If you or your loved one has been arrested in Contra Costa County, CA, it helps to know that you can regain your freedom before your case is determined. California law allows arrestees to be released on bond from jail to prepare and wait for their trial out of incarceration. However, the court will expect you to post bail for this release. Bail is a predetermined amount paid to assure the court of your willingness to appear for your trial.
However, bail is not always affordable, prompting you to seek alternative means of freeing yourself from incarceration. A Contra Costa bail bond company will help you out by paying a surety bond and agreeing to assume responsibility if you fail to appear. We offer reliable bail bond services at Mr Nice Guy bail bonds, so you won’t have to remain behind bars longer than you should.
What Happens After Arrest in Contra Costa County
The police can arrest you for two main reasons in California: if they suspect you of committing a criminal act, or the police have caught you red-handed committing a crime. If the police suspect you of breaking the law, they’ll obtain an arrest warrant for you from a court judge. The warrant allows the police to arrest you on the spot, from anywhere you could be, whether at home, workplace, school, or even in the church. Therefore, an arrest is quite intimidating.
Unfortunately, the intimidation doesn’t end there. The police will lock you up in jail even before a judge determines your case. You could remain in jail until your trial date if you don’t post bail for your release. Fortunately for you, the law allows you to guarantee your release from incarceration until the dissolution of your case. But the judge has to be sure that you’ll appear for your trial on the scheduled date. That‘s why sometimes the bail amount is set high. A high amount is likely to discourage suspects who aren’t sure of their court appearance.
The advantage is that an arrest in Contra Costa County does not always mean that you are guilty of the charges you face. The police arrest some people for the wrong reasons. Others face arrest after another person falsely reports to the police. You have to undergo trial for the judge to determine whether or not you are guilty as charged. The police can only arrest you if the court receives sufficient evidence that you are guilty. Before this, the law allows you to go on with your life, at least until the determination of your case.
There are exceptions for this, though. A judge will not grant bail for you if he/she feels that you might not appear for trial. Also, people suspected of serious or violent felonies might not qualify for bail to protect members of the public. If your case doesn’t fall in any of these categories, you may be eligible for bail. Simply inquire about your bail from the arresting officer to determine how much you could pay for your freedom. You might be required to make your first appearance in court, where a judge will evaluate the amount of your bail. Once you make the payment, you will be free to go home.
In rare cases, you might be eligible for freedom from jail without posting bail. The judge might decide to release you on your personal recognizance. This option usually is available for low-level and first-time defendants.
Note that bail is refundable. The court is required to refund the total bail amount after the dissolution of your case. However, you might forfeit bail if you fail to appear for your trial on the predetermined dates.
What is Bail Bonds
As earlier mentioned, sometimes bail is set too high for various reasons. A California court could set a high bail for serious criminal offenses to discourage offenders from posting bail, thereby protecting public members. The severity of the crime usually determines the bail amount. If your case involves aggravating factors, like committing a crime against a minor (an individual below 18), your bail will be higher than when a similar offense is committed against an adult.
When your bail is set too high, you may not afford to guarantee your release from incarceration. Sometimes families require more time to raise the amount needed. It means that you might have to remain in confinement much longer than intended. To avoid this, you could engage the services of a bail bond company. The company can assure the court of your willingness to attend the trial by agreeing to take responsibility if you fail to appear on the set date.
Therefore, a bail bond is a surety bond provided to a court by a bail bond company through its agent to secure your freedom from jail. Since the bail bond company is in business, you will be expected to pay a small percentage of your bail as a premium. The money is non-refundable as it constitutes the fee you’ll pay for the bail bonds services.
The bail process, when working with a bond dealer, is usually straightforward. Once you determine your bail from the arresting officer or after your first appearance, you immediately contact a reliable bond dealer if you cannot afford to pay bail. The company will send its agent right away to kickstart the bail process, so you’ll not have to spend more time in jail.
A reliable Contra Costa County bond dealer will offer services both online and on the phone. Thus, you’ll not have to go to the bail bond company to be assisted. The agent can obtain crucial information on the phone to fill up the required documents for your release quickly.
As previously stated, you only pay a small percentage of your bail, say 10%, as a fee for bail bonds services. That could be the only amount you’ll be expected to pay for your freedom. You’ll also be required to assure the bail bonds agent of your commitment to appear in court for trial. If you don’t appear, the court will charge the bail bondsman the entire bail amount.
Bail bond companies usually request collateral to cover risks like these. You or one family member will be required to provide collateral. If you appear in court on the set date, the court will dissolve bail, and the bail bond company will return the collateral to the person who provided it. On the other hand, if you don’t appear in court, you forfeit the bail. The court will charge the bail bondsman the whole bail amount, and the bail bond company will sell the collateral to recover the money.
Types of Bail Available in Contra Costa County
Different types of bonds are available in California. They are offered according to the various situations defendants find themselves in. Some are common, while others are only available in severe cases. The most common bail bonds you can find in Contra Costa County are:
Cash Bonds
It is the type of bond in which you are required to post bail in cash before your release from incarceration. It usually applies when the bail amount is not high and affordable to the defendant or their family. When paying cash bail, the court will expect you to produce a money order or banker’s cheque of your entire bail amount. The money will be received by the court clerk and refunded after the determination of your case.
