If you have been arrested for crime, you will probably start wondering when your misfortunes will be over so you can reunite with your family and return to your usual daily activities. The truth is you can regain your freedom even before your case is resolved. You can do this by making bail. There are several ways to post bail, but the most convenient is contacting a Palm Springs bail bonds company to help you.
At Fausto's Bail Bonds, we provide bail bond services to suspects, take pride in giving you the best bail bonds experience possible, and are ready to help 24/7. Call us as soon as you have been placed under arrest to kick off the process of regaining your freedom.
The Basics of the Bail Bond Process in Palm Springs
Keeping in mind the unanticipated legal issues, you want to learn about the Palm Springs bail bonds process. You may need to understand how lengthy the procedure is, what documents you need to secure a bail bond, the factors determining bail values, and cosigner responsibilities. Even if you are familiar with the whole process, retaining a local bail agent will go a long way in helping you secure your release from custody sooner. These are the aspects you must know about processing a bail bond:
Palm Springs Prebail Services
The bail procedure in Palm Springs starts with an arrest and then booking. Booking involves several steps, including:
- Recording your name, address, and the offense for which you have been arrested
- Taking a mug shot
- Recording of fingerprints
- Taking your personal property and clothing into custody
- Performing a full body search for any weapons and illegal drugs
- Checking for outstanding warrants
- Health screening
- Eliciting info relevant to incarceration conditions
- Taking a DNA sample
After the arresting officer has conducted all these steps, they will transfer you to a holding cell to await arraignment. At its slowest, the booking procedure may take several hours to complete. The period the booking procedure will last is based on the number of standard booking procedures the arresting officer will conduct, the number of law enforcement officers involved in the booking procedure, and how many arrestees are being booked at that time.
Posting Bail in Palm Springs
The judge sets bail at your arraignment (the first court appearance). Bail refers to the money you pay to the court or jail facility to secure your release from jail while your case is still pending. Essentially, bail is a financial assurance that you will make all the judge-ordered court appearances. The bail amount will be refunded after your case ends, provided you make all court appearances. However, you will lose the bail money if you fail to attend all court hearings regarding your charges as required.
When someone is arrested in Palm Springs, bail is usually set per the Riverside County bail schedule. A bail schedule refers to a list of bail amounts recommended for different criminal charges. Riverside County judges determine the bail schedule annually.
The bail value is higher for felonies than misdemeanors. The judge also has the discretion to deviate from the bail schedule, which implies setting bail at a lower or higher value than what is indicated on the bail schedule.
During the arraignment, your attorney will request that the court either release you on your own recognizance or set bail at a lower amount. On the other hand, the prosecutor can demand that the judge increase the bail value. The judge then decides what amount to set as bail.
Release on Own Recognizance/O.R Release
Sometimes the judge will not post bail. In this case, they will release you on your own recognizance. This means you will only have to sign a written note promising to appear in court as required.
The judge will consider various factors before setting bail or releasing you on your O.R. These include:
- The severity of the crime
- Whether or not you are a flight risk
- Your criminal history
- Community ties
- Past failures to appear in court
- Employment status
- Outstanding warrants
- Whether you pose any threat to the community
- Your capability to pay the bail
Other times, the arresting officer will release a suspect on a citation. Release on citation is whereby the arresting officer issues the arrested suspect a citation but does not bring them in for a formal booking. Instead, they release the suspect on the condition that they sign a promise to make a court appearance later. Release on citation is mainly used for low-level crimes like infractions or misdemeanors. If you are released on a citation, the judge will require you to appear in court for arraignment within twenty-four hours of the arrest.
Posting Bail In Palm Springs
Once the judge sets bail, you must deposit the set amount before being released. There are usually three ways you can post bail: pay bail directly using property or cash, or purchase a bond from a Palm Springs bail bonds company. Often, friends or family members handle this process for a defendant as co-signers. Consequently, you will be allowed a phone call, which you can make to your family, friends, or Palm Springs Bail Bonds agent to request bail services.
If someone is posting bail on your behalf, they will have to come to the jail where you are being confined to do it. Bail can be deposited in the jail lobby at any time.
Cash Bail
Cash bail is whereby you deposit the entire bail value in cash. Some Palm Springs jail facilities allow payment via a traveler's check, cashier's check, personal check, or money order. For instance, if the judge sets your bail at fifty thousand dollars, your loved one can bring fifty thousand dollars in cash or a cashier's check worth that amount and pay at the jail lobby where you are confined. You will not pay an agent if you make bail using cash.
