Learning that your friend or loved one is arrested in Bonita may come as a shock. However, you do not have to worry as there is a chance they will be allowed to post bail and await their trial outside of jail. Bail is the amount of money or property a defendant must deposit with the court as a promise that they will attend the hearings pertaining to their case once they are released pretrial. The challenge with posting bail is that the bail value is usually set so high that some individuals cannot afford it.
If you cannot afford to post bail for your friend or loved one, we at Fausto’s Bail Bonds can help you. We offer reliable and affordable Bonita bail bonds to help those who lack sufficient resources to secure their release. Our bondsmen are available 24/7, meaning you can reach them regardless of the time and day your loved one is arrested. Do not hesitate to call us.
How Bail Is Determined in Bonita
Judges in Bonita set bail during an arraignment, which must happen within 48 hours after a person is arrested. When your loved one is arrested, they will first be taken to the nearest jail or police station for interrogation and booking. After booking follows the arraignment.
During the arraignment, the judge will ask your loved one to enter a plea. If they plead not guilty, the judge will decide whether or not to set bail and the precise amount. To determine what amount they will set as bail, judges refer to a bail schedule. This schedule guides them on what value they should set for a particular crime. However, judges can sometimes deviate from the schedule and set a higher or lower amount than what is indicated. To do this, they will consider factors like:
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The severity of the crime in question
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Whether the defendant is a flight risk
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Community and family ties
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The defendant’s court appearance history
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Public safety
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The defendant’s ability to pay the amount
Note that a judge can deny bail altogether. In this case, your loved one will have to remain in jail until their case is over. Alternatively, a judge can release your loved one on their O.R., also called own recognizance release, instead of imposing a bail amount. An O.R. release is where a defendant signs a written promise to appear in court once they are released pretrial. This option applies to non-violent or minor crimes.
Posting Bonita Bail Bonds
Once the judge has determined the bail amount, it will be your loved one’s turn to pay the amount before they leave jail. Once your loved one posts bail, the amount would be returned to them or the person who paid it once the case is over and the defendant did not miss any court appearances.
You can help your loved one post bail, which in this case, you will be their cosigner. If you or the defendant do not have enough money to deposit the bail amount, you can turn to a local Bonita bail bonds company to secure a surety bond.
Obtaining a surety bond is the most prevalent way for accused persons to leave jail in Bonita. Here, you will only pay part of the required bail amount to the bondsman, and the bondsman will pay the entire bail amount to the court. The part of the money you pay to the bondsman is the fee for their service of helping your loved one out of jail. This percentage is known as the premium; it is often 10% of the entire bail value, and it is non-refundable even if the defendant made all their court appearances.
When you call a bonds agency, they will evaluate your loved one’s qualification for a bond. They will do this by looking at the severity of the accused’s offense and the possibility that they are a flight risk. If they are eligible, the bondsman will process the paperwork and require you to pay the premium, then they will go to where your loved one is being held to post the bond.
Before contacting your local Bonito bail bonds company, you want to ensure you have these details because they are what the bondsman will need to process your loved one’s bond:
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The defendant's full legal name
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Location and name of the detention facility holding the defendant
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The charges against the defendant
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The defendant’s booking number
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The set bail amount
You can complete the bail bond process at the bondsman office or online from wherever you are. Once the bondsman has posted the bond, the release process will begin. It takes only a few minutes to process a bail bond. On the other hand, the jail release process may take 30 minutes to a few hours based on the case facts and the jail’s workload.
After a bondsman posts a bond, your loved one’s duty is to obey all the pretrial conditions the judge has set and keep the promise to attend court. Their failure to comply could have severe repercussions for them and the bond agency. If your loved one skips bail, they could be rearrested and returned to custody, where the judge could set a higher second bail amount or deny it altogether. On the other hand, the bond agency may forfeit the bond money if your loved one misses court attendance.
Most Bonito bail bonds agencies prepare ahead for the likelihood of forfeiting their funds by requesting you to put up collateral to secure the bond. As a surety bond is similar to a bank loan, the company may sell the collateral to recover its money lost in bond forfeiture.
Selecting the Right Bonita Bail Bonds Service
When selecting a Bonita bail bonds company to help your loved one post bail, your decision affects your general experience in securing your loved one's release. Thus, before moving forward, you want to explore some factors to establish which service will suit your needs. Some crucial things you should consider include the following:
Bond Licensing
Bail bond services in Bonita must hold licenses. So, before settling with the agency of your choice, you want to ensure they are certified and licensed to work in Bonita. The licensing and relevant documentation show that the agency provides reliable services and is trustworthy. An honest and reliable bail bondsman will have no problem providing their credentials when a prospective client asks to see them.
