An arrest can interfere with your life in very many ways. For instance, it could disrupt your working life, causing you to lose your job. It could disturb your family relations and school too. But the good news is, you don’t have to stay in custody after arrest. You could qualify for bail, which allows you temporary freedom before the conclusion of the case. Therefore, if you face an arrest in Ontario, CA, first find out if you are eligible for bail and how much you must pay for your freedom. Bail bonds dealers like Cali Bail Bonds are there to help you obtain temporary freedom after arrest; then, you can return to your family, school, or work and plan for trial.
California police will arrest and detain you if you’re under suspicion for wrongdoing or have been caught committing an offense. It could happen anywhere, whether in your workplace, home, school, church, or in the streets as you go about your business. After arrest, the police walk you through a booking process to obtain your details and check your criminal record. Your personal information, in this case, will include full names, occupation, physical address, facts of the case, and your fingerprints. It could be the most traumatizing moment of your life, mainly due to your unpreparedness.
After the booking, you will undergo your first arraignment in court. It is at this point where the judge determines if you qualify for pretrial release. Bail is the bond, money, or property you pay to the court as security for your temporary release from jail. Bail is typically high for all offenses, as its payment is meant to ensure that you appear in court as required less you forfeit the payment. Sometimes it is predetermined, but the court can increase or lower it, depending on the facts of your situation.
Some defendants are not eligible for bail. That could be so for your case if you have a record of skipping bail or you’ve been arrested for a serious felony. Sometimes the court might decide to keep you in custody until trial if you or the public members will be safer that way. But that only happens in rare cases. Therefore, the chances are high that you could qualify for release. If not, you can seek the help of a criminal attorney to help convince the court of your eligibility for bail.
Once the judge sets your bail, you’ll be required to make payment, after which the officer will let you go. You can bail yourself out of jail the same day of your arrest if you have money or property to post bail. You could even seek the help of a third party, who can post bail on your behalf and quickly process your release. The police will continue to keep you in custody until you post bail.
An arrest comes with a lot of confusion. It helps to know the bail process and your options early enough so that you can make a quick decision when that time comes. With the right kind of help, you may secure your temporary freedom soon after your initial arraignment. Then you won’t have to miss out on many things, including your job, school, or even family.
Most courts in San Bernardino county have a predetermined bail schedule, from which a defendant or their family can tell the bail they should post for the pretrial release. You can also ask the arresting officer if you qualify for bail and the exact amount you should pay for your freedom. That should enable you to prepare in time, before your first arraignment.
However, the court sets bail for most cases, which occurs during your first arraignment. The predetermined bail in the court’s schedule may not be exactly what you pay for your particular case. The judge considers the facts of the case to provide the final bail. It could be more or less than the pre-set bail, depending on how severe or otherwise your situation is. For instance, the presence of aggravating factors in your case could raise your bail.
Bail for minor misdemeanors is usually not high when compared to bail set for felonies. However, it will still be high and could be unaffordable for most defendants. Remember that bail is set high as bait to ensure that the defendant shows up in court for trial. If the amount was low, the defendant could be tempted to skip bail and forfeit the little amount than face trial and risk a conviction.
Bail for severe felonies will be high. The judge sets the high bail to discourage defendants from securing their release. It increases their chances of showing up for trial if they remain in police custody until trial. But some severe felonies could cause the judge to deny you bail. For instance, if you face charges for a violent felony and you or other people could be at risk of harm if you are granted a pretrial release, the judge may decide to keep you incarcerated until the end of the matter.
However, the law demands a speedy trial for cases like these to avoid keeping suspects in incarceration before a court determines their case. Therefore, if the judge denies you bail, he/she will set a trial date soon after your initial arraignment. If you lose the case, you’ll receive a prison sentence that will keep you incarcerated. But if you win the case, you’ll be allowed to return to your life.
If the judge sets your bail high during your first arraignment, your attorney could help have the judge reconsider his/her decision. Criminal defense attorneys fight for the rights of their clients, despite the gravity of the case. Your attorney’s focus is to ensure that your best interests are served in the end. Therefore, if your attorney presents a strong defense and convinces the court of your willingness to appear for trial, the court might reconsider its decision and lower your bail. That could make it more affordable for you and your family.
California courts do not have a specific type of bail that defendants must pay for their pretrial release. You are given several options, depending on the elements of the case. Then, you can choose the option that best suits your needs. The main options you might have after your arrest in San Bernardino County are:
A cash bond is the most common option for most defendants in California. Courts allow defendants to pay their bond in cash or through money orders, personal, cashier’s, or traveler’s checks. You can take this option if you already have enough money in the bank or quickly raise money from your family and friends. However, if you don’t have ready cash, choosing to post cash bail could prolong your stay in incarceration and delay most of your plans. That is why you have other options to choose from.
The advantage of cash bail is, you don’t lose any money in the long run. After the resolution of the case, the court will give you back the total amount. You don't incur extra costs other than court fines and additional charges related to your situation, including your attorney’s fee.
