Bail is the amount of money you pay to the court to ensure that you would make court appearances after you are released with a pending case. Remaining in jail while you wait for your trial can significantly disrupt your life and take a toll on your mental health. Therefore, the high bail amounts should not discourage you from seeking a release, as a bail bond agent could help you.
At Steven Mehr Bail Bonds, we help defendants post bail at a 10% fee which lessens your financial burden. If you need bail bond services in Torrance, CA, we are here to help you. We will discuss the available options and work towards ensuring a quick release of your loved one from jail.
Bail in California
After an arrest in California, most defendants will need bail to secure a release while the case continues. Bail is a monetary commitment between the court and a criminal defendant, and bail acts as a guarantee of the defendant's return to court for court proceedings or trial. As soon as you are booked into a jail cell, the judge will hold a hearing to set your bail. In California, the judge sets your bail schedules, which indicate the right amount of bail required for each crime.
However, the judge has the discretion to modify the amount indicated on the bail schedules depending on several factors surrounding your case. Some of the factors that could cause the judge to reduce or increase your bail include:
- Your flight risk.
- The strength of the ties you have to the community.
- The severity of the crimes for which you are charged.
- Your ability to pay the bail money.
- Level of threat you would pose to other community members if you are released on bail.
There are several options through which you can pay your bail in California, and they include:
Cash Payment/ Cash Bail
Posting a cash bail is the most common way of securing a release from jail. You can deposit actual cash, a banker's check, or use a credit card. However, you must present the full bail amount before your loved one leaves the jail cell when you opt for cash bail. The downside of using a cash bail is the level of financial scrutiny it attracts. The court must make sure that the source of the funds used to post the bail was obtained legally. The process of a financial investigation could delay the bail posting process meaning that your loved one spends more time behind bars.
Use of Property/ Property Bond
When you do not have enough money to pay a cash bail, you can use the property as a means to secure the release of your loved one. The court specifies the value of property acceptable as bail depending on the defendant’s bail amount. When you use a property bond, the court puts a lien on the property, which can be lifted when the defendant attends the hearing and the case ends.
Before you can put up a property as a bond in California, the court requires that you prove ownership of the property. You can do this by presenting all ownership documents. Also, individuals whose names appear on the property need to be present at the property bond hearings.
Bail Bonds
Posting bail bonds is a common option for defendants who lack enough money or property to post bail. The bail bond process involves the provision of the bail money by a bail bond company, and in return, you pay a service fee of up to 10% of the total bail money. A Torrance bail bond agent will pay your bail and guide you through the challenging bail process.
Immigration Bonds
If you have a relative or friend in the United States illegally, you may be worried about what will happen to them when they face an arrest. Similar to criminal arrests, foreigners arrested and detained by the department of immigration may qualify for an immigration bond to prepare their hearing while at home.
The immigration bail bond begins when an alien faces an arrest and is detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After the arrest, the defendant is taken to federal court for booking. Therefore, an immigration bond will only be posted with the federal government. The federal government is stricter when dealing with bonds. Also, the bond required for these cases is often very high.
An immigration bond works the same as a normal bail bond, and however, it is used for defendants in the country illegally. When you post an immigration bond, you can secure a defendant's release from the ICE. There are several types of immigration bonds serving different purposes in your immigration case, and they include:
Public Charge Bond
A public charge bond aims to prevent the defendant from accepting public assistance from the government. This type of immigration bond is required for defendants who are only rendered inadmissible on the grounds of a public charge. The DHS asserts full discretion on whether to offer to invite you to submit the bond. If you act as a cosigner for a defendant requiring a public charge bond, you will be responsible for the money if they accept public assistance.
When you or your loved one is released from ICE on a public charge bond, they must not accept public benefits for more than twelve months in thirty months. This is because this type of bond is available for defendants who can prove the ability to support themselves financially. A public charge bond remains effective until the applicant requests a cancellation of the bond.
Delivery Bond
If you are arrested and detained by the ICE, you can request a release on a delivery bond. When securing your release on a delivery bond, the court will consider the severity of the defendant's crimes and set the bail amount. Once you post a delivery bond for a loved one, they will be released temporarily with an agreement or return on a scheduled date for their immigration hearing.
Securing a release on delivery bond allows you to hire an immigration attorney to strategize on your case. The most significant advantage of meeting your attorney outside the detention facility is that you can discuss the case freely. A delivery bond will require a warrant of arrest and notice of custody conditions from the ICE.
