- Details
- Written by Jesse Black
Bail is a term that essentially describes the release of a defendant or even an arrestee, before the criminal case. Bail can, but doesn’t always involve paying money to the court. The money makes sure that the defendant returns to court for the rest of the process. Bail is not a punishment but is instead a way to make sure that defendants do return to court without having to keep them in custody. If you want to make your payment for bail, then you will be glad to know that we now accept contactless payments for bail bond services in California. Click here to find out more.
Contactless Payments we Accept
If you want to make a payment for a bail bond, then you will be glad to know that we accept the following payment methods for your convenience:
- Debit cards
- Credit cards
- PayPal
- Venmo
- Zelle
- Wire transfer
- Western Union
- Ethereum, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
- Cash deposited at any Wells Fargo branch.
You can do this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in California. If you want to find out more about the process of posting bail or if you have been arrested for the first time and wish to find out more about the process in general, then take a look below.
What is Bail Scheduling?
Bail schedules are essentially lists of bail amounts that apply to an individual’s crimes. This applies in any jurisdiction. If you have the state list for bail, then you may find that disorderly conduct is set at $1,000 but $5,000 for burglary. State laws will determine what bail amounts are suitable for every crime and it will also determine whether or not police can release someone without the need for bail. Judges have a lot of latitude when it comes to increasing or decreasing bail and it is all based on when the court feels as though it is appropriate. If you look at California, you will see that a bail hearing has to happen in the event of spousal rape, spousal battery or even in the event of a terrorist threat. In general, a defendant can be released on bail right after they have been booked, if they are able to pay the fee. If law requires them to have a hearing, then they cannot make the payment until the hearing has been completed.
What’s a Bail Hearing?
When a court holds some kind of bail hearing then this will determine how much bail applies to a case. Courts don’t always have to allow bail and if they are allowed by state law, then they can actually deny it.
What Determines the Price of Bail?
There are many different things that will determine the price of bail. Some of them can be found below.
Flight Risk
Some defendants will pose a high flight risk. This could be defendants who are facing a sentence that will impose death or even a long period of incarceration. With serious penalties such as this, someone may be more likely to flee the country.
Community Connections
Someone who has a strong connection to the community, such as someone who has a local business or even someone who has family in the area may not be likely to fail to show up to court, or flee.
Family Obligations
Courts have been, in the past, more likely to impose a much lower bail amount when the defendant is responsible for the general wellbeing of family or other dependents.
Income
Someone who has a lot of income or assets may see a much lower bail amount. A court can consider if a defendant is employed or not and likely to lose their employment as a result of not being able to pay bail or even remaining in custody.
Criminal History
People who have a criminal history, especially those who have a history that is inclusive of them not appearing in court will have a much higher bond amount when compared to those who are in the justice system for the very first time. If a defendant has been granted bail a number of times but has always violated that condition, then they will be given a higher bail amount overall. Bail for someone who has been accused of a minor theft may have their bail set at around $1,000 but if you have someone who is being charged with murder, then the bail amount may be set at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Public Safety
If the release of a defendant would pose as a risk to the health or the safety of others, or even to the community at large then courts will normally refuse any bail at all. If you have someone who is charged with conspiring to commit some kind of terrorism act then they may be denied bail, purely because releasing that person would pose a risk to other people.
Bail Conditions
In addition to determining the bail amount, it is important to know that the defendant may face limitations imposed by the court. These limitations are usually set by the judge at the same time as your bail hearing. If you want to make sure that you understand the limitations set, then a bail bondsman may be able to give you the advice you need. If you want to find out more, then you can make a contactless payment to us at Mr. Nice Guy. You simply need to call us at 844-400-2245 or you can email us if you would prefer. When you get in touch with us, you can then make your payment by credit card, PayPal, Venmo or even by a wire transfer. You can also pay by cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin or even Ethereum. We accept Western Union as well. If you want to find out more about our services, then please contact us today or click here to make some kind of contactless payment to our organization.