Bail

Bail, in legal terms, is what happens when a judicial system releases someone who they arrested from incarceration until the court date. The assumption of innocence makes bail necessary in this country. When a judicial system suspects someone of a crime and finds enough evidence to support its suspicions, it may arrest the suspect. The arrest consists first of apprehending the suspect and bringing the suspect into custody. Once in custody, the prosecutor files charges against the suspect. As soon as possible, a judge hears the charges (in an arraignment) so that the judge can determine if the system will release the prisoner on bail.

The judge can release the prisoner on bail with the suspect's word that the suspect will return for all court appearances. The judge will set an amount of money that the suspect will owe to the court if the suspect does not show up for court dates. We call this type of bail recognizance. The judge may also allow bail in exchange for a certain amount of money. If the suspect pays this amount of money, (posts bail) the suspect is free to go until he or she appears in court. It is illegal for the suspect to skip his or her court date (skip bail). This type of bail is a cash bail.

The suspect may be unable to pay bail. In this case, a bail bondsman may give the court a surety for the suspect. The bail bonds person assures the court that the suspect will show up for the suspect's court dates and then the suspect (or someone who cares for the suspect) pays the bail bonds person a premium (usually 10% of the amount of the bail). At the close of the case, whether the suspect is innocent or guilty, the judge exonerates the bail, but the bail bonds person does not refund the premium. If you live in southern California, 1stClassBailBonds.com should be your first stop when it comes to bail.

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