FAQs

The following is a list of questions that our clients frequently ask us:
If you or your loved one has been arrested, you may be wondering what next. California’s criminal justice system can be complicated. It is not straightforward, and a newbie could be lost on what to do next. The greatest concern for most people is how long they will be kept in custody before a judge determines their case. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor.
Bail is a set of restrictions imposed on a suspect before trial to ensure that they will not interfere with the judicial process. It is the conditional release of a defendant by the court, with the promise that the defendant will appear in court as required.
In California, the release from jail is done after the defendant pays a certain amount of money to the court. The money is usually refundable after the conclusion of your case, and the court establishes that you did not violate any conditions of your release.
Yes. The judge can deny you bail for various reasons. First, if you have committed a serious offense whose penalty is death. As previously mentioned, serious offenders in California might never be released back to the community before trial. The judge can only speed up the trial to avoid keeping them in jail for much longer than the constitution allows.
The judge could deny you bail if there is a parole hold. A parole hold occurs when the parole officer has reasons to believe that you violated the conditions of your parole and are likely to endanger others or flee. If a court imposes a parole hold, you will be detained and cannot be released on bail.

You can post bail in cash or through the help of a bail bondsman.

If you can afford the bail amount, you’ll make payment using a cashier’s or certified check, traveler’s check, or money order. In some cases, the police or a court clerk might accept payment through a personal check.

Note that the court won’t accept your money if the source of those funds is implicated in a criminal case. For instance, you cannot post bail from an account believed to belong to a criminal organization. 

The most straightforward way you can forfeit a bond is by failing to show up in court on the scheduled date. Remember that release on bail happens before trial. You have to go back to court for trial and the conclusion of your case.

Failing to appear for trial is a criminal offense, punishable by law. You could also lose the bail amount you’ve paid to the court for your release.

If you had sought the help of a bail bondsman to secure your release from jail, the court would issue a notice to your bail agent. At the same time, the court issues a warrant of arrest to the police. The police and the bail bond agent will start looking for you and could arrest you on sight.

If the judge rules that you have lost the bail amount, the bail bondsman will initiate a process to recover the money paid for your release. If you had put up security for your bond, the bail bondsman might sell it to recover its money.

You could also forfeit a bond if you fail to abide by other significant conditions for release. For instance, fleeing the jurisdiction right before your court date could be considered an attempt to avoid trial. 

Bail bond companies are expected to be confidential. It feels great sharing your arrest information with an agent you are sure you can trust. Your bail bond agent will require specific details when securing your release from jail. Knowing you can trust the agent makes it easy for you to provide this information.

The agent will want to know where you or your loved one is kept in custody. You need to know the state, county, city, and name of the jail. It will make it easy for the agent to trace the person whose release from jail they are expected to secure.

The agent will also ask for the full name of the defendant and their jail number. The information will be needed when the agent contacts the jail to inquire about the defendant’s bail.

The agent will need to know the total bail amount. You will be given this information on your first arraignment when the judge determines your eligibility for bail and how much it should be. If your case doesn’t need a bail hearing, the arresting officer can tell you how much bail you need to pay for your release.

Your bail agent will probably want to know whether you will willingly appear in court on the set date and if you are planning to relocate to another county or state.

If the bail amount is high, the agent might want you to secure the bond just to be sure of your willingness to appear and abide by the court conditions until the conclusion of your case. 

When an individual is arrested and bail is set by the court, the defendant can secure his/her release from custody by posting cash bail directly with the court. If the defendant is unable to secure the full amount of bail, they can contact a bail agency and inquire about purchasing a bail bond. By purchasing a bail bond, the defendant agrees to pay an insurance premium for the use of the bond, during the duration of their criminal case. A “bail bond” is an insurance contract between the defendant, the bail agency and the court. The defendant agrees to appear in court, or pay the face amount of bail to the bail agency.

 The bail agency agrees to guarantee the defendant’s appearance in court, or pay the face amount of bail to the court. Once the defendant has made all required appearances, the bail bond is exonerated both the defendant and bail agency are relieved of liability. Depending on the amount of bail and charges against the defendant, the bail agency may require the defendant to have a co-signor or “indemnitor” guarantee the bail contract. The bail agency may also require the defendant (or co-signor) to deposit collateral (cash, real estate, etc.) for the duration of the criminal case. At the conclusion of the defendant’s hearings, the bail Bonds agency will return all collateral to the depositor.

While the release process is different in every community jail, the average time between the first call to Lakewood Bail Bonds and the time when the defendant is released from custody is approximately 1 to 6 hours. The primary factor is the time it takes the jail to process the defendant for release once the bond has been delivered to the jail. Lakewood Bail Bonds cannot expedite the release of an arrested individual once the bond has been delivered to the jail

Yes, most bail bonds are negotiated and approved over the phone with the defendant from custody or the co-signor from their home or place of work.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Zelle, personal checks, money
orders and cash

Depending on the amount of bail and charges against the defendant, the bail agency may require the defendant to have a co-signor or “indemnitor” guarantee the bail contract. The bail agency may also require the defendant (or co-signor) to deposit collateral (cash, real estate, etc.) for the duration of the criminal case. At the conclusion of the defendant’s hearings, the bail bonds company will return all collateral to the depositor.

Depending on jail release times, the bail process usually takes between 1 to 6 hours. Once the bail bond is delivered to the jail, the Lakewood Bail Bonds has no control over when the defendant is released. The defendant may experience additional delays depending on number of other individuals who are also in the release process.

The bail bond premium is non-refundable once the arrested individual is released from jail. Fees are also non-refundable in the event charges are not filed by the court. In the event the defendant is not released, or is released on their own recognizance, all monies paid to Lakewood Bail Bonds are refunded.

The co-signor has is responsible for the full amount of bail in the event the defendant does on appear in court, and cannot be returned to court/custody within 180 days of the failure to appear. This includes any expenses paid by the bail agency in an effort to guarantee the defendant’s appearance (investigations, legal, and court fees). The most important thing is to make sure the defendant appears for all required court appearances.

If a defendant misses a court, the most important thing to do is call Lakewood Bail Bonds and arrange for a bail bond reinstatement. A bail bond reinstatement is a notice from the bail agent to the court stating that the arrested individual plans to voluntarily return to the court. The notice also states that the bail agent agrees to remain responsible for the bail bond. If the defendant does not agree to a bail bond reinstatement, the bail agency will assign a private investigator to locate the defendant and return them to the custody of the court.

Yes, you can post a bail bond if you learn that you have a warrant. In most instances, the bail Bond Company can schedule a time to meet at the appropriate law enforcement office (jail, sheriff, etc.) and post the bail bond without the defendant being booked into custody.