Expert Kern County Bail Bondsman

Many people believe the Kern County bail bonds process is far more complex than it actually is. When a person is arrested they will be booked and processed.  They will have their fingerprints and mugshots taken and their information will be entered into the computer system. The crime(s) they have been charged with will then be cross-referenced with the Kern County Bail Schedule in order to determine if they are eligible for bail and if so, how much their bail will be set at.

Bail is set based on Read more »

What Do You Do When a Relative Is Arrested For Hitting Someone?

This question comes from Yahoo! Answers where we will frequently answer to bail related topics.

Question:  My brother was just arrested for broking a glass bottle over one of his friend’s head.  The person who got hit is not injured much, but my brother is now in jail. What can I do to get him out?   He is just about 24 years old and does not have a criminal record.  I know that I have to pay some money to get him out.  How much do I have to pay?  What is the difference between a bond and bail?   Once he is released and out of jail what do we do?   What do we have to do so that he is not taken back into custody.  I am concerned because he is attending college.

Answer:  This is a  fairly common case.  Bail is generally set by a county bail schedule. If you use a bail bondsman for a “bond” you will pay a non-refundable fee.  This fee is generally 10% of the total bail amount. You have the option to pay the entire amount of the bail also know as cash “bail”, you will get your money back once the case is complete.

The best thing to do is Read more »

Frequently Asked Questions About Bail Bonds

Most people are not familiar with the bail bond process. Often, when someone receives that unexpected call about a loved one or friend being held in jail, several questions may arise. Listed below are some of the more frequently asked questions along with very brief answers when it comes to posting bail for a defendant.

1: What is Bail?

Bail is set by a judge and is intended to guarantee that the defendant will return to court as required.

2: What is a Bond?

When a defendant cannot afford to pay the entire bail amount, they can call on the help of a bail bondsman. The bail bonds company will post a paper “bond” with the court for the full amount of the bail. The bail bond is a contract which states that the defendant will show up for court..

3: Is a Bondsman a Bounty Hunter?

While a bondsman can pick up a defendant and return him or her to jail, a bondsman is not the same as a bail recovery agent (commonly known as a “bounty hunter”).

4: Who is allowed to post the bail for a defendant?

Anyone. However, Read more »

How Is Bail Set?

Question: I’m not clear how the bail process works. If somebody is arrested for something whether guilty or innocent, they have an option to have bail?

Answer: Bail is set by the court system. Judges set what is called a “bail schedule” in every county every year and for criminal offences. Not every person gets bail because there are mitigating circumstances. The first concern is public safety and then they are going to look at the risk involved with the individual. That is why you’ll hear some bails that are  multi-million dollars in amount. They are set very high and what they are banking on is that there is not really going to be the funds to be raised in order to bail that person out.

Let’s just take Los Angeles as an example. The average bail in Los Angeles is Read more »

Listen to Bail Bonds Information

A year or so ago, Sherry Borzo of dsmBUZZ interviewed me about bail bonds. Take a listen:

It’s about a half hour. So, I’m adding are some of the excerpts to Ask the Bondsman including:

• A brief overview as to what it is bail bondsmen do. (Published 7/25/2010)
• Who Read more »

$10 Million Bail Too Much for LAPD Detective Accused of Murder?

Stephanie Lazarus is a 26 year Los Angeles Police Department veteran detective. She is also accused of having murdered Sherri Rae Rasmussen, a Van Nuys woman and wife of her then boyfriend, back in 1986. Apparently, DNA from Stephanie Lazarus’s saliva was found in a bite mark to the victim. 

Lazurus being held in lieu of a $10 million dollar bail. But Stephanie’s brother, Steven Lazarus, is outraged by the high bail amount, claiming that even celebrity defendant’s such as Robert Blake and Phil Spector had bail amounts set at only $1 million.

Why is this bail so high? Los Angeles Read more »

Bail Bonds Costs and Release Options

The bail bond amount is based on the charges, and set by the judges in a County Bail Schedule.  Depending on the details and severity of the crime, bail schedules have different bail amounts.  For example, a DUI charge in LA County has a $15,000 bail and a DUI charge that involves an accident is set at $50,000.

California’s average bail amount is $25,000, and in many cases it can be higher.  Most people don’t have that amount of money and will need to hire a licensed bail bond agent.  Professional bail bondsmen are very experienced in this area. They know the jail systems and bail schedules, and can walk you through the entire process and handle release procedures.  The jail release process can happen much sooner if a bail bondsman is contacted as soon as possible.

Only judges are allowed to Read more »

Understanding Bail Bonds

Whenever a story about an arrest has appeared on the news, you’ve probably heard the anchor wrap it up with phrases like: “Bail for the defendant was set at $50,000.” Or perhaps, “Bail was posted for this defendant by the family. The defendant was released from jail this morning.” You may then ask yourself: What do they mean by “bail”, exactly?

We’d like to tell you about bail and how to take advantage of it, in case you or someone you know is ever arrested. We hope, of course, that nobody ever finds themselves in this position, but people sometimes make mistakes and when they do this type of information can be beneficial.

What is Bail?

Let’s begin by defining what bail is. Bail is a monetary amount set by the court which, when paid, grants the temporary release of a defendant from jail until their next scheduled court appearance.

How is Bail Set?

Bail can be set anytime after an individual is arrested. Depending on the nature of the alleged offense, the bail amount can even be decided in just a few hours after the initial arrest is made. Court judges are responsible for determining the amount of the bail for each arrestee, and they do this by annually setting a bail schedule that gives them guidelines for the amount of money they should request, based on what kind of crime that person is charged with.

A judge may also Read more »