Bail Bond Phone Scam

As bail