Deciding on your next steps can be incredibly stressful when you learn that someone close to you is being detained. However, you do not have to worry anymore because if they are eligible for bail, you can hire a San Bernardino bail bonds service to process their release fast and at an affordable price. At Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds, we will minimize your loved one’s pretrial detention by helping you navigate the process and posting a bond on your behalf.
San Bernardino Arrests
Arrests come with confusion, not only to the defendant but also to their loved ones. However, when familiar with the pretrial process, the news about an arrest will not be overwhelming.
Typically, after an arrest, an officer can issue the defendant a citation to appear and release them without booking. However, this applies only to minor violations. Nevertheless, for more serious offenses, the police will take you to the nearest jail for booking and processing. This phase entails recording your information, confiscating your personal effects, taking mugshots, and fingerprinting. Besides, the police officers can run background checks to look for criminal records.
When the process is complete, the police can release you on bail if your charges are listed in the San Bernardino County bail schedule. Here, you will be released before the initial court appearance. However, if your offense is serious and requires the judge to decide whether to grant bail and the amount you should pay, you will stay behind bars until arraignment, which is your first court appearance. Typically, the hearing is scheduled within 48 hours of the arrest, unless your arrest happens on a weekend or holiday. If you have exited jail, you can wait longer, even weeks, before appearing for arraignment.
In the proceeding, the judge sets bail if:
- Your offense is not punishable by death
- You do not compromise public safety, and
- You are not a flight risk
Bail is a security that guarantees that you will return for the scheduled proceedings. If you have a serious charge for an offense punishable by death, and your freedom could threaten public safety, you will be denied bail. The cases that qualify for bail are:
- Traffic violations
- Assault and battery offenses
- Issues related to domestic abuse
- Drug crimes
- Drunk driving offenses
- Misdemeanor offenses
- Some felony violations
If you qualify for bail, the judge will set the amount. The law allows them to deviate from the predetermined amount on the bail schedule based on your criminal record, the case’s facts, and your risk of fleeing to avoid prosecution. Nevertheless, the deviation must happen within the law.
Posting a hefty bail can be challenging for many defendants from low-income backgrounds. Their loved ones might not raise the funds required within a short time. If you belong to this category, you should request a bail reduction or own recognizance release if you belong to this category. However, this decision is made in a formal adversarial hearing.
Factors Determining Bail
In the bail proceeding, the judge can increase or reduce bail or release you without bail. The factors the judge considers for a bail reduction are:
- Your ability to pay the bail figure
- The severity of the offense
- Your chances of returning to court
- Public safety
- Your criminal past
If your offense is classified as serious or violent, bail reduction below the schedule figure is impossible unless it is for good cause or when unique circumstances arise. If you are released and the circumstances change, the court can order your rearrest and placement in custody.
When the judge grants bail but you have not posted it within five days, you will undergo an automatic bail evaluation proceeding.
Not all requests for bail reduction end up in release without bail or reduced bail. The court can increase the bail instead of lowering it if the prosecutor provides information the court did not know of, such as a history of bail violation.
Once you know your bail figure or the request for pretrial freedom without bail is declined, you must post the required figure or an equivalent of temporary liberty.
Bail Payment Options
You can post your bail in cash, use property as collateral, or purchase a bail bond. With cash bail, you deposit the full amount in cash, money order, banker’s, personal, or traveler’s checks. The problem with cash bail is that many people do not have the money, and if the authorities believe the funds are felonious, they could place the bail on hold, extending your time in custody.
The other option is a property bond, where the court attaches a lien to your property until the case is completed. The downside of this option is that it takes a long time to prove ownership and value the property, delaying release.
The final option is purchasing a bail bond. Here, you hire a San Bernardino bail bonds firm for a fee of 10% of the full bail. The San Bernardino bail bonds entity draws up a contract with bail terms and payment options. If you agree to the terms and sign the agreement, the company sends a bail bondsman to the defendant’s jail to process their release.
The advantage of partnering with a San Bernardino bail bonds firm, particularly one offering electronic services, is that you can help the defendant exit custody even when you are in a different jurisdiction. You can fill out the forms electronically, sign, and make payments from anywhere in the country.
Besides, your San Bernardino bail bonds firm will guide the defendant even after release to ensure they comply with the pretrial release terms. This reduces the risk of bail forfeiture more than in cases where defendants pay cash or use a property bond. The risk of forfeiture here is high, as no one can encourage the defendants to comply.
Jail and Court Information
Central Detention Center
Superior Court of the County of San Bernardino
Find a Profound Bail Bondsman Near Me
The process after an arrest is usually overwhelming for the defendant and the family, especially when they do not know what to do. Not understanding your bail options could result in missed O.R. or bail reduction. Luckily, you do not have to worry with an experienced San Bernardino bail bonds entity on your side.
At Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds, we will explain your bail options and the option for release without bail. Additionally, we will finance your release at a reasonable price so that your funds can go towards preparing for a solid defense. Call us today at 844-400-2245 to review your options.
