If you face criminal accusations, law enforcement officers will likely arrest and detain you pending trial or further investigation. During detention, you undergo different processes to help the police gather more information on your identity and the type of offense you face. Although it may be necessary initially, you must only remain in a detention facility once the trial begins. Among the options to help you exit jail are bail or bond in exchange for your freedom. When considering the option, consider working with a skilled bail bond provider for a smooth and easy process.
At Riverside Bail Bonds, you receive quality bail bond services to help you leave a detention center as soon as possible. Our team understands the requirements to fulfill them and is equipped to post bail on your behalf. Our services are available if you or a loved one is in a detention center in Alhambra, California.
What the Bail Release Process Entails
When you or a loved one faces arrest for allegedly violating the law, you must remain detained until the police conclude the investigation and booking process. Afterward, you can exit jail as you wait for trial based on your constitutional right not to face arbitrary detention.
Before exiting jail, you must fulfill several obligations to demonstrate your willingness to comply with the law despite regaining your freedom. Posting bail or bond is among the most effective ways to exit jail, and you need to understand the important points before accepting the process for your release.
The law enforcement and court departments understand the importance of promoting your right to a fair trial, including release after arrest, where possible. However, they must still ensure you comply with legal procedures and obligations while waiting for trial. Based on this, the bail system allows you to exit jail after you deposit a specified sum of money as collateral for your freedom.
Upon depositing the prescribed sum as bail, you commit to attending scheduled court sessions to promote case progression. Your attendance is crucial in a criminal case because you must be present for the matter to proceed in the interest of upholding a fair trial. Failure to attend court hearings, therefore, results in losing your bail amount and possible detention as further punishment.
After the trial concludes, the judge assesses your performance in complying with court orders before restoring the money you posted as bail. Proper compliance means you receive the full sum, while absences and other forms of misconduct result in non-reimbursement. Your Alhambra bail bonds service provider will advise you on consistently adhering to the judge’s directives.
The Process Leading Up to Posting Bail
Law enforcement officers have probable cause to arrest you after receiving information or witnessing you commit a crime. Subsequently, the arrest process results in your detention to allow the officers to conduct further research on your case and obtain sufficient information for trial.
You remain in police custody at the nearest detention facility after arrest, and the officers in charge begin the subsequent procedures. The booking process involves obtaining information about your identity, criminal history, and other relevant details that may help the prosecutor during the trial.
Based on this, you can expect to take mugshot photos for your identification and fingerprints for your biometric records. The officers may also ask you to provide details like your home address, workplace address, and phone number.
The booking process also requires the officers to establish whether you have an existing criminal record by running your name in the database. They do this to source helpful information that justifies the need for a trial, especially if you are a repeat offender.
After the booking process concludes, you can request to exercise your right to a phone call. The process helps you inform a trusted third party about your arrest, allowing them to prepare adequately for your bail release. At this point, consider calling a close loved one or the Alhambra bail bonds company immediately to receive the required support.
You can also request the officer in charge of the bail bond schedule to help you estimate the amount necessary for your release on bail. The schedule is a pre-set document that provides a range of bail amounts for all recognized offenses that may cause arrest. Having the information beforehand, you can prepare your bail bond service provider or your loved ones to consolidate the amount in advance.
You can begin preparing for your bail hearing after concluding the important steps while in detention. Your Alhambra bail bonds service provider may recommend working with a criminal defense attorney, but they can also appear in court on your behalf.
What to Expect During the Bail Hearing
You will learn of your bail hearing date soon after arriving at the detention center to help you prepare for the court appearance. Legal provisions require the officers to process you for the hearing within twenty-four hours of arrest, per your rights to a speedy trial.
However, the timeline does not apply if you face arrest on a weekend or holiday. Nevertheless, you will appear for your bail hearing soon, so you should understand the important steps before you learn about your exact bail amount.
The bail hearing begins with taking a plea, where you either plead ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ to the criminal charges pressed against you. Pleading guilty means you accept the charges, meaning there would be no need for trial and, subsequently, for bail as you await trial. The judge can issue your sentence within the same hearing or schedule a date soon after this initial bail hearing.
Conversely, pleading ‘not guilty’ means you deny the charges pressed against you and intend to have the matter proceed to trial. Based on this, posting bail is important, allowing you to exit jail and prepare for the upcoming trial. Your defense attorney will likely advise you to plead not guilty, allowing you to justify your position and raise defenses for your actions.
Factors for the Judge to Consider When Setting Bail
Although the bail schedule provides information on the bail amounts for each offense, the amounts are in a range. You, therefore, need the presiding judge to determine whether to grant bail and, if so, what amount. To do this, the judge can consider several factors to help reach an objective decision. They include:
Whether You are a Flight Risk
A person falls within the flight risk category if they are likely to flee the country to avoid the court’s jurisdiction over an ongoing criminal matter. Therefore, the judge’s main priority is to ensure you continue appearing for subsequent court hearings to ensure your hearing concludes smoothly.
The judge must determine that you are not a flight risk by checking your travel documents and financial standing. If you are likely to leave the state, they may order you to submit your passport and other travel documents for safekeeping until the trial ends.
The court might also release an order to freeze your account if they suspect you of organizing travel even after submitting your transport. By taking control of your bank accounts, they can detect and cancel the types of transactions you make, especially if they involve preparing for travel.
Whether Your Release Poses a Security Threat to the Community
The court is also responsible for ensuring they do not allow a person who poses a security threat to the community to exit jail. Doing so may expose the victims of the initial crime to further harm or increase safety threats to the general public.