When your case ends and you have made all court appearances as required, the county gives back the fifty thousand dollars to the individual who made the bail. Keep in mind that the cash is not refunded until six to ten weeks after the conclusion of your case.
Additionally, it is worth repeating that under 1305 PC, the person who made the bail will lose the cash to the county if you fail to appear in court as ordered.
Bail Bonds
A bail bond also called a surety bond, is the most prevalent method of making bail in Palm Springs. A surety bond is an agreement between you and a Palm Springs bail bonds agent. In this contract, the bail agent will post the entire bail value, and you promise to make all court appearances. Your family, friend, or you will also have to pay the agent a premium. Note that this premium is non-refundable. It is the bail bonds company's fee for their services.
Bail agents in Palm Springs usually charge 10% of the set bail amount as a premium. For instance, if the judge sets bail at ten thousand dollars, you will have to pay the bail agent one thousand dollars before they can post the entire bail amount. The bail agent will not return the one thousand dollars to you even if you appear in court on all the required dates. It is also worth noting that after you have hired a bail agent and paid them their fee (premium), you will not be refunded the money even if the prosecutor decides not to file charges.
Should you miss any court date, the bail agent loses the bail amount to the county. Therefore, bail agents have a reason to keep an eye on you and ensure you make the required court appearances. In most cases, bail agents request collateral from defendants that they use to guarantee the bond amount. Collateral covers the bail bond company's possible losses if a defendant does not make their court appearances as required.
Before they forfeit their money, bail agents are given up to 180 days to track you down and return you to the authorities. The bail agent may hire a bounty hunter to help track you down. The bounty hunter will be paid a percentage of the bail money only after they find you and hand you over to the authorities.
Before contacting a Palm Springs bail bonds agent for help, you should know that retaining a lawyer before posting bail will enable you to obtain a lawyer-referred bond. A lawyer-referred bond will qualify you for an 8% bond rather than the usual 10% rate. This will allow you to save a significant amount of money.
Bail Bond Paperwork
Many people do not know the documents needed to secure a bail bond. If you are purchasing a bail bond, the bail agent will require you to sign various paperwork. The documents you must sign include a bail bonds application form, an indemnity contract, and a receipt. Only after signing these documents will the agent post bail to secure your release.
Property Bond
Another way of making bail in Palm Springs is via a property bond. The process of posting this kind of bond is complicated. Property bond necessitates you to surrender to the court property valued at least two times the set bail value. For instance, if the set bail value is a hundred thousand dollars, you should give a property that the judge deems to be valued at two hundred thousand dollars or higher.
The property you post as bail in Palm Springs has to meet all these requirements:
- A professional must have estimated its equity
- You must have disclosed all the liens on it
- It must have recently been appraised
Should you miss any court dates after posting a property bond, the county will place a lien on the property and could foreclose on it to recover the bail money.
On all the above occasions, a judge can vacate their forfeiture orders and exonerate the bail money if you appear before the grace period (180 days) expires and provide a valid reason for missing court. These reasons include:
- You are disabled or became disabled, and your disability prevented you from appearing
- You suffered an injury that prevented you to appear
- You were ill. Provide a medical statement or report to back up this excuse
- You are mentally ill
- You were detained in another jurisdiction
Conditions for Bail In Palm Springs
If the judge agrees to set bail or release you on O.R., they can impose various conditions. Your legal counsel may also suggest other conditions if trying to persuade the judge to agree to set or reduce bail. Some of the conditions the judge may order based on your charges include:
- House arrest with electronic monitoring
- Prohibition to leave California
- The need for you to wear SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor)
- Surrendering your driver's license and passport
- Not operating a vehicle with any detectable alcohol amount in your bloodstream
- Cutting contact with the alleged victim
Jail Information
Palm Springs Jail
Phone No: 760-323-8116
Larry D.Smith Correctional Facility
Phone No: 951-922-7300
Robert Presley Detention Center
Phone No: 951-955-4500
John J. Benoit Detention Center
Phone No: 760-863-8252
Court Information
Superior Court of California, County of Riverside- Palm Springs Courthouse
Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
Phone No: 760-393-2617
Superior Court of California, County of Riverside- Larson Justice Center
Indio, CA 92201, United States
Phone No: 760-393-2617
Find Reliable Bail Bond Services Near Me
Regardless of the criminal charges against you, our goal at Fausto's Bail Bonds is to provide judgment-free and quick help. If you or your loved one has been arrested in Palm Springs and needs help posting bail, do not hesitate to call us at 855-328-7867, irrespective of the time. Our reputable Palm Springs bail bonds agents will assess your situation and guide you to ensure the process of securing your release is as smooth as possible.