If you cannot raise enough cash to post bail, the court might be willing to accept a valuable asset as an assurance of your willingness to appear in court for trial. Property bonds can take many forms, including a title of a valuable asset you or someone else owns. It could be a home, any other real estate property, or even a vehicle. The owner of the valuable property must be willing to sign it over to the court to guarantee your pretrial release.
If someone else is providing their property as a bond, the court ensures that they understand the risk of losing the property if you fail to make a court appearance. If you appear on all court dates and the court successfully resolves your case, it will hand the property back to its rightful owner.
On rare occasions, the court might choose to release a defendant on their recognizance, assuring that the defendant is willing to attend all court sessions regarding their case. You might qualify for this pretrial release if it is your first offense or you face charges for a minor misdemeanor. The judge may consider other factors, including your chances of remaining within the court’s jurisdiction and readiness to attend trial until the end of the case. When that happens, you’ll only be required to sign the necessary documents, and the court will process your pretrial release without asking you to make any form of payment.
Surety bonds are pretty standard for most defendants in San Bernardino County. A surety bond is a form of bail posted by a third party for a defendant to secure their pretrial release and assure the court of the defendant's willingness to appear in court as required.
If you cannot afford cash or property bail, you might as well find a reliable Ontario bonds dealer that is willing to help you obtain a pretrial release, so you can return to your everyday life and plan for trial.
As previously mentioned, bail is always set high and could be unaffordable to most defendants and their families. That is where the need for a surety bond comes in. Ontario bail bonds dealers are usually willing and ready to bail their clients out of incarceration. Therefore, you can expect no delays if you wish to partner with a reliable bail bond company.
Sometimes the judge may decide to grant your pretrial release without any conditions, as in the case of recognizance release. But in most cases, anyone released on bail must abide by specific requirements during the bail period. A violation of bail conditions is an offense in itself and could cause additional penalties to the penalties you are likely to receive if convicted of the underlying crime.
The judge usually sets bail conditions according to the nature of the offense. The law requires bail conditions to be proportionate, workable, and appropriate for the crime you are alleged to commit. Here are some of the standard bail conditions you might receive if the judge grants you bail:
It is very common for the court to order you to remain at the same address you provided during your booking. It could be your home address, the home of your parents or guardian, or a close relative. If the address belongs to another person, the judge will be sure to seek the other party’s consent to allow you to remain in that address throughout the bail period.
Even after granting you bail, sometimes the judge may not be sure of your willingness to remain in the same address you provided to the court. To keep you within the court’s reach, the judge may order you to make regular reports to a police station near you. That way, the court will keep track of your whereabouts until the end of the case.
In some cases, the judge can order a defendant not to leave the house after a particular time. This condition could be given in specific cases, for instance, those involving a minor or the underlying offense that occurred at night. The judge may include a curfew on your bail conditions to reduce your chances of committing a similar or another crime.
You’ll be ordered to stay out of trouble with anyone or the police while out on bail. It means that you should be careful not to commit a crime or even be arrested during the bail period.
It could be easier for you to flee and skip trial if you don’t have a permanent job, vital relations, or anything else that could keep you in Ontario, at least for the bail period. In that case, the court will order you to find permanent employment. That way, the judge will be sure of your availability for trial when the time comes.
You might not be permitted to travel, even temporarily, while you’re out on bail. Thus, the court might order you to give up your passport or other traveling documents once you are granted bail. You will receive your documents back after the resolution of the case.
A pretrial release allows you to go on with your life even after an arrest. You won’t have to skip school, lose your job, miss days at your business, or miss time with your family. It also allows you to find evidence to help your case and make the necessary plans to defend yourself during the trial. You will have enough time to find and hire a criminal attorney, discuss the circumstances of the case and plan for defense. That is why it is necessary to find a reliable Ontario bail bond agent if the judge has granted you bail, but you cannot afford it.
An Ontario bail bondsman will speed up the release process for you. Bail bonds dealers are always ready to bail their clients out of custody with necessary documents and money. Therefore, the bail bondsman of your choice will begin the bail process soon after your call. That way, you can be sure of obtaining your freedom before losing more time.
Reliable bail bond agents in Ontario operate round the clock. They know that San Bernardino County police don’t have a particular time of the day or night when they conduct arrests. Thus, you should find help regardless of the time, whether in the morning or the dead of night.
An experienced bail bondsman in Ontario is familiar with all local jail and court processes to successfully guide you through until you are free again. You don't need to master the process yourself, which could take more time, and cause you unnecessary stress.
Ontario City Jail Information
Ontario Police Department
2500 South Archibald Avenue
Ontario, California, 91761
Phone: 909-395-2001
Ontario City Court Information
San Bernardino Superior Court
Rancho Cucamonga District, 8303 Haven Avenue
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 350-9764
An arrest in Ontario, CA, will come when you are least prepared, But you might be eligible for bail. Unfortunately, you may not afford bail or might not have valuable property to guarantee your freedom. That’s why you could need a bail bondsman to help you out. At Cali Bail Bonds, we are willing and ready to walk you through the process quickly so that you can spend as little time as possible in incarceration. Contact us at 562-376-5476. Our agent will start working on your case right away to obtain your release in the least time possible.
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