The police in Whittier, CA, are always on the lookout, ensuring that everyone abides by state and federal laws. Anyone caught in the act or suspected of committing an offense is arrested on the spot. It means that arrests happen when suspects least expect them. That is why it is likely to interfere with your life and all the plans you have for the day and days to come. Remaining jailed would mean more significant interruptions to your life. You need to learn about pretrial releases and how you can benefit.
California law allows suspects to be released on bail before trial. You post bail to assure the court of your willingness to make court appearances until the conclusion of the case. If bail is higher than your financial ability, you can choose to partner with a bond dealer in obtaining your pretrial release soon after arrest. Steven Mehr Bail Bonds will help you secure a quicker release from incarceration in Whittier. We have timely, fast, and reliable bail bonds services.
Why Bail Is Crucial
Arrests are conducted randomly, with no prior warning. They come as a surprise for many and even for habitual offenders. Thus, you will likely face arrest as you carry on with your day-to-day life. The police could find you at work, at home, in the streets, at school, or even in the church. When the police obtain an arrest warrant for you, the order requires them to arrest you whenever they see you, regardless of the day or time. Therefore, an arrest will likely interfere with your life. For instance, if arrested in the streets, workplace, or school, the police officers will not allow you time to say goodbye to your loved ones. You will only be allowed a phone call after the booking.
Arrests are hard for all people, including employees, employers, and family men/women. You are not able to do much while behind bars. An employee could lose their job. A student might be discontinued from the school system. Your children and other dependents will suffer in your absence.
There is a need to consider all that and seek ways to avoid the uncertainties that come with sudden arrests. That is why California laws allow trial courts and judges to allow suspects to await trial out of incarceration. That way, the suspect can return to their life. It minimizes the issues likely to be experienced if the person remains incarcerated for a more extended period.
However, California trial courts must find a way to ensure that the defendant will honor all court-ordered appearances. The easiest way out is to post bail to guarantee their court appearances. Bail could be in the form of money, property, or bail bond. Money and property are mainly used as bait to ensure that the defendant appears for trial until the end of their case. If not, the court will keep the money, resulting in a significant loss for the suspect. A substantial amount of money is used as bail for suspects not to skip bail.
Bail is crucial in so many ways. For instance, it keeps trial courts in California from violating a defendant’s rights to be innocent until proven guilty. Incarceration is only allowed after one is found guilty of the charges they face, and the offense’s penalty provides for it. Keeping a suspect behind bars before the resolution of their case is violating their rights. However, there are exceptions for this, for instance, if the defendant is considered a safety risk to the public.
Bail enables the California justice system to minimize the costs of keeping suspected offenders. It costs the taxpayer a lot of money to keep a suspect in custody, even for a day. The costs would be significantly higher if all suspects remained jailed after arrest and even after trial.
Bail also ensures a fair trial for all. If a suspect remains in custody, they will have limited resources to prepare well for the trial. Allowing a suspect time to plan for trial ensures that they have the right tools, sufficient evidence, and legal help for a fair trial.
What To Do After Arrest
As previously mentioned, arrests are marred with a lot of uncertainties. It is the reason why many suspects and their families worry after an arrest. However, the California legal system is not complicated. The police, judges, and everyone involved, follow a particular legal process. Knowing that process would minimize the worry and help you plan.
After arrest, you are taken through booking, whereby the officer records your personal details and details of your case. The officer will require your official name, date of birth, state and area of residence, and employment details. The officer will also take your fingerprints to help determine your criminal record from the police database. Finally, the officer will record facts of the underlying case, including the offense for which you were arrested.
You will likely be detained after your booking. Within 48 hours of your arrest, the officer will arraign you before a magistrate for your bail hearing. The magistrate will consider the circumstances of your charges and your criminal record during the hearing to decide whether or not you are suitable for bail. It means that the judge may or may not grant you bail. Fortunately for you, most defendants qualify for bail in California unless under specific conditions. For example, if you face charges for a severe or violence-related felony, your community might be safer and better off if you remained in jail.
If you are suitable for bail, the judge will set the amount. The judge’s decision is based on several factors, including the bail schedule the courts within Whittier use, your criminal history, and the seriousness of the offense. The bail schedule sets the pace for the judge’s decision. He/she can increase or lower the amount, depending on those other factors. For instance, bail for a first-offender will likely be lower or equal to the amount available on the bail schedule. Your bail could be higher and unaffordable if your charges involve a more severe crime.
