If you’re placed under arrest in Dana Point, CA, you could be eligible for bail if you don’t wish to remain in incarceration before prosecution. Bail allows you an earlier release from police custody, at least until the court resolves your case. California law calls for your immediate arrest if you’re suspected or caught committing a crime. The officer will keep you in custody as they investigate the matter and as you await trial. But if you qualify for bail, the court could grant you freedom so that you can wait for trial from home.
Unfortunately, bail isn’t always affordable. But a bond dealer could be of help if the set amount is more than you can afford. At Steven Mehr Bail Bonds, we have our agents ready throughout the day and night. If arrested in Dana Point, CA, we could ensure that you’re not spending more time in jail.
The California Bail System
Bail is the money you or a third party deposit with a court to ensure that you make future appearances before a judge. It could be made in cash or as a bond secured by a bonds dealer. Bail isn’t available for all criminal offenses in California. The amount set for different crimes is mainly dependent on the severity and nature of the offense. Bail for most offenses in the state is usually predetermined, but the judge might lower or increase the amount based on your offense’s details and character. A severe felony calls for a higher bail than a minor misdemeanor.
Every county in California has a predetermined bail program for different offenses, both misdemeanors and felonies. Once you’re under arrest, your family can go through the bail program to determine the amount you must pay for the police to release you. However, you must first appear before a judge to determine the exact amount you must pay for a release. During this first arraignment, the judge might continue with the bail as it appears on the predetermined schedule, increase or reduce bail, based on the circumstances of the offense. That first appearance is usually scheduled immediately after your booking.
The judge makes the last decision as far as bail is concerned. His/her decision on whether to increase or reduce your bail will be based on several factors, including the seriousness of the offense, whether anyone was injured in the incident, and how great of a threat you are to your community. The judge also considers your flight risk. If you’re likely to run after your release on bail, the judge increases your bail amount to make it difficult or impossible to post bail. That way, the judge can be sure of your appearance in court since you’ll remain incarcerated.
Note that the judge might also deny you bail. Not all defendants in California can post bail. Your suitability for bail is always based on the case details. If you’re suspected of having committed a serious felony like kidnapping, murder, or robbery, you may not be allowed to post bail. However, the law requires the judge to set a trial date soon after your booking. That way, you will not remain in incarceration more than you should before a jury determines your case.
The judge might also deny you bail if you have a history of missing important court dates.
Conditions for Bail
California courts do not release defendants on bail without conditions. Bail conditions ensure that you stay out of trouble while you’re out on bail and that you’ll make prompt court appearances on trial dates. Sometimes they can be used to negotiate for a lower bail by your defense attorney. Courts have standard conditions that come automatically after you’re granted bail. Other bail conditions could be added, depending on your case details. Your bail conditions might include:
- House arrest— the judge might feel the need to place you under house arrest with an electronic monitoring device. It keeps the court in the know of your whereabouts.
- A requirement to carry a SCRAM or any other remote alcohol monitoring device
- A requirement to hand over your passport, driver’s license, or any other document that could enable you to flee while you’re on bail
- A mandatory requirement to remain within the state until the case resolution—leaving the state could be seen as fleeing trial and might call for your immediate arrest
- You must have no communication with the victim (s) of your offense
- If the underlying offense is DUI-related, you may be ordered not to drink and drive with any amount of alcohol in your blood, however slight
- You might have to find a permanent job that will keep you busy and within the state until the resolution of your case
Bail conditions are severe. Therefore, you must not violate any condition, however minor it may seem. A violation of any bail condition calls for your immediate re-arrest, and the consequence could be for you to remain incarcerated until trial.
The main condition for bail is always to ensure that you appear for trial on all set dates. If not, you’ll be re-arrested and charged with an additional offense for failing to appear. You could also forfeit bail and lose your chance of ever being released on bail.
Your Bail Options in Dana Point
If you qualify for bail, you will have several bail options available, according to your situation and your case details. Sometimes the judge decides the actual bail for you, and other times you’re allowed to choose the most suitable option for your situation. The primary bond options available in Dana Point are:
Own Recognizance (OR)
You don’t get to choose this first option; the judge grants your freedom without ordering you to post bail. Freedom on OR is primarily for first offenders and those that face charges for less serious misdemeanors. However, the court may only free you on OR if he/she is sure of your compliance and availability to make all court appearances without fail.