Voluntary Departure Bond
If a defendant under ICE detention agrees to voluntarily leave the United States within a specified amount of time, the immigration judge can grant them a voluntary departure bond. This will render the need to remove the person from the country void forcefully. Failure to leave the country within the specified time after a voluntary departure bond could result, the court will forfeit the bail. You can post a departure bond through cash or seek bail bonds services.
If you have not left within the specified period after a release on voluntary departure bond, you can be arrested and deported.
Order of Supervision
If the ICE detains your loved one, then releases them, they might receive an order of supervision. The supervision order is handed down to individuals awaiting a court hearing for deportation. The main purpose of this order is to minimize the flight risk. The ICE considers the order of supervision as a humanitarian act towards the immigrants. Also, the order directs an individual to report to the ICE regularly and agree to the specific conditions set by the immigration judge.
Not all defendants will qualify for an immigration bond. Since the ICE will consider your criminal history when allowing you to post the immigration, you should not have a record for severe offenses like sexual assault, murder, or aggravated assault. Even when you did not face a conviction for the crimes, having an arrest record could affect your chances of securing an immigration bond. An individual must already be in the United States before applying for the immigration bond.
If you win your immigration case and remain a citizen of the United States, you will receive the bail bond money back. Deportation, whether done forcefully or voluntarily, ends your immigration case, and therefore, it will not affect your ability to recover your bond money. An immigration bond can only be forfeited when a defendant fails to show up. If you enlist the services of a Torrance bail bonds agent, they may use a bounty hunter to find you if you attempt to flee and avoid the immigration consequences.
If you are deported from the United States, you will need to wait up to ten years before reentering the country and attempting to gain citizenship.
Bail Bonds Frequently Asked Questions
Bail bonds are like a loan you secure with a bail bonds company. Bail bonds come with a high risk since failure to appear for a court hearing will result in bail forfeiture and loss of the money put up as bail. Luckily, Torrance bail bonds agents are willing to take the risk and post your bail at an affordable fee. The bail process can be challenging, especially when posting cash bail. The following are some frequently asked questions on bail bonds:
1) Does an Arrest Result in Immediate Jail Time?
When you face an arrest in California, the police officer will take you to the police station booked into a jail cell. If the prosecutor or district attorney does not file criminal charges against you, you will not need to spend more time in jail. Therefore, you will be released without a need to post bail if charges are filed against you. You can either remain in jail awaiting your trial or post bail to secure a release. However, sometimes the prosecutor may recommend that you be released in your recognizance. In this case, you do not make a monetary commitment but promise to show up for your court dates as scheduled.
2) How Do You Obtain A Bail Bond?
After you are arrested and booked in a jail cell, the bail schedule will dictate the amount of bail you must pay to secure a defendant's release. When you learn about your loved one's arrest, and you lack the amount required for cash bail, you can contact a bail bond company to help you post your loved one's bail. Once you contact the bail bond company, they will send a bail bond agent to post your bail and provide guidance for the defendant throughout the process.
Before offering bail bonds for a defendant, the bond agent will assess the defendant's flight risk. Also, your ability to pay for your loved one's bail bond premium may affect the agent's decision to offer the defendant a bail bond. A bail bond will need a defendant to have a cosigner like normal loans. If you cosign a bail bond for your loved one, you will be financially responsible for the bail bond. Also, you must ensure that the defendant needs all court obligations, including attending the trial.
3) Who Are Bounty Hunters?
With the high risk associated with the bail bonds, the bail bond company is always cautious to avoid losing their money if you skip bail. To avoid such inconveniences, Torrance bail bonds agents hire the services of bounty hunters. A bounty hunter is a professional trained to find defendants who attempt to flee and return them to court.
Jails in Torrance, CA:
Torrance City Jail
Courts Serving Torrance, CA:
Torrance Courthouse
Find a Torrance Bail Bonds Agent Near Me
Posting bail helps you secure a release from jail, which greatly benefits your mental health when battling criminal charges. However, bail in California could be expensive, and many defendants might find it challenging to raise the needed cash. Fortunately for you, a bail bonds company could help you secure the release at an affordable fee.
If you or your loved one needs bail bond services, we invite you to contact Steven Mehr Bail Bonds. Our Torrance bail bond agents will post your bail quickly and with the utmost discretion to ensure you or your loved one does not spend unnecessary time in jail. Call us today at 800-834-8522 to discuss your case.
