Facing an arrest in California can be a traumatizing encounter. The thought of spending time behind bars can take a toll on you, both emotionally and mentally. Fortunately, defendants in California can secure their release pending criminal cases by posting bail. Posting bail assures the court that you will not flee after your early release.
The judge sets your bail during your first court appearance by considering the nature of your charges and the different factors of your case. Before securing your release, you must post the bail to the court clerk in cash or property. Due to the high bail amounts set by California courts, many defendants opt for bail bonds. This type of release involves contacting a bail bonds company that posts your bail at a fee.
At Bail Bonds, we understand the impact of sitting behind bars after an arrest in Ventura. Our Ventura bail bondsmen are available 24/7 to offer the financial assistance and expert guidance you need throughout the bail process.
An Overview of Bail in California
After your arrest and booking, the court will hold a bail hearing where the judge determines the amount you need to post as bail. Bail is money paid to the court for a release pending criminal case. By posting bail, you assure the court that you will appear on the scheduled court dates.
The judge sets your bail by referring to the bail schedules. The bail schedule lists different offenses and recommended bail amounts for each. Often, these offenses are classified as felonies and misdemeanors.
If a warrant accompanies your arrest, you can pay the amount on the schedule for your offense. However, for most defendants, the judge increases or reduces the bail amounts depending on the following factors:
Your Criminal History
Your criminal history is critical not only when sentencing but also when setting bail. The court can set a high bail amount if you have an extensive criminal history or past convictions. This is because having an extensive criminal record indicates a disregard for the legal system.
Flight Risk
The main purpose of posting bail is to assure the court that you will attend all your scheduled court proceedings. Your flight risk is the likelihood of fleeing after posting bail to avoid the consequences of your crimes. Defendants with a high flight risk will require a high bail amount to secure a release.
The court will determine your flight risk by assessing the strength of your community ties. Community ties could include family or employment obligations.
Community Safety
Posting bail allows defendants to continue their lives while the trial continues. While this could significantly benefit the defendant, the court must ensure the safety of other individuals in the community. The court could set a high bail amount if you threaten public safety.
Whether or not you threaten community safety is determined by the nature of your offense and your past conduct.
Strength of the Case
If the prosecution has strong evidence against you, the court may set a high bail for your release. This is because having a strong case increases the likelihood of a conviction, which could motivate you to skip bail.
Benefits of Posting Bail
Securing a bail release is optional. However, failing to post bail means that a defendant will remain behind bars until the outcome of their case is determined. Some of the benefits of posting bail include:
Retain Your Job
With the increased number of arrests in California daily, your case may take weeks or even months to resolve. So, if you remain in jail while you wait for your trial, your employer may not excuse you from work, which could result in a loss of employment.
The financial obligations associated with an arrest are immense. These include paying for a bail bond, supporting your family, and hiring legal representation. For this reason, you cannot afford to lose your job. Therefore, you must post bail and continue with your work life.
Spend Time with Family
An arrest can be a traumatizing experience for you and your family. The anticipation of the outcome and the fear of facing a conviction can take a toll on your mental well-being. If you do not post bail, you can remain in jail away from your family while the court schedules trials and other proceedings.
While you navigate the complex legal systems, you will need support from your family. This could be challenging if you are still in jail. Therefore, posting bail and securing an early release is essential to ensuring you spend time with your family and friends before the trial.
Prepare for Your Defense
You should hire a criminal defense attorney to guide your case when you are arrested and charged with a criminal offense. Meeting with your attorney to discuss the details of your case while behind bars could be challenging. Jail cells are under surveillance, and the information you discuss with your attorney can be used against you.
When you post bail and secure a release, you can comfortably meet your attorney and prepare for the defense.
Avoid the Stigma of Spending Time Behind Bars
Jail is not an ideal place for anyone. Staying locked up while you await your trial and court proceedings can cause mental anguish and stigma. Therefore, posting bail and staying home with your family while the court schedules your trial is critical to maintaining your mental well-being.
Bail Bonds
A bail bond is an agreement between a defendant, a surety company, and the court. The surety company posts bail for the defendant and takes responsibility for ensuring that the defendant appears in court for trial. When you face an arrest, you can contact a local Ventura bail bonds company and ask for their help.
The company will send a bail bondsman to investigate your eligibility for the bail bond and offer assistance throughout the bail process. When you contact the surety company, you should inform them of the underlying criminal charges and the amount of bail required.
When the bail bonds company offers to help you bail a defendant out of jail, the bail bond co-signer will sign a contract agreeing to shoulder the financial responsibility for the bail bond. Additionally, you must promise to ensure that the defendant does not skip bail.
Unlike cash bail, you are not responsible for the entire bail amount when you post a bail bond. Instead, you will pay a service fee of up to 10% of the total bail amount. Due to the high bail amounts set by California courts, the premium fee could be too high for a defendant to raise in one installment.
You can enter a bail bond repayment plan if you cannot pay the full premium fee before your loved one's release. With this type of agreement, you can pay a portion of the premium and the rest in affordable installments. This arrangement helps ensure that even low-income individuals can secure a release.
Benefits of Hiring a Venture Bail Bonds Company
Posting a bail bond offers numerous benefits for defendants who face arrest and detention in California, including:
Faster Release from Jail
California courts often set high bail amounts, even for minor offenses. For this reason, many defendants and their families cannot raise the amount needed to secure a bail release on short notice. Bail bond companies have the financial capacity to quickly post bail for your loved one when you seek their assistance. A fast release ensures the defendant does not spend unnecessary time behind bars.