The judge makes this decision during your first court appearance. After studying your case details, he/she might decide to free you, but on a few conditions, the main one being a mandatory appearance for trial. Once the judge makes the decision, the officer will issue you with the necessary paperwork to complete and sign, and then you’ll be free.
If you fail to appear after a release on individual recognizance, the judge might issue a warrant for your immediate arrest. The judge might deny you bail so that you continue waiting for trial while behind bars.
Cash Bond
If you do not qualify for release on personal recognizance, you could pay cash bail for your freedom. As the name suggests, it is the kind of bail whereby you pay in cash the total amount required by the court for you to obtain your release before trial. Cash bail is quite common but is only available for offenders who can afford the total bail. However, that could be a challenge considering how high bail sometimes is. Not everyone can afford the entire bail, even after fundraising among family members.
Again, it could take you a long time to put together the set amount, which means you’ll remain incarcerated much longer. That is why many people seek alternative bail options to secure their quick release before trial. But if you can afford cash bail, the judge gives back the total amount once the court concludes your case, despite its outcome.
Property Bonds
This bail option is for offenders who might not afford the set bond but have a valuable property with which they can secure their freedom. Sometimes the judge allows you to obtain your release using a property like a real-estate title or a vehicle logbook. But this is determined by the bail amount. Judges agree on property bonds only if the worth of the asset is more significant than your bail.
Remember that the reason for setting bail high is to ensure that the defendant appears for trial. Thus, the property must be valuable enough for the defendant not to want to lose it, thus appearing in court as required. The judge gives back the property once the court determines your case, despite its outcome.
Surety Bonds
They are the most common bail options in California. Many defendants cannot afford the total bond, considering how high California courts set it. Thus, leaving them with only one choice of seeking alternative ways to afford bail to avoid staying in incarceration long before the conclusion of their cases. That brings us to surety bonds.
A surety bond is paid by a third party called a bail bond company on behalf of a defendant. Bond dealers help defendants who seek their help because they cannot afford the full bail. When you call or email a bond dealer, its agent will process your bail quickly since bond dealers are always ready for these kinds of calls.
A bail agent will take you through the bail process, prepare the documents, and secure your freedom soon after your arrest. Therefore, if you’re unable to raise bail, you can always seek the assistance of a reliable Dana Point bonds dealer to avoid any delays that could leave you locked up longer than necessary.
California Bail Process
It’s necessary to know the bail process in California to prepare yourself for what could happen after an arrest. Once you’re arrested in Dana Point, the arresting officer will take you straight to the station, where you are booked. Booking includes writing down your identifying details like your name, address, contact details, the facts of the case, and any prior arrests you might have encountered in the past.
The booking process is usually followed by your first court appearance when the judge determines your bail. Once you know your bail, you can quickly decide on the bail option that best suits your situation. If the cash bail is too high for you and you cannot afford collateral to bail yourself out, you can quickly call a reliable Dana Point bond dealer of your choice.
Fortunately, Dana Point bond dealers operate round the clock; they know that you can be arrested any time of the day or night. Therefore, you don’t have to wait until morning to call or email a bond dealer.
Again, reliable Dana Point bond dealers allow flexible payment options to ensure that their clients have an easy time making payments. Their services are also affordable. Typically, you’ll pay 10% of the bond as a premium for the services, which will also be the fee for the entire bond service. The only requirement is for you to honor your court dates and adhere to all bail conditions. If all goes as planned and you don’t lose bail, the bond dealer will not incur any loss and will consequently not charge you anything else than the 10% premium.
If your bail is substantial, the bond dealer might require you to provide a guarantee to secure its services. It can be a real estate property or a car. The bond dealer will give you back the collateral after the case conclusion.
Dana Point Jail and Court Info
Jail Information
Sheriff's department in Dana Point, California
Phone: +1 949-770-6011
Court Information
Dana Point City courthouse
Find a Trustworthy Bonds Dealer Near Me
Contact a reputable bond dealer if you’re placed under arrest in Dana Point and would like help to secure your release before trial. An agent will contact you right away to obtain your details and start the bail process. It doesn’t take much time to obtain freedom when working with a bond dealer. Therefore, you’ll not have to remain incarcerated longer than necessary. Steven Mehr Bail Bonds offers reliable 24/7 bail services. Our goal is to ensure that you have enough time to hire a defense attorney, gather evidence, and prepare for trial. Call us at 800-834-8522 right away, and let’s begin to facilitate your release.
