Bail Bondsman in Arcadia, CA

JR’s Bail Bonds Arcadia – 24/7 Bail Bond Services

Understanding Bail

After an arrest, your first thought is probably how to secure your release. After you get booked in custody, you will go for your initial appearance, where you can request a bail hearing.

During this hearing, a judge will decide if you qualify for bail. If you qualify, they will set the bail amount depending on your charges (this is usually stipulated in the county’s bail schedule, as we will cover below). Even if you manage to pay your bail before seeing a judge, there might still be arguments about what amount is fair and the conditions, which the court will sort out during the hearing. The judge sets bail to ensure the defendant doesn’t flee after release.

Bail isn’t a punishment for the charges; you can collect that money back, provided the defendant shows up for their court hearing and the case wraps up. A bail hearing proceeding is a chance for the defendant to ask that the judge reduce or even cancel the bail.

Some people can secure their release from custody without having to post bail. If you get released on your own recognizance, you can fight your criminal allegations while remaining outside custody without paying anything up front.

Not every defendant can get an OR (Own Recognizance) release. A defendant might qualify for OR without paying any bail amount if they face minor charges and they’re facing charges for the first time. When someone gets an OR release, they should make a promise to appear in court. It’s important to know that the judge can still set conditions that you must follow even if you don’t pay bail.

When the presiding judge considers an OR release, they look at: 

• The offense you’re being accused of
• If you can pay your bail
• Your past criminal record

If the authorities accuse you of committing a serious offense where someone got hurt badly, getting an OR release could be tough. When the judge lets you out of jail on your Own Recognizance and you fail to follow the conditions, they might issue a warrant for your arrest.

How Judges Determine Bail in Arcadia 

A bail schedule is a document created by judges that helps decide how much bail a person needs to pay to get out of jail after an arrest. In Arcadia, judges use the Los Angeles Infractions and Misdemeanors Bail Schedule for misdemeanors and infractions, and the Los Angeles Felony Bail Schedule for felonies. These documents outline the typical bail amounts for different charges based on various laws, including the Penal Code and Health and Safety Code.

Basically, the bail schedule shows how much a defendant must post to be released before their first court appearance. It sets specific dollar amounts for certain offenses, which are roughly based on how much prison time someone might face if found guilty.

When someone is arrested for multiple offenses, they pay the highest bail amount listed for any of those charges. There are exceptions, though. If the offenses happened on different occasions, judges can combine those bail amounts.

Next, they need to check if any enhancements apply, which can raise the bail amount. Many enhancements can raise the expected bail amount. For example, if the defendant is accused of committing the crime for a criminal street gang, the bail automatically increases.

Using a weapon to commit a crime can also increase the bail, and the amount varies based on factors like: 

• Whether the weapon was a firearm
• If anyone got hurt 
• If the firearm was just on your person or if you actually used it

Factors the Judge Takes Into Consideration When Setting Bail

After determining the amounts from the schedule, the presiding judge will look at various factors that could increase your bail. Some reasons your bail amount might go up include:

The Nature of Your Charges  

The seriousness of the charges against you really matters when it comes to figuring out the bail amount. If you’re facing serious charges, there’s a higher chance you might try to run away to avoid the tough consequences of a conviction. If the crime could lead to life in prison or even the death penalty, the judge might just decide to deny your bail altogether.  

Your History of Following Court Orders  

When you post bail, you must follow the conditions that usually come into play during your trial. The judge might impose other conditions too, like: 

• Limiting your travel
• Requiring you to stay away from certain people
• Making sure you don’t get into any trouble while you’re out on bail

If you have a track record of skipping bail or breaking court orders, the judge could raise your bail amount. That means you’d stand to lose even more if you violate those conditions.

Having a Record of Committing Violent Acts

The presiding judge will consider your criminal history when deciding how much to adjust your bail money from the set amounts. If you’ve been arrested for committing violent crimes or domestic violence, your bail could be higher. The court can also set up a restraining order to stop you from contacting any victims of the crimes you committed as part of your bail conditions.  

High Risk of Fleeing  

Flight risk means how likely you are to take off after getting bail to protect yourself from facing charges. You must provide proof to the judge that you won’t flee during the bail hearing. One effective method of doing this is by illustrating your solid ties to your community. If the court believes you may jump bail, they might raise the bail amount. 

