If you cannot afford your bail after your arrest in California, you may be held in police custody as you await your trial. On the other hand, if the bail amount has been set too high, it may put an unnecessary strain on you as well as your finances. However, when you choose to work with an experienced bondsman, you have the chance to recover your freedom.
At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we recognize the stress associated with being held behind bars and we can help you regardless of your situation. We pride ourselves on helping our clients in Hermosa Beach regain their freedom at any time of day or night.
Understanding How Local Hermosa Beach Bail Bonds Work
Bail is the sum that the court requires you to pay so that your release is secured. Following your arrest, your first court hearing, also referred to as the arraignment, will be held to decide on the bail amount you will be required to post.
Bail is a guarantee that you will appear in court on all scheduled dates. There are some factors that the court will put into consideration when deciding on the amount of bail that you will be needed to post. However, judges also have the authority to raise or lower the bail amount. You could also be released on your own recognizance. In this case, you are not required to post any bail. Sometimes, however, you can be denied bail altogether.
There are 3 main ways for making bail:
Cash Bail
To make bail using cash, you need to have the whole sum at hand or you could use a personal check, cashier’s check, or even a traveler’s check. Once you show up for all your court proceedings, the court shall give back the sum you paid after the trial has been completed.
If you used cash bail to pay for your loved one’s release and they fled, the court will grant you a period of 6 months to find and bring the defendant back to custody. If not, the amount you posted will be forfeited.
Property Bond
Here, you guarantee that you will show up in court by making bail using the value of actual property. The court will evaluate and unveil any liens on the property. The court will accept the property bond and free the detainee from custody, on condition that the equity in that property is adequate and the court is satisfied. However, failing to show up in court for your court hearing will lead to a foreclosure on the property to recover the amount.
Bail Bond
Many defendants choose to use bail bonds when they do not have enough money to make bail. This is usually a contractual agreement that’s set between the bail bonds agent and the defendant. According to the contract, you as the defendant consent to attending every scheduled court proceeding. You are required to pay the bail bonds agent a non-refundable fee, which is often 10% of the total bail amount.
Hermosa Beach Bail Process
Even though the bail process is often similar throughout a county, certain sheriff or police stations likely have rules or guidelines of their own when it concerns releasing a defendant from custody. The city is serviced by the Hermosa Beach Police Department, which houses a jail facility.
When someone is arrested for breaking the law, they are taken to the Hermosa Beach jail where he/she will go through a procedural check-up and be processed into custody. Often, the offender will be fingerprinted and then DNA samples will be taken during the booking process.
The offender will then be given a booking number and his or her fingerprints will then be sent to the Department of Justice for a background check as well as to find out if he or she has any pending legal issues that may prevent them from securing their release.
Once the background check has been completed and it has been determined that there are no active warrants on the offender, bail may be posted using a certified bail bondsman. When you get in touch with your preferred bail bonds agent, he or she will contact the Hermosa Beach Police to collect all the necessary information that is required to post your bail and have you released.
The agent will meet with you at the police station. Here you will go through certain paperwork that includes but is not limited to your bail application.
When you are done and the bail has been posted, you will be released. You will also be given a date on which you shall be required to appear in court. You are needed to appear in court on all scheduled dates till the trial has ended and your bond has been exonerated. When you violate the orders given by the court, you could be rearrested.
Bail Schedules
Judges are in charge of setting the amount of bail for defendants. Bail schedules are reviewed annually. The kind of offense you have been accused of often dictates the bail amount. If the crime is severe or there is a probability that you will serve prison or jail time, the bail amount is likely to be set higher than that of a minor crime.
The judge puts into consideration factors such as the public’s safety or if the defendant is considered a flight risk.
Cons of Using Bail Schedules
Many defendants are held in custody for more serious crimes under the given circumstances. If, for example, you are caught with drugs, you will probably be charged with drug possession rather than drug trafficking if there is enough evidence that suggests you had the drugs.
This means that the bail amount in your case could be higher than usual. The prosecutor can then lower your charges however this will not affect the sum you are required to pay under the schedule.
Can Your Bail Be Denied?
The judge could deny you bail if there is an active parole hold, if you pose a threat to the public in general, or if the crime you committed is punishable by the death penalty. For the judge to consider you a threat to the public, you might have committed either sex assault crimes or certain categories of felonies. If you are charged with another offense, the bail set will be a matter of right.
The judge could deny you bail if you:
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Committed a violent crime and if your release poses a risk of bodily injury to someone else
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Committed a felony sexual offense and your release poses a risk of substantial physical harm to someone else
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If you have been charged with a felony for threatening your victim with substantial bodily harm and there is a possibility that you will execute that threat
When bail is denied, the judge needs to have credible evidence of the underlying circumstances of your case. If the offense you are accused of is eligible for bail, the judge can deny bail because of the reasons below:
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Your criminal background. If you have been charged with a crime several times, the judge might decide to deny you bail. The court will be doubtful of your credibility if you have shown that you can’t be trusted
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If you are a flight risk. You will be denied bail if you are considered a flight risk or if you have previously skipped bail. Some defendants might flee to evade prosecution
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Missed court hearings. Missing court hearings will have you on the wrong footing with the court since it shows you can’t be responsible. Bail is a privilege and not your constitutional right. The judge could deny you bail if you tend to skip bail
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You are a risk to the public. You will not be granted bail if the court believes that you pose a risk to yourself or the public. This is usually considered to protect witnesses and victims as well as to prevent the execution of more offenses. This might apply to repeat criminals or dangerous offenders such as serial killers
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You are a non-citizen. If you’re in the U.S. illegally and with no formal documentation, you will not be granted bail and could end up being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You could also be deported to your country of origin based on the nature and severity of the purported crime
The Bail Conditions
It could be feasible to be granted bail if you consent to the court release terms. Some bail conditions may include but are not limited to:
- Enrolling in an outpatient treatment program
- Being placed under house arrest
- Having no contact with our victim
- Having no contact with certain people
- No driving with any degree of alcohol in your body
- Surrendering your driving license
It is however unlawful if the judge imposes conditions that break your Due Process constitutional rights.
