Newport and Costa Mesa Looking at Cost-Saving Partnership

Two Orange County Jails to Join

The Newport Beach Jail and Costa Mesa Jail are considering several different options to help cut their costs.

At this weeks council meeting in Newport, Councilwoman Leslie Daigle proposed that the city look into contracting jail services and hiring guards from a private firm to supplement existing staff at the jail.

Police Chief Jay R. Johnson of Newport and Costa Mesa’s Interim Police Chief Steve Staveley have both confirmed that both cities are considering sharing or altering their jail facilities.

Both cities are also looking into other ways to reduce costs, like combining their 911 dispatch and maintenance of the police departments’ fleets. There has been no discussion of combining the two departments. Newport Beach is considering the proposal from Costa Mesa that would let officers book anyone they arrest into the Newport Jail, said City Manager Dave Kiff.

Guards from a private security firm would have to be hired to help bolster the staff of the jail since current staff cannot handle an influx of Costa Mesa inmates.

“The advantage to this is a measured approach to switching from public to private and gives us time to ensure we are happy with the private contractors’ service, as well as train them with our own custody officers,” said Johnson in a recent email. “If we become comfortable with the service, one option would be to replace the remainder of our own custody officers with the private contractor through attrition.”

The cities are also considering sharing Read more »

Is it Possible for a Bail Bond to be Reinstated?

This question comes from Yahoo Answers where we often answer bail related questions.

Question: I missed my court date because I was moving.  A bench warrant was issued even after me calling the public defender and the court house to notify them.   I placed a call to my bail bondsman and he said he could give me a reinstatement of the bail bond so that I could take it to the court to get another court date.  I am going to the court house tomorrow.  What will happen?  Will I go to jail?

Answer: This is a common situation. When you miss a court date, a bench warrant will automatically be issued. Your bondsman is required to be notified. You did the right thing in calling the public defender, court and your bondsman.

Bail bonds can be Read more »

Lerdo Jail Facility

General Information

Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility
17695 Industrial Farm Rd.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone: 661-391-7900
Bail Bonds for Lerdo Jail

Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility is a holding facility run by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.  It is the largest jail in Kern County and houses approximately 1232 of both male and female inmates at once.  The jail also facilitates housing for both State and Federal agencies.

Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility Visiting Times

Visting days are  Read more »

Finding The Right Bail Bondsman

The words “bail bondsman” may conjure images of gritty, smoke-filled offices staffed with shady characters. The reality, however, is quite the opposite. The majority of bondsmen are respectable, family-oriented individuals who work hard for people caught in an often unexpected situation.

A bondsman, more accurately known as a “bail agent,” is licensed in the state California to provide services to individuals who have been arrested with criminal charges so that the individual can get out of jail while waiting to see a judge. The bondsman will Read more »

Santa Cruz County Jail

General Information

Santa Cruz County Main Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 454-2420
Bail Bonds for Santa Cruz Jail

The Santa Cruz Main Jail facility is the main jail for Santa Cruz County and is the only booking facility within the County. It has an average daily population of approximately 400 inmates. 

When someone is arrested in Santa Cruz County, men will typically be transported to the Santa Cruz Main Jail for booking and processing. (Woman will likely be transported to the Blaine Street Jail in Santa Cruz.)

Rules for Visiting Santa Cruz Main Jail:

All visitors must be approved in advance by appointment. Call (831) 454-2420 between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm to set up the visit.

Be advised that the inmate is responsible for submitting a Visitor Clearance Form. Appointments must be made at least 24 hours before the visit occurs. Visits will last approximately 45 minutes.

• The visiting period begins Read more »

Can A Bail Bond Be Revoked for No Reason?

Another question from Yahoo! Answers, where we often answer bail related questions.

Question: Can a bail bondsman revoke my bond for no reason? My sister used a bail bondsman for herself then bailed me out of jail with the same guy. Well, my sister owes him money for her bond. I have done nothing to have my bond revoked.

The bondsman called me this morning and says if I don’t find my sister, he will revoke my bond & take me to jail. Can he do this? There is no reason to revoke my bond! I dont owe him money and haven’t gotten into any trouble. Can he legally put me into hand cuffs and arrest me? And, can he revoke my bond for no reason on my part?

Answer:

In California, a bondsman cannot revoke a bail bond simply because it wasn’t paid.  However, a bondsman can revoke a bail bond for many reasons and many of which may not seem like probable cause to the defendant.

Bail bond regulations vary from state-to-state, you are best to Read more »

North County Jail in Santa Barbara Set to Close

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has notified the chiefs of the Santa Maria and Guadalupe Police Departments and the commander of the local CHP office that the North County Jail and Substation will be closing, effective June 27th.

The 20-bed facility houses people arrested in the Santa Maria Valley area for a wide variety of criminal offenses.

Santa Barbara County is facing a budget deficit of $70 million. Sheriff Bill Brown said that closing the jail and substation will save over $1 million each year. His entire department is facing nearly $8 million in budget cuts, resulting in the loss of 62 positions.

While the move will save millions of dollars, it will also strike a hefty financial blow to the Santa Maria and Guadalupe Police Departments.

Instead of being able to take anyone arrested in their jurisdictions to a jail nearby, officers will Read more »

Butte County Jail

General Information

Butte County Jail
35 County Center Drive
Oroville, Ca. 95965
Phone: 800-844-6591
Bail Bonds for Butte County Jail

The Butte County Jail first opened in 1964. The facility has undergone several renovations in order to accommodate the growing inmate population. Butte County Jail can now house approximately 570 inmates at one time. Currently, Butte County Jail employs approximately 135 Correctional Staff and civilian employees.

Visting Rules

• Visitors must be  Read more »

Crime Rates Down in Los Angeles, But High Crime Season is Coming

So far this year, criminal activity in Los Angeles is down compared to 2010. But with summer coming, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is aware that the area’s “high crime season” is fast approaching. (Who knew crime has a season? The bail business is not at all seasonal.)

Beck announced during the “monthly media availability” on Thursday that homicides were down almost 8.5 percent this year, which are he best numbers the city has seen in over forty years. Every other type of violent crime and property crimes have Read more »

Sacramento Arrest Made in Nationwide Bail Fraud Investigation

Michael Moynihan was arrested Thursday in Sacramento after authorities connected him with a nationwide bail scam. According to the Sacremento Bee, Moynihan was arrested in Sacramento by Placer County Sheriff’s detectives and Sacramento Police officers after a short foot pursuit. The Sheriff’s Department has been pursuing Moynihan after he fled on two previous occasions.

In a statement released by the department, Placer County detectives were contacted by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado Springs, CO about an ongoing investigation of their own that involved Moynihan.

Colorado Springs detectives informed Placer County Sheriff’s Department that Moynihan had allegedly contacted jails and bail bondsmen across the country in order to get information about recently arrested and released individuals. Authorities said he impersonated a police officer in order to obtain that information.

It is also alleged that Moynihan Read more »