Surety Bonds
It is the most popular type of bond in California, partly because bail is usually high and unaffordable for most defendants or their families. A surety bond is when you (the defendant) seek the assistance of a bail bond company to secure your freedom from jail. Much about surety bonds has been discussed above. The availability of reliable Contra Costa County bail bond companies makes it easy for most defendants to secure their release before trial. The other advantage is that bail bonds services are easy to access today, including online or over the phone.
Unsecured Bonds
An unsecured bond is when the court doesn’t expect you to pay for your release using money or the title of a valuable asset. You only need to agree to appear in court as required, failure to which you will take responsibility to pay the entire bail.
Property Bonds
Only a few defendants qualify for an unsecured bond, primarily first-time offenders or those suspected of low-level crimes. In most cases, the court will expect you to guarantee your release using cash or property. In this case, you will give the equity of your property to the court. The value of the said property must be higher than the bail amount. The court will hold onto that guarantee until it concludes your case. Property bonds are usually used in severe cases that require a more significant bail amount.
Federal Bonds
You are eligible for a federal bond if you face federal charges. This type of bond works similarly to the surety bond, though federal bonds are usually costlier.
Why Do You Need a Bail Bond Service After Arrest?
An arrest comes at a time when you are least prepared. It disrupts your social, employment, or school life. If you remain in jail until the conclusion of your case, you miss a lot in the life you live. For instance, you’ll not attend school, go to work or even be with your friends and family. Your life doesn’t have to come to a standstill even when you can’t afford to post your bail. Bail bond companies help in a lot more ways than one:
You Cannot Afford to Remain in Jail
No one deserves to remain in incarceration much longer than they should. California law doesn’t even allow suspects to remain in custody for a long time without trial. As previously discussed, only in rare cases will the police release you without bail.
You lose so much time while in incarceration, the time you may never recover. For instance, you could lose your job for missing work, or the school could expel you for missing classes. You cannot afford to remain much longer in jail than you should.
Additionally, you need sufficient time to plan for the trial. You can only do this when you are free. You need to hire a lawyer, gather evidence, and prepare a strong defense against your charges.
A Bail Bondsman Saves You Money
Since arrests happen when we are least prepared, you are never ready to post bail for your release. Sometimes bail is set too high to raise in just a few hours. A reliable Contra Costa County bond dealer will offer affordable bail services, thereby saving you a lot of money. Bail bond companies provide their services at about 10% of the bail amount, which is the money you raise for your release. You might not spend more money than that if you appear for trial.
To Avoid Disposing of Your Assets
Bail is usually set high and so is unaffordable for many families. Some people have no choice but to sell off their assets to raise bail money. You can avoid this if you engage the services of a Contra Costa bail bondsman. Some assets are of fundamental value. Others are still handy. Selling them to raise bail money could translate to a significant loss. Working with a bond dealer eliminates all the worry of raising so much money in a short period. You only need to pay a small fraction of the bail money for the bail bonds agent to guarantee your release.
To Enjoy Flexible Payment Options
Most families today live from hand to mouth. It means that they cannot raise a large sum of money even for an important course. Given time, these families can put together a large amount through hard work and dedication. Contra Costa County bond dealers understand this. That is why they offer flexible payment opinions to allow their clients to pay at their own pace after being released from jail. If you do not have a job, you can find employment and work hard towards paying for the bail services. By doing this, bail bond companies make bail services affordable for all.
Conditions for Bail
A California court will only release you from jail on specific conditions called conditions for bail. The court expects you to meet the end of your bargain and ensure you cooperate throughout the bail period. In most cases, the court imposes general and specific conditions by which you must adhere to avoid forfeiting bail. Some of them are:
Appearing in Court
The primary condition for bail in California is ensuring you honor your court date. California judges will not sign the release forms if you haven’t convinced them of your willingness to appear for trial. If you don’t appear, you’ll be re-arrested and could forfeit the bail.
House Arrest
Some cases will expect you to be under house arrest. You will have an electronic monitoring device to keep the police notified of your every movement. If you violate this condition, you could be re-arrested and not granted bail again.
Travel Restrictions
The court will impose a condition that will keep you within the county until the determination of your case. Thus, you may not be allowed to travel out of a particular jurisdiction until the resolution of your matter. The judge might even ask you to surrender your driver’s license, passport, and other traveling documents if they feel that you might flee from the county. Violating this condition calls for a re-arrest.
Adherence to Court Orders
You could be required to abide by specific court orders like a restraining order. It is a particular condition imposed based on the nature of your case. For instance, if the police arrest you for a domestic violence case, you may be granted bail on the condition that you’ll stay away from your alleged victim, at least for the bail period.
Restraining from Violating the Law
It is a general bail condition in California, whereby the judge requires you to stay out of trouble at least for the period you will be out on bail. Committing another offense calls for a re-arrest and a possibility of being denied bail.
Contra Costa County Court and Jail House Information
Courthouse Information
Superior Court Of California, Contra Costa County
Phone: (925) 608-1000
Jail House Information
Martinez Detention Facility
1000 Ward Street, Martinez, CA 94553
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway, Richmond, CA 94806
Marsh Creek Detention Facility
12000 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton, CA 94517
Find a Reliable Contra Costa Bail Bonds Services Near Me
If you or your loved one has been arrested in Contra Costa County, CA, it helps to determine a way in which you could secure their release. You could pay cash bail. But if the bail is set higher than you can afford, a bail bond company can help. Fortunately for you, we have dependable bail bonds services at Contra Costa County, CA. At Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds, we will be with you right through the process until the end of your case. Call us at 844-400-2245, and let us begin the bail process.
