How exactly does bail work?
The Bail Bond Process
The following is typical in most California jails. Please keep in mind that each case is different, and that prior arrest records, volume of people being arrested and processed, and overall conditions at the jail can greatly impact the time required for booking.
Please call us at 1-866-886-1999 for timely updates and specific information regarding your case. You may also call the jail information numbers included in the website to find out the defendants status at any given time. The defendant is not always able to contact you from jail, so it is best you initiate the contact with the jail and Abierto 24/7 to gather any available information. We always have a live bondsmen available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without exception.
Arrest and Booking Procedures
When the arresting officer takest the person to jail, he or she is now in the process of being "booked" for their particular offense. The booking process is generally very slow, so please be patient. During this process the jail is running the arrestee's name and fingerprints searching for any other pending warrrants in other states and cities. If any other warrants do arise there may be additional charges and bails assigned to the defendant. Once the identity is verified a picture is taken, and a booking number is assigned. The defendant is also given a court date, along with a bail amount. The bail amount generally coincides with the charges.
Please be aware there is no way anybody outside the jail can intitiate a direct contact with the defendant. If a defendant has called you, let them know you have called Abierto 24/7 Bail Bonds and to not hire or work with another agency. If more than one agency becomes involved, a lot of confusion might occur, which will delay a defendant's release from jail.
The Bail Bond
If a customer chooses to secure a bail bond, the customer will need to fill out bail bond forms including an application, and idemnitors agreement and a reciept. Collateral is sometimes needed to secure some bonds, and to extend credit. Collateral such as a deed of a house is not always needed and varies from case to case.
Bail premiums (costs) are regulated by the state of California and are non-negotiable. The cost of a bail bond is 10% of the bail amount. So if the defendant has a 10,000 bail the premium would be $1,000, and is non-refundable once the defendant is released. We do offer a 20% discount to union members and attorney referrals as we have secured special permession by the state to offer this unique discount to those who qualify. Each bail agency is regulated by the State of California and is obligated by these pricing standards. We are one of the few companies that offer any kind of discount to union members.
Abierto 24/7 can process your bail by fax in just a few minutes or we can have a licensed bail bond agent come to you. After the bail bond paperwork is finished, a licensed agent will post the bail bond at the facility where the defendant is located. Once the bond has been posted is typically can take 6-8 hours for the defendant to be released. Abierto 24/7 will give you a good idea of what to expect for the release time of any facility in California as each varies.