Arrest Detainment and Release Before Trial

After the law enforcement officers arrest and book you, one of the following things could ensure:

• The arresting officer could release you with a written notice to show up in court.
• The police could release you after you post the required bail amount.
• Law enforcement could detain you until the court holds your bail hearing.

California law determines the options that could apply in a particular situation. Generally, arrests for lesser crimes like petty theft or disorderly conduct could often lead to walking out of jail with a written notice to attend court dates. However, more serious offenses like serious violent crimes could lead to you staying in jail until the court holds your bail hearing.

Bail Hearing

When the court holds your bail hearing, the judge determines the bail amount for your particular crime. However, judges do not always allow bail. The judge could deny you bail if the state law approves. When they set your bail amount or denies you bail, it considers various factors, including:

• Public Safety — If walking out of jail poses a health or safety risk to the public, the judge could deny you bail. For example, when facing charges for conspiring to commit terrorist acts, the court could deny your bail. The bail denial is because you could post a risk to the community.
• The seriousness of the Criminal Offense — Generally, a more serious offense could attract a higher bail amount than a less serious offense. For instance, if accused of a minor theft offense, your bail could be $1,000 or less. However, if charged with a serious offense like murder, your bail amount could be thousands, if not hundreds of dollars.
• Court history and Criminal Record — If your court history shows a trend of failing to attend court dates, your bail amount could be higher than first-time offenders. For instance, if the court has granted you bail many times before, but you have flouted bail conditions or refused to show up in court, the judge could impose a higher bail amount than that for a defendant with zero prior records of skipping court dates. The court could also decide to deny you bail entirely.
• Income and Assets — If you are wealthy with many assets, a low bail amount may not seem like a deterrent. However, if you have fewer assets, you could be easily affected by bail amounts outside your financial muscle.
• Family Obligations — Courts and judges alike are more likely to impose a lower bail amount if you are a breadwinner or many other individuals are dependent on you.
• Community Connections — If you have strong connections or links to a community, for instance, you own a local business, or your entire family is located within the area, you are less likely to flee or jump bail than a visitor.
• Flight Risk — You could be deemed a higher flight risk than other defendants. For instance, when facing charges that could attract death or longer imprisonment sentences, you are deemed a flight risk more than those facing lesser crimes.

Bail Conditions

Apart from setting the bail amount that you should pay before walking out of jail, the judge could impose extra limitations on you when determining your bail. These limitations are the same as those imposed on defendants the court finds guilty of offenses and posts to probation. Flouting bail conditions could result in law enforcers taking the suspect back to jail, and the court forfeits any bail that you had posted.

Below are common Norwalk bail conditions:

• Firearms Restrictions — Bail conditions could require that you refrain from owning firearms, even if your offense never involved firearm use.
• Substance Abuse — Norwalk bail conditions, particularly those for driving under the influence of drugs and controlled substances abuse crimes, normally require that you stay away from using alcohol and other drugs.
• Travel Restrictions — The court does not allow suspects released on bail to leave the city or county unless the pretrial services officer or the judge specifically allows the suspect.
• Employment — The judge could require you to maintain employment status when released on bail. If you are unemployed, the judge could require that you find a job while out of jail on bail.
• Restraining Orders — In criminal cases where you are accused of domestic violence, stalking, or issuing threats, the judge could impose a restraining order. A restraining or no-contact order requires that you don't contact the alleged crime victims.
• Pretrial Check-In — If you are out of jail on bail, you must make frequent check-ins with a pretrial service or probation officer. These offices monitor suspects before trial to ensure compliance to orders or bail conditions the court imposes.

Norwalk Bail Types

It is not uncommon for people to associate bail with particular cash amounts. Like many people, you could presume that you could pay bail and secure your release after your arrest. However, the bail payment process is usually hard to navigate, especially when you must post a huge bail amount.

Below are the various Norwalk bail types that you could encounter:

1.  Bail Bond/ Surety Bond

A bail bond refers to the bail payment a bail bonds agent makes on your behalf before you can walk out of jail. Also known as bond dealers, bail bond agents are in the business of post bail bond on behalf of arrestees’. For example, if you face an arrest for a California crime and cannot raise your bail amount, you could use a bail bonds company and pay them a percentage of your bail amount, and they act as a surety. Your bondsman will then tell the court that they will post the total bond amount should you refuse to show up in court.