Bail Bond Charges
The standard bail bond premium in Bonita is 10 percent of the total bail amount. This is the company's charge for their services. When you wish to secure a bond from a Bonita bail bonds company, you will just pay this amount rather than the whole value of the bail. Before you settle for an agency, you must choose one that imposes only the required charges.
Avoid agencies that charge a very high or low premium. A company with a low premium rate may show it lacks experience or is advertising unlawfully. However, some companies offer discounts as low as 7% to qualifying individuals like those represented by an attorney. Very high premiums, conversely, show that the company is milking its clients, benefiting from excessive profits.
A plan provides a way for people who cannot pay the premium upfront to secure a bond. In a typical payment plan, a bondsman will permit you to make a down payment and pay the outstanding value in installments. Your down payment amount will be based on the accused person's likelihood of fleeing the country and your capability to pay the outstanding balance. A Bonita bail bonds company will likely talk you into a payment plan if your credit score is high enough and a stable income.
Beware also of the companies that charge hidden fees to add to the premium. Some hidden fees agencies charge include processing, administrative, traveling fees, and interest on the premium. Let a bondsman inform you in advance whether they charge any other fees apart from the premium so that you can make your decision based on complete information.
Referrals from Your Lawyer and Detention Officers
The detention officers in jails are always conversant with local professional and reputable bond companies. These are great people to have in your corner because they can assist in suggesting a lower bail value for your friend or loved one, not to mention linking you to the most qualified Bonita bail bonds service.
Bail bond companies that work with defense attorneys often have built a solid reputation for quality services. Because contacting an attorney is among the steps after your loved one's arrest, you could ask the lawyer to refer you to a bonds company that can help you post bail.
Client Reviews
When seeking to retain a bail bonds agency, you want to choose one that has offered top-notch services to other people. You can find out whether a company offers excellent services by checking its reviews on its webpage. Take your time to go through what other clients have said about the bond company you intend to hire. In addition, you can seek recommendations from friends or loved ones who have secured a surety bond.
Your Responsibilities as a Bonita Bail Bonds Cosigner
A surety bond cosigner is a person who enters a bond contract on another person's behalf. You can cosign a bond for your loved one if you satisfy the required eligibility criteria. Bond agencies require a cosigner with a good employment history and credit score. These requirements are in place to ensure the cosigners can cover all the bail bond costs.
A bond is a monetary agreement that necessitates a financial commitment. Since you will be the cosigner, you assume all these responsibilities to ensure your loved one does not jump bail. A bond agreement is legally binding, so you must comprehend and fulfill all your obligations. Some of these include:
Paying the Bail Bond Premium
Paying the 10% bond premium is one of your cosigner obligations. So, if the total bail amount is $50,000, you will need to pay a premium of $5,000 before the bondsman posts bail for your loved one. By posting bail for your loved one, the bonds agency assumes the risk of their not attending court. The premium somehow compensates for this risk, plus the bail posting service. That said, you possess the monetary ability to cover the premium cost.
Providing Collateral.
When a Bonita bail bonds agency promises the court of your loved one's court attendance, they shield you from the responsibility of posting the entire bail value should your loved one flee. Sometimes, the bond company can lower the risk that comes with posting a bond by requesting collateral. As a co-signer, it is your responsibility to put up collateral if asked for one.
If your loved one skips bail, the company can use the collateral to recover the forfeited bond amount. Common forms of collateral you could provide include vehicles, real estate, bank accounts, jewelry, and other valuable assets.
Paying the Entire Bail Amount
As a cosigner, the bond agency transfers financial responsibility for paying the full amount to you. If you had not provided collateral, you would have to pay the entire amount of your loved one's bail should the bond amount be forfeited. Even if the amount was $200,000, the company would be forced to come after you for collection.
Jail Information
San Diego Central Jail
1173 Front St
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone No.: 619-610-1647
Las Colinas Detention Facility
451 Riverview Pkwy,
Santee, CA 92071
Phone No.: 619-409-5000
Court Information
South County Division
500 Third Avenue,
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Phone No.: 619-746-6200
Find an Experienced Bonita Bonds Agency Near Me
Most of the accused persons in Bonita qualify for bail after a criminal arrest. If the presiding judge does not order an O.R. release for your loved one, they will impose a particular bail value that they must pay before their release. A bail bond is an essential resource to raise the amount needed to secure pretrial freedom for persons who cannot raise the full bail amount.
Retaining a Bonita bail bonds service assists in ensuring a faster jail release for the accused. In addition, your financial burden will be significantly reduced compared to paying the whole bail value. At Fausto's Bail Bonds, we can provide you with the details and financial help necessary for your loved one to spend as little pretrial time in jail as possible. Contact us today at 951-445-4455.