Bail Options Available in Arcadia

You can choose from a few different types of bail to help get your loved one out of jail, such as:  

Property Bond

When you use a property bond, you put property as collateral for the defendant in court. The court will place a lien on that property, which stays until the case is over. In California, judges usually want the property value to be at least double the bail amount. Sometimes, it takes the court longer to approve the property bond. A professional company must evaluate the property to determine its ownership and value.

Cash Bail  

Cash bail is the fastest way to secure your or your loved one’s release. When using cash, you must settle the entire amount upfront before the court allows the arrestee to go. You can collect that money back once the trial is over, and the case’s final results won’t affect how much you get back.  

However, many defendants in California struggle to come up with the exorbitant bail amounts. Also, paying a large cash bail might raise eyebrows about the source of your money. If the court thinks you obtained the cash illegally, they may pause the bail procedure to investigate your finances, slowing the release.

Arcadia Bail Bonds  

A bail bond is a deal between a bail bondsman and a defendant. The company pays the defendant’s bail and promises the judge that the arrested party will attend their court date. The bail bond process starts when you find out the authorities have arrested your loved one and contact a bail bonds business. They will work with an Arcadia bail bondsman who will help communicate between the court, the defendant, and the business. 

Before you call the bail bondsman, make sure you have these details about the individual in custody:  

• Their full name
• The criminal charges they are facing
• The county and jail where they’re currently at
• The bail amount needed for their release

Before your Arcadia Bail Bonds agent helps you with bail bonds, they’ll check if the defendant qualifies. They’ll look into how likely the defendant is to skip town and whether you can afford the bail bond. In California, you usually pay about 10% of the whole bail sum for the bail bond. Besides that 10% fee, the bail bonds service might ask you to put up some collateral.

Collateral can be anything valuable, like a car or property. When the bail bondsman pays the bail for the defendant, they take on the financial responsibility and ensure the defendant shows up before the court and follows bail rules. If the defendant doesn’t show up, the court might forfeit their bail, which means the bail bonds firm loses money. To cover their losses, they might take the security and liquidate it.

When you get a bail bond for your friend or family member, you become a guarantor for their bail bond. That means you will sign a document agreeing to be responsible for the defendant. If the defendant misses their trial, you must cover the forfeiture. If the bail bondsman has to track down the accused and bring them back to jail, they might charge you a recovery fee.

Before you agree to cosign bail bonds, you must meet some qualifications, like being responsible, having a great credit score, and holding a solid job. You don’t have to cosign for anyone if you’re not comfortable. So, if you think the defendant might run away, you can back out of the contract.

Benefits of Using an Arcadia Bail Bonds Company

Here are some benefits of using an Arcadia bail bonds agent:

Bail can be expensive, and many people can’t come up with that cash on very brief notice. When using an Arcadia bail bondsman, you only need to pay 10 percent of the bail sum, which is way easier to handle. If that 10% is too high, you can ask for a repayment plan. This plan lets you pay a security deposit and cover the remainder in monthly payments.

You’ll save time, too. If you pay cash bail, you must hand over the full balance to the court’s clerk before the defendant can leave. Gathering all that cash might take some time, which can delay their release. A bail bonds company can help you with the money needed to post bail, making everything quicker and more convenient.

Confidentiality is really important when it comes to legal and financial issues. Bail bondsmen will keep your case confidential. You don’t have to share every detail about why you ended up in jail, but if you do, they’ll keep that information to themselves. They’ll also guide you on what to say to the police and what you shouldn’t say. If you need help finding a good lawyer, bail agents can assist you.

Locate a Person Arrested in Arcadia

To locate a loved one or someone you know, they might be under the custody of the Arcadia Police Department or in the Arcadia Jail. You can contact the police department at 626-574-5151. If they are already transferred to Arcadia Jail, call the facility at 626-574-5190. Both are located at 250 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California 91007.

Find an Arcadia Bail Bonds Company Near Me

If you or someone you care about gets arrested, figuring out how to pay bail and get released can be a real hassle. When the presiding judge sets the bail amount during the hearing, the defendant can pay it and leave jail or stay there until the trial begins. Some defendants end up stuck in jail because they can’t come up with the cash for bail.

But don’t worry. You can help your loved one get out by using bail bonds. Once you find out about the arrest, just contact an Arcadia bail bonds company to guide you through the process and get that release. It’s a cost-effective way to handle bail since you only need to pay 10 percent of the entire bail amount.

At JR’s Bail Bonds, we provide the financial support you need to bail out your loved one. Give our Arcadia bail bonds representative a call at 888-577-2245 to talk about your situation.