Bail bond companies make profits by collecting a fee from defendants who want to be released from jail. Typically, the fee is 10% to 15% of the bail amount. Therefore, if the court sets your bail amount at $20,000, you could pay the bail bonds company $2,000, and the agent will act as a surety on your behalf. Your Norwalk bonds dealer requires that you provide collateral as security against the bond. They also require that you sign an agreement after submitting the collateral.

2.  Property or Secured Bond

A property or secured bond is a bail type in which you provide the court with a security interest in the property equal to your bail bond. A security interest refers to the legal right to possess a given property the owner offers to the secured party. Should you fail to appear in court, it could seize the property you provided as collateral to recover your bail amount.

3.  A Signature or Unsecured Bond

Also known as a signature bond, an unsecured bond applies after a bail hearing, but you don't have to post the bail amount to walk out of jail. You sign an agreement saying that you must post the entire bail amount should you skip court dates.

4.  Being Released on Own Recognizance

At times, the court releases you on your own personal or own recognizance (PR and OR consecutively). After the court releases you, you must show up during court sessions and obey all bail conditions the judge sets.

5.  Cash Bond

Often that not, law enforcers release arrested suspects after they pay cash bonds. However, if you cannot raise the bail, your friend or relative could post the bail amount on your behalf. Normally, your local bail schedule in Norwalk determines the cash bond. As long as the payer has enough money that covers the whole bail amount, you could be released from police custody.

A sentence or Post-conviction Bail

In many circumstances, bail is applicable even after you are sentenced or convicted of an offense. Normally, when the court sentences you to prison, you must start servicing your time immediately. For instance, if the court convicts a defendant for a seven-year prison term, the police will take you to a jail or prison facility to start serving your sentence.

Also, the court could release you on bail after your sentencing or conviction if you file an appeal. For instance, if the court sentences you to seven years in prison but with your lawyer’s help, you file an appeal after the sentencing, the judge could grant you bail and release you from jail on bail until the appellate court hears your appeal.

Bail Payment Processes

Every jurisdiction entails its regulations and rules on determining bail, defendants eligible for release on bail, and bail payment processes. Normally, the bail payment procedure needs someone to go to a particular place like a courthouse or jail. Then, a clerk, cashier, or other officers at the location receive bail payments.

The payer should provide particular information to the clerk, including your name, the booking or case number, and the bail amount you should post. Note that the clerk could access a defendant’s information and know the bail amount they should post. After knowing the required bail amount, the payer posts it.

After the payer has posted bail to the clerk, the detention officials receive a notification of the same and release the arrestee from jail. The bail payment occurs faster in many circumstances as the clerk’s office sits within the detention facility. In particular circumstances, it could take many hours before you could walk out of jail.

Normally, bail is posted in cash or using various payment options, including money orders, traveler’s checks, cashier’s checks, certified checks, debit cards, or credit cards. Note that amounts acceptable are different from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Norwalk Jail and Court Information

Jail Information

Norwalk Police Department
1 Monroe St, Norwalk,
CT 06854, United States
+1 203-854-3000

Norwalk Jail
2335 Civic Center Drive, Norwalk,
California 90650
+1 562-863-8711

Court Information

Norwalk Probate Court
125 East Ave, Norwalk,
CT 06851, United States
+1 203-854-7737

84 West Ave, Norwalk,
CT 06854, United States
+1 203-606-9549

Find a Norwalk Bail Bonds Agent Near Me

Like the other California justice system elements, understanding bail could be more complicated than you might think. Bail amounts could involve a lot of cash and detrimental financial repercussions, even in ideal situations. Knowing your bail options and ensuring you are well protected requires that you engage an attorney and bail bonds company. andA lawyer’s legal counsel ensures you make informed decisions and your bail bonds agents ensure you walk out of jail fast without breaking the bank. At Cali Bail Bonds, we offer various bail bond services to help you or your loved one secure a fast release after arrests. If you face arrest in Norwalk, contact our able bail bond agents at 562-376-5476. Fast, efficient, and around-the-clock services are what you enjoy!