You can petition the judge to reduce your bail to a much more affordable amount. However, that could work in specific circumstances. For example, if you have legal representation, your attorney might compel the judge to lower the amount and assure the court of your willingness to make all court-ordered appearances. The judge could also reduce your bail if you have strong ties within your community. Strong ties show that you’ll stay within the trial court’s jurisdiction throughout the bail period.
If you are okay with the bail amount, you should start preparing to post your bail. If you have the amount required, you can post cash bail, sign the release documents and return to your life. If you do not have ready cash but have family and friends that could help, they can fundraise within the shortest time possible. If you do not wish to involve your family or friends and have a valuable asset like a car, home, land, or business premise, you can use it as a property bond to guarantee your appearances in court. The last option you have, and the most common in Whittier, is surety bonds.
Most defendants consider bail bonds because they are fast, reliable, and affordable. Bail bonds eliminate the need to fundraise among family and friends or sell assets and other properties to raise bail. They eliminate the possibility of remaining incarcerated before trial for lack of sufficient funds or valuable assets to post bail. However, you must identify a reliable bonds dealer in Whittier to help with bonds for your pretrial release.
The Role of a Bond Dealer
Bond dealers play a very crucial role in the California justice system. They ensure that defendants who qualify for bail but cannot afford it receive financial help and support to guarantee their freedom. Bond dealers are mainly third-party companies that offer bail bonds for a profit. They charge a fee, which is usually regulated to a maximum of ten percent of the total bail.
A bond dealer will ask you to deposit a particular amount to start bail processing. After paying the premium, an agent will post your bail by acting as a surety and pledging to pay the entire bail to the court if you fail to make all court-ordered appearances. Premium is non-refundable. It will serve as the fee for your bond. Most companies will not charge you anything more than the premium.
Experienced bail bonds in Whittier are reliable. They have worked with local jails and courts for some time. Therefore, they will process your bail quite fast. It is advisable to engage the services of an experienced bond dealer. That will eliminate any delay that might leave you jailed for longer than is needed.
However, bond dealers must protect themselves against any loss if a defendant forfeits bail. When that happens, the court will expect the bond dealer to honor its pledge by paying the full bail to the court. That will leave the company counting significant losses. For that reason, bond dealers ask for collateral to guarantee their services. The defendant or his/her family must provide something of value to the bond dealer as a security for bail bonds.
Additionally, you need a cosigner. It must be someone that has the financial ability to pay the entire bail if you skip bail. A cosigner will agree to assume responsibility if the defendant forfeits bail.
Bond dealers are likely to trust a defendant and offer their services when the collateral and a cosigner are present in the deal.
The Right Bail Bonds for Your Situation
Several companies offer bail bonds in Whittier. You have to choose the right one for your specific needs. When selecting a bond dealer, several factors come into play, including:
The Cost
The cost of bonds should be a significant concern if you wish to avoid incurring unnecessary expenses. An arrest comes when you least expect it. Therefore, any cost that comes with the arrest is usually unbudgeted. As previously mentioned, the standard charge for bail bonds in California is ten percent of your bail. Choose a company that could charge less than that to reduce the overall cost.
The Reliability
It helps to partner with a reliable bond service whenever you face arrest. It is the only assurance you have of being free before trial. Choose a company that does what it promises. A reliable Whittier Bail Bondsman should process your bail in minutes.
Additionally, choose a bail bond agent that operates throughout the day and night. It will reduce the length of time you’ll have to remain incarcerated. Every minute counts when one is in a dire situation, and your bond dealer should know that.
The Convenience
You should be able to contact and communicate with the bond dealer at your convenience without necessarily visiting their offices. The good news is that reliable Whittier bail bonds are available online and over the phone. You can quickly make inquiries and even start the bail process without physically meeting the bail agent.
Your chosen bond dealer should also offer convenience during payment. Choose a company that offers several payment plans and options.
Jail Information
Whittier Police Station Jail
Court Information
Whittier Courthouse
Find the Right Bail Bonds Near Me
If you crash with law enforcement officers in Whittier, CA, you shouldn't worry about spending weeks or even days behind bars. Bail bonds make it easier for defendants to obtain pretrial release minutes after arrest. If you qualify for bail, your only concern should be finding the right bond dealer in town. Steven Mehr bail Bonds are the choice for many due to our reliability and affordability. Our bail bonds services are available 24/7 to minimize the time you might spend behind bars. Call us at 800-834-8522 for more information and help with bail.