How to Find a Hermosa Beach Bail Bonds Agency
There are a lot of bail bond agents in Hermosa Beach, however, how will you choose the best one out of all of them? Following your arrest, you could be tempted to go for the first agent that offers to help you. However, you need to be careful and take caution before you settle on one who is most suitable. Below are a few things you could look at:
Customer Reviews
Past customer testimonials will reveal a lot concerning the bail companies' credibility. When other clients have had a positive encounter with the bail agency, they are likely to be trustworthy. You could also get recommendations from friends, colleagues, family, or your attorney. Your lawyer will most likely refer you to a trustworthy and reputable agent.
Fees
If your case continues beyond a year, some agencies charge hidden costs as well as high annual rates. As a result, before committing your assets and yourself, take the time to understand the costs and charges of the agency you choose.
Customer Service
If the bail agent can't treat consumers with dignity, you need to choose another one. Pick an agent that pays attention to your problems, serves you with professionalism, and answers your questions patiently regarding their services.
Bail Bonds Frequently Asked Questions
Below are among the most frequently asked questions on bail bonds.
What Should I Know When Co-signing a Bail Bond?
If you agree to cosign for a friend or relative, you ought to be aware that you are agreeing to a contractual agreement as an entity responsible for the bail bond. If the defendant fails to attend court, you will have to pay the total bail sum. In addition, if the defendant flees, you will refund the bondsman any costs that he or she incurred when searching for the defendant.
As a cosigner:
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You have to make sure that the defendant appears in court on scheduled dates
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You need to ensure that he or she stays in touch with the bail bondsman
Court hearings could last from weeks to even years. You need to be certain that you will stay committed until the trial is over. You also need to be sure that the offender will execute their obligations before they sign the contract.
Do Bondsmen Arrest Fugitives?
You could become a fugitive when you are accused of a crime and are expected to appear before the court but instead, you flee to avoid prosecution. This not only breaches the bail terms but also the contract between you and the bail bondsman.
When this occurs, the agent has the authority to search for you, apprehend you and bring you back to custody. The agent could decide on engaging a bounty hunter if you particularly fled to another jurisdiction.
How Much Do Bail Agents Charge?
Bail agents charge approximately 10% of the entire bail amount as well as other necessary costs that are incurred during the transaction.
Are There Any Restrictions on How High the Bail Can Be?
According to the 8th Amendment of the U.S. constitution, the bail amount should not be unreasonably excessive. It means that bail shouldn’t be a way that the government uses to raise money or a way of punishing an individual for being a suspect. Bail is meant to be used as a means of granting a defendant freedom until he or she is found guilty of an offense.
What Can I Do If I Cannot Afford Bail?
If you cannot afford the bail amount, you could request the judge to lower the amount. You may request this when you attend your first court hearing.
Is Bail a Matter of Right?
Even though you are entitled to bail and bail is recognized constitutionally when it pertains to the imposition of excessive bail amounts, bail isn’t always considered a matter of right. But, with some exceptions, an offender accused of a crime can be granted freedom on bail.
Defendants charged with capital offenses when the evidence is obvious are excluded from the right to be released on bail. If a defendant, however, is charged with a capital offense, he or she has the right to a court bail hearing to decide if the details or evidence is convincing.
A capital offense is a crime that the law renders possibly punishable by the death penalty or a life sentence even though the prosecution or the state has consented to not punish the crime with the death penalty. The court may have reason to believe that the defendant will flee if he or she has a possibility of facing the death penalty or being sentenced to life in prison.
Hermosa Beach Jail and Courthouse Information
Bailing someone out of the Hermosa Beach Jail is far less difficult than bailing a detainee out of a larger county jail. You should contact the jail immediately if you believe a relative or close friend has been held there.
Because the county's system won't reveal booking details for somebody who has been booked for less than 2 hours, the quickest way to find out about anyone being detained is to phone the jail facility directly.
The Hermosa Beach Jail can be found at:
Hermosa Beach City Jail
Those detained at the Hermosa Beach police station are usually taken to the Superior Court located in the South West district in Torrance, California. Here is the address:
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Find a Hermosa Beach Bail Bonds Agency Near Me
Posting bail enables you to be freed from custody in exchange for a guarantee to show up in court. Being released will allow you to continue working, create a solid defense, and go about your everyday life.
When you, a family member, or a close friend has been apprehended, you will have a lot of questions regarding the bailing procedure, how Hermosa Beach bail bonds function, why the court could deny your release, or how bail is determined.
The professional bondsmen at 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds know that you're facing a difficult predicament and are available to answer inquiries and provide cost-effective bonds 24 hours a day. Contact us at 800-930-8999 today.