When the police arrest you, they take you to jail and book you. They can either release you with a note to appear in court, release you on bail or wait for a bail hearing. The severity of your crimes will determine the course of action the police will take. During the bail hearing, the court sets bail. If you can afford to post the bail amount, you will be released but you have to attend your court hearings.
If you or your loved one has been arrested, you need to be free as soon as possible to prepare for your defense. In Sherman Oaks, the court can release you from jail after you post bail. You can post the bail in cash or use the services of a Sherman Oaks bail bonds company. At Cali Bail Bonds, we’ve built a great rapport with the law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need to post bail fast for yourself or a loved one. Read on to understand how bail bonds work in California.
If you’re arrested in California, the court can release you on bail. But how much bail does the court charge you? Each county in the state has a bail schedule that guides the judge on the amount of bail to set. The schedule outlines the bail amount for both misdemeanor and felony charges. Once the authorities arrest you, your loved one or your attorney can review the bail schedule. Doing so will give them an idea of how much bail you expect to post.
The court can release you without posting bail if you’ve been arrested for a minor offense. However, if your offense is on the schedule, the court will require you to post bail. The judge can set the bail as stated in the schedule or increase or decrease the bail amount.
When setting the bail amount, the court will consider your criminal history, a flight risk, the nature of the offense, your community ties, and other similar factors.
After an arrest, the court may release him on bail. Bail is money you pay to the court to ensure you attend all your court hearings. It’s in no way a punishment for your crimes. It only acts as a surety you’ll not skip court.
Bail is critical in the justice system because it reduces overcrowding in prisons and jail. In California, the court can release you on bail at any time of your trial. It can happen immediately or shortly after your arrest or when the court issues a sentence.
After your arrest in California, the authorities can release you without pressing charges. Or, you can be charged and released on bail. If you have been arrested, you can use the services of a Sherman Oaks Bail Bonds agent to post bail on your behalf. Lastly, you can remain in jail until the court determines your case.
When law enforcement officers arrest you, they take you to custody. They transport you to jail for booking. Sometimes, the police can release you without posting bail. Other times you‘ll have to post bail to be released from jail.
Once you arrive in jail, the police will book you. The police take your mugshots at the booking, recording your name, date of birth, and age. They will also take your figure prints. Additionally, they will also secure any property you have on you in a safe storage facility. The property can be your wallet, car keys, phone, and other similar property. Lastly, they will place you in a cell.
After your arrest and booking, three things can happen. The police can release you after they issue you with a note to appear in court. They can release you after you pay cash bail. Lastly, you might have to stay in custody until the court holds a bail hearing.
The severity of your charges usually plays a significant role in the option the police choose. If your crime is minor, like disorderly conduct or disturbing public peace, the law enforcement officers will usually release you with a written note to appear in court. If it’s a serious crime, like grand theft or arson, you will usually remain in custody until the court holds a bail hearing.
The amount of bail you’ll pay depends on the crime you’re alleged to have committed. Every county in California, including Los Angeles County, has a bail schedule. For example, in Los Angeles, the bail amount for the misdemeanor charge of Damage or Destroy Real or Personal Property is $200. In comparison, that of a felony with a maximum jail term of 9 years is $50,000. Therefore, the bail amount depends on the severity of the crime. If you’ve been arrested in Sherman Oaks for a serious crime and the court sets high bail, which you can’t afford, you should use the services of a bail bonds agent to post bail on your behalf.
The law also gives the judge leeway when it comes to setting bail. Depending on the case’s circumstances, they may increase the amount, reduce it, or set it as it is in the bail schedule. Additionally, the law also determines if you can post bail after booking or you have to wait for a bail hearing. However, federal courts don’t have a bail schedule, and it's solely upon the judge’s discretion to set bail.
In California, you must attend a bail hearing for specific charges. These charges include domestic violence, marital rape, making terrorist threats, and other similar severe felonies.
A Sherman Oaks bail bondsman or a bail bond agent is a company that posts bail on your behalf. A bails bonds company makes a profit by charging you a percentage of the bail and other related charges. For example, if the court sets your bail at $100,000, the company will charge you $1,000 for posting bail on your behalf. The fee is non-refundable, no matter the outcome of the case.
After your arrest in Sherman Oaks, California, the court can release you on bail. The court can post bail at $100,000. If you have this cash, you can pay the court, and you’ll be set free on certain bail conditions like attending all your court hearings. Usually, you pay the bail in cash. You can use a credit card, debit card, banker’s check, or other acceptable financial instruments.
Posting bail using cash is the least expensive method because you’ll receive back your cash after the court determines your case regardless of the outcome. However, the court retains a small percentage of your cash bail.
On the other hand, you may not have this kind of money. If that’s the case, you can use the services of a Sherman Oaks Bail Bonds agent. You purchase a bond from the agent, who in turn posts the bail on your behalf to secure your freedom. However, the bail bond agent will charge a premium on the bond. The bail bond cost is usually 10% to 8% of the bail as stipulated in California law. The bail bond agents also charge other related fees.
Unlike cash bail, the money you pay to the Sherman Oaks Bail Bonds agent is non -refundable despite the outcome of your case. Since bail is usually high, the bail bond agent will require you to offer collateral. The collateral can be your vehicle, property, land, house, or jewelry. The agents ask for the collateral to protect themselves from financial loss should you fail to show up in court and the court forfeits your bail. If you fail to appear for your court hearings, you forfeit your bail, and the court doesn’t refund the money. Should you fail to show up to court, the bail bonds company will sell your collateral to recover the money they posted as bail on your behalf.
