How Bail Works
After a person is arrested, the jail or court will set a bail amount (the dollar amount varies based on the alleged offense involved and other contributing factors). It is the court’s way of making sure that a defendant appears at their scheduled court dates once released from jail.
In order for an individual to “post bail,” or to secure the release of your friend/loved one from jail, they must turn over to the court, the full amount of the assigned bail amount. While the law demands that the bail be “non-excessive,” these amounts can still be quite large and beyond the means of most people. That’s where Aardwolf Bail Bonds can help.
Aardwolf Bail Bonds will arrange to cover the financial obligation to the courts, so the defendant can be released. You will only owe Aardwolf Bail Bonds a small percentage of the full amount (provided the defendant makes all required court appearances), which is called the premium. Aardwolf Bail Bonds will walk you through the entire process and even assist in helping the defendant make their scheduled court dates. We will do all of this in the fastest possible time, so the defendant can return home to their friends and loved ones right away.
Get a bail bond—avoid lock up
- Call us at 1-831-425-5139 and tell us where your friend or relative is being held. If you don’t know, we can find out for you.
- Aardwolf Bail Bonds will help you fill out the paperwork needed to secure your friend or relative’s release. We have this process down to a science—it only takes about 20 minutes. You can even do this from the comfort of your home by the forms from our website and emailing or faxing them back to us. Once we have the information, and receive payment, we will post the bail bond at the jail. In California, the standard bail bond cost is 10 percent, but in some circumstances it could be as low as 8 percent. If you are short on cash, Aardwolf Bail Bonds accepts all major credit cards.Payment plans are available with approved credit.
- Your friend or relative will be released after the jail processes the bail bond. It really is that easy.
Bail Bonds and the California Legal Process
The criminal legal process in California can be broken down into 5 simple steps. First, the defendant is charged with a crime by the arresting agency. After this, the District Attorney reviews the case and makes a decision whether or not to file charges.
If the District Attorney does not file charges, the case is dismissed. If the District Attorney does file charges, there will be an arraignment where the defendant gets charged and requests a public defender or private attourney.
If the defendant pleads guilty, he or she is sentenced and the case is closed. If the defendant pleads not guilty, then a court date is set. At that time, the court would hear the case, reach a verdict, and the case is closed. While this sounds simple, the hearing can take some time and no one wants to be in jail that long and some can’t afford it. Defendants have jobs to get back to in order to pay their bills.
During this period of time, being bailed out can be crucial. When the defendant is in custody before the arraignment, the court may allow the defendant to be bailed with the understanding that they will return for their court appearances. California courts have bail schedules to determine what the dollar amount at which the bail will be set.
This is where the bail agent assists people. Bail agents fund the bail bond through an agreement with the indemnitor, the person who will be responsible for the bail amount and ensure the defendant attends court appearances. Bail agents may allow the indemnitor to pay off the bail premium through a payment plan. This is extremely helpful if an indemnitor does not have the cash up front to pay for bail.
An agent can expedite the release of the defendant from jail. For this reason, it is important that a bail agent be experienced and handles them in a professional manner.
Once bailed out, the defendant needs to attend their court dates and will have to occasionally report into the bail bond agency. Keeping in contact with the bail agent helps the defendant and indemnitor by providing information for court appearance, explaining the bail process and contracts and being available to indemnitor and defendant for information regarding process.
By knowing the court process and role of the bail agent to assist in it, a person is able to cope better with the situation. Keeping calm allows a person to make educated decisions during a difficult event. When looking for professionals to guide you, look at their experience and how they present themselves to you. People who have been in business for a longer period of time not only offer you more experience, but also have a reputation to uphold.