The Bail Process

Santa Barbara Bail Bond Company

After a suspect is arrested and charged with a criminal offense, two actions can occur. The first is that the arrested person will have to post bail. The second is that he or she will be held in custody until trial, which can take weeks or months. At the local county jail, the charges will be processed and the amount of bail will be set.

Bail is the amount of money used to ensure that the defendant will show up for his or her court date. Your next step is to speak with a Santa Barbara bail bond agent from our company and to come to an agreement. Whether you negotiate with the bondsman yourself or a family member does on your behalf, an agreement can be signed so that bail can be posted.

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Making an agreement with a bondsman will secure your release from jail so that you can be free while waiting for your court date. If the criminal defendant is present at the court appearances, bail is returned in its entirety. If the defendant skips bail and does not appear at the hearing, bail is then surrendered. Only very few exceptions to this rule exist, such as unforeseeable emergency situations or miscommunications regarding the court date. If bail is paid by a bail bond and bail is skipped, then the agent can locate the defendant and have him or her surrender to the court.

Setting the Bail Amount

Prior to the formal trial, the judge can review the case and set the amount of bail, which is usually based on a combination of factors, such as:

• Bail schedule
• Perceived flight of risk
• Perceived danger to community

Bail is typically set at a minimum of a few thousand dollars. The amount of bail can either be paid in full to the court by the defendant or by another on behalf of the defendant. Contact 101 Bail Bonds today for information on how we can help you through the process.