As a result, you can expect the presiding judge to assess your general character and personality to establish whether you are prone to acting irrationally. They will also combine their observations with the nature of your charge to help them establish whether you are likely to expose the community to harm. If their findings indicate that your release harms the general public, you are less likely to receive authorization for release on bail.
Whether You Have a Previous Record
Arrested parties with a criminal record are often in a more disadvantageous position, mainly because of their perceived inability to reform. As a result, the judge requests your previous records to establish whether your previous involvement in the crime was serious. Based on their findings, you may receive a bail amount on the higher or lower end of the bail schedule.
In serious cases, the judge may deny bail altogether, meaning you must complete a custody trial. They will likely decide on this if you have multiple criminal records in your name, making you a habitual offender. These incidents are common in DUI cases, as many repeat offenders receive strict court scrutiny.
The Nature of Your Current Charge
Although the right to exit jail generally applies to arrested parties, some crimes prevent you from leaving custody. Among the reasons for enhanced restrictions is that your release would endanger parties involved in the case, especially if the facts are serious. Further, some offenses are so serious that you must remain in custody for a smoother and more transparent investigation process.
Murder and manslaughter charges are the main offense categories that prevent you from leaving jail on bail based on their serious nature. Subsequently, the presiding judge issues justifications for declining your request to exit jail on bail unless you present convincing reasons why they should consider you.
How to Post Bail
After the bail hearing, the judge assesses the discussed factors to determine your most suitable case outcome. If you qualify to leave jail on bail, you must consider the most effective way to post bail as soon as possible.
You have various options, depending on your access to finances or property. Consulting an Alhambra bail bonds company gives you more insight into each option, including its merits and demerits. The three main options for posting bail are:
Paying the Amount in Cash
Posting bail requires you to present the full amount ordered in court in exchange for your freedom. Please consider paying in cash by contacting a trusted loved one to complete the transaction.
While the option is fast and presents no encumbrances, raising the high bail fees required within a short time can be challenging. This is because you are not likely to have anticipated arrest, meaning you lack the budget for the current demands.
Further, presenting a large sum of money to the court may attract additional security on your financial records. You are likely to experience extra attention, especially if your current criminal accusations involve drug sales, trafficking, or money laundering. Your Alhambra bail bonds service provider will advise you against drawing attention to yourself by posting the bail in cash.
Presenting a Property Deed as Collateral
Alternatively, you may lack immediate access to cash but have a property whose value is commensurate with the set bail amount. If so, you can request the court's bond by submitting your title to the property as collateral in exchange for your freedom.
While the option is viable, the court may require you to undertake multiple bureaucratic steps to verify that you are the rightful owner of the property. Overall, this may take longer than expected, forcing you to remain in custody longer than necessary.
Working With an Alhambra Bail Bonds Company
Working with a bail bond service provider is an excellent option if you intend to exit jail within the shortest time possible. Since their professional role involves securing clients’ release by posting bail, you can expect them to expedite your case compared to working alone.
A bail bond service provider is also aware of the documentary requirements to provide beforehand, meaning they will prepare your application soon after you contact them. They also remain available to provide guidelines and updates on your bail process, so you do not have to worry about handling the procedures by yourself.
How Your Alhambra Bail Bonds Service Provider Posts Bail
After contacting a bail bond service provider, they process your case quickly to ensure the jail release process is fast. During your first interaction with the bail bond service provider, you must provide crucial details like your name, date of birth, current address, and the type of charge you are facing. They may also ask for your workplace address for future reference and to inform relevant supervisors of your current detention, if necessary.
Since the bail bondsman handling your case is experienced, you can expect them to request additional details if your case involves unique circumstances. For example, your age and gender matter in sexual offense charges, making it important to provide accurate details.
Your representative also discloses the terms of the Alhambra bail bonds service you will receive to help you make an informed decision. For example, they must mention the service fee, often 10% of the total bail amount ordered in court.
After your release from jail, you should deposit a tenth of the bail fee with your bail bond service provider. While the amount is generally lower than paying the full bail, we understand that the corresponding amount may still be expensive if your bail is set at a high bond. As a result, consider negotiations on a repayment plan to help you receive a timely bail release service as you structure your finances.
Once the bail bonds service provider receives the bail amount, they post it on your behalf to secure your exit from jail. In return, you begin your service repayment plan in exchange for their help, and the contract concludes when both parties complete their roles.
Jail and Court Information
After you or a loved one faces detention, you must find the relevant court and jail information to help expedite the bail process. You can, therefore, rely on the following jail and court information to speed up the jail release procedure:
Alhambra Courthouse
150 W Commonwealth Ave.
Alhambra, CA, 91801,
United States.
Alhambra City Jail
211 South First Street,
Alhambra, CA 91801,
United States.
Alhambra City Police Department
111 South First Street,
Alhambra, CA 91801,
Phone: 626-570-5007.
Alhambra Superior Courthouse
150 West Commonwealth,
Alhambra, CA 91801,
Find a Bail Bonds Company Near Me
After arrest and detention, you must consider the easiest way to exit jail lawfully. Doing so helps you prepare for an upcoming trial and regain your liberty. Since you have several options to consider when posting bail, consider working closely with a bail bond service provider. With their help, you have less to worry about, and you can look forward to exiting jail sooner.
At Riverside Bail Bonds, we aim to provide quality bail bond services to help you exit jail as soon as possible. We understand the importance of presenting your bail application as soon as possible, and you can rely on us to undertake the procedure smoothly on your behalf. We are also ready to post bail on your behalf and work out a repayment plan later. Our services are available for clients facing detention in Alhambra, California. For more information, call us today at 951-788-2663.