If you don’t have enough collateral, you can enlist the help of your friends or relatives who can use their property as collateral on your behalf. Once you pay the bondsman the fee and they’re satisfied with the collateral, they post bail on your behalf. Most bail bond agents offer payment plans if you can’t raise the 10% fee. You can pay these fees using cash, debit card, credit card, or other financial instruments.
It’s possible to lose your cash bail should you fail to honor your court appointments. The same case applies even if you used a bail bond agent. The court will require the full bond money from the bail bond agent who posted bail on your behalf. However, before the court forfeits bail, it gives the agent a grace period to find you and bring you back to court. The bail bond agents usually use a bounty hunter to apprehend you and bring you back to the jurisdiction you were charged.
The bail bonds agents will do everything in their power to ensure you attend your hearings. They will check up on you often to ensure you’re still in the jurisdiction. Some bail bond agents require you to report with them or visit their offices often. If you refuse to attend court, they may physically take you to court. The bails bonds agents take all these steps to ensure the court doesn’t forfeit the bail.
If you fail to show up for court, the court will issue an arrest warrant. However, under certain circumstances, the court can vacate the order to forfeit the bail. The court can do so if you appear to court before 180 days are over from the date you missed your court hearing and with a good reason. For example, if you suffered severe injuries, suffered a medical condition, have medical documents to collaborate your claim, suffered a disability that prevented you from attending court, were locked up in jail in another jurisdiction, or were suffering from a mental illness.
Failing to appear to court when you are out on either a cash or bail bond isn’t a good idea, as doing so can have serious ramifications. The court can add more time to your initial sentence or charge you hefty additional fines. Worst of all, the court will nullify your bond, and you will spend time in prison until your case is over.
It doesn’t matter if you’re out on cash bail or have used the services of a Sherman Oaks Bail Bonds company to secure your release. The court doesn’t have to grant bail. In some cases, the court will deny you bail depending on the circumstances of the case.
Below are some of the factors the court considers when deciding to grant or deny you bail
The court will consider if you’re at a high risk of fleeing should it release you on bail. If you face charges with a harsh penalty like life in prison or a death sentence, the court might set a high bail amount to discourage you from fleeing. On the other hand, you’re not as likely to flee if the penalties for your charges aren’t as severe.
If you have deep community connections, the court will likely release you on a bail bond. Some community connections the court will consider are any businesses you have in the area, the presence of your family, and other similar community ties. The stronger these community ties, the less likely you will flee or fail to appear for your court case.
The court is more likely to set a lower bail amount if you're responsible for your family’s welfare. For example, if you’re the breadwinner or the primary source of income for your family, the court will most likely reduce the bail amount.
Your financial position is another factor the court considers, particularly when setting bail. If you’re wealthy and have a lot of assets, low bail won’t be a deterrent. Therefore, the court will set a high bail amount. On the other hand, if you aren’t as wealthy and have fewer assets, the court may set a lower bail amount. The court also considers your employment status while deciding whether or not to grant you bail. If you’re employed, the court might be inclined to release you on bond so that you don’t lose your job.
The severity of your crime is also a key consideration when the court is deciding your bail. The more severe the crime, the higher the bail. If you’re accused of a petty crime like being drunk and disorderly, the court can set bail at $1000 or less. For a serious offense, the bail can be as high as $50,000 or more.
PALMDALE JAIL
14545 Friar St
Unit 100A, Van Nuys, CA
Tel: 661 291 6639
DOWNEY JAIL
14545 Friar St
Unit 100A, Van Nuys, CA
Tel: 562 630 5245
VAN NUYS JAIL
6240 Sylmar Ave
Van Nuys, CA 9140
Tel: 818-374-9645
LAPD Foothill Area Jail
12760 Osborne Street
Los Angeles, California, 91331
Tel: 818-756-8865
West Valley Area Jail
19020 Vanowen Street
Los Angeles, California, 91335
Tel: 323-267-4800
VAN NUYS POLICE STATION JAIL
6240 Sylmar Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Tel: 818 538-8974
Los Angeles County Jail
14400 Erwin Street
Los Angeles, California, 91401
Tel: 818-988-5541
Valley La Jail
6240 Sylmar Avenue
Los Angeles, California, 91401
Tel: 323-267-4800
Van Nuys Courthouse West
14400 Erwin Street Mall
Van Nuys, CA 91401,
Tel: 818 989 6900
Superior Court of California - Van Nuys Courthouse East
6230 Sylmar Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91401,
Tel: 818 901 4600
Van Nuys Courthouse East - Family Law Facilitators
6230 Sylmar Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Tel: 818 901 4650
Los Angeles Superior Court Van Nuys West
14410 Erwin St
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Tel: 818 989 6900
An arrest can be a harrowing experience, and posting bail is an excellent option to secure your release from jail as fast as possible. If you are in Sherman Oaks or the surrounding areas and you’ve been arrested, you are lucky to have Cali Bail Bonds at your disposal. Let no offense or arrest bother you when attempting to secure bail to facilitate your release. Contact Cali Bail Bonds today at 562-376-5476 and access timeless bail bond services with a difference. Once you choose us, you will access the best local bail agents and the most reliable services around.
"*" indicates required fields