Bail Bonds Save You Money
When you post cash bail, the court requires you to present the full bail amount to the clerk before securing a release. However, when you seek the help of a Ventura bail bondsman, you will be responsible for 10% of the bail amount, lowering your financial burden. With a bail bond, most defendants can secure a release from jail with a pending trial.
You Receive Expert Guidance
The role of a Ventura bail bondsman does not end when they post your loved one's bail and have them released from jail. In addition to financial assistance, bail bondsmen offer the expert guidance you need to navigate the bail process. This is done by guiding the defendant to ensure they follow all the bail conditions and informing you of the bail progress to make the process less strenuous.
The Arrest Remains Discrete
When you post high cash bail in California, the judge or prosecution could be suspicious of the source of the bail funds. This will expose you to financial scrutiny. When you are under financial investigation, people will find out about the arrest, which exposes your personal affairs.
Frequently Asked Questions on Bail Bonds
Learning that your loved one has been arrested is a traumatizing experience. The situation will be more nerve-wracking if you are the person sitting behind bars. While you can be released with a pending trial by posting bail, securing a bail release is complicated, making many defendants and their families unsure of the steps to take for the bail release. The following are frequently asked questions on bail in California:
What Happens To The Money I Use For Bail?
In California, bail is not a penalty for your crimes. Therefore, the fate of your bail money will depend on whether you appear for trial and when your case ends. There are two main ways in which your bail money can be handled, including:
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Bail Exoneration
A bail exoneration is a process of recovering the money you used for bail. Often, this will occur when your case ends. You can recover the amount in cash, property, or bail bonds, whether you face a conviction or your case is dismissed.
Often, the court will refund the bail money to the payer a few weeks after the case ends. Some of the conditions you must meet for a bail exoneration include:
- You attend your trial and other court proceedings.
- You follow through with the bail conditions set by the judge at your bail hearing.
If you paid your bail in cash, you can collect a check from the court when the case ends. If you post a bail bond, the Ventura bail bonds company will collect their money from the court and release the property or item you used as collateral.
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Bail Forfeiture
Bail forfeiture is the loss of your bail money to the court. The court will forfeit your bail if you or the defendant for whom you posted the bail fails to return to court for trial. Additionally, you can suffer forfeiture if you violate the bail conditions set by the court. If you post bail in cash, you will lose the full amount.
However, for defendants who use a bail bond, the court may give the Ventura bail bondsman some time to find a defendant and bring them back to court before forfeiting the bail. In this case, the surety company will hire a bounty hunter to arrest the defendant and avoid losing the bail money.
Who is a Bounty Hunter?
A bounty hunter is a private investigator who locates defendants who have skipped bail and returns them to court. Often, bounty hunters are hired by bail bond companies who do not want to lose their money to the court in a bail forfeiture. Most bounty hunters are retired investigators or law enforcement officers. This makes it easy for them to locate a defendant and arrest them.
Like bail bondsmen, bounty hunters must be licensed to offer their services in the state. The licensing comes after extensive training, making them appeal to bail bond companies. If you skip bail, the bounty hunter has a right to use different investigative techniques and to arrest you.
What Is A Bail Bond Co-Signer?
When a person is arrested and detained in California, they may not take the necessary steps to secure a bail bond release. However, a friend or loved one can secure their release by contacting a surety company on their behalf. A bail bond co-signer is an individual who seeks a bail bond for another person.
As a bail bond co-signer, you will have the following responsibilities:
- Ensure the defendant appears in court for trial and other proceedings. When you seek a bail bond for a loved one or friend, you must ensure they attend all court proceedings.
- Pay all the bail bond costs. When you co-sign a bail bond for someone else, you must pay the bond premium and provide collateral.
Can The Court Deny My Bail?
Yes. Not all defendants can secure a bail release in California. Sometimes, the court will order that a defendant be detained without bail. If you are held without bail, you will remain in jail until the outcome of your case is determined. Some of the reasons for bail denial include:
- You are charged with a capital offense. If you are accused of a crime punishable by life imprisonment or capital punishment, the judge can deny your bail.
- You face charges for a violent sex crime. Defendants facing charges for violent sex crimes are considered threats to the community. For this reason, the court may hold you without bail.
- You are a threat to another person. If the court determines through your past conduct that you are a threat to another person, you could be denied bail.
- You are a flight risk. If you are likely to skip bail, the court can hold you without bail. At the bail hearing, you are responsible for proving that you will not flee after release.
Detention centers around Ventura, CA, include:
Ventura County Jail Todd Road Facility
600 Todd Rd.
Santa Paula, CA 93060
Ventura County Pre-trial Detention Facility
800 S Victoria Ave.
Ventura, CA, 93003
The following are courts serving Ventura, CA:
Ventura County Government Center, Hall of Justice
Court of Appeal
200 E Santa Clara St., STE 200
Ventura, CA 93001
Find Expert Bail Bond Services Near Me
If you are arrested and detained for committing a crime in California, you must post bail to secure a release before trial. Although posting bail is optional, remaining in jail can interfere with your family's timed impact on your job. With enough financial resources, posting bail in cash is the fastest way to secure a release.
However, arrests are unexpected, so securing the amount needed for bail on short notice is challenging. For this reason, most defendants opt to secure a bail bond. This involves contacting a surety company, which will offer the money you need for bail and guide you through the release.
You will be responsible for up to 10% of the total bail in exchange for their services. Opting for a bail bond will lower your financial burden and ensure a quick release for your loved one. If you or your loved one sits behind bars because of a lack of bail money in Ventura, CA, you will benefit from the top-notch services we offer our clients at Bail Bonds. Contact us at 323-579-1415 to discuss your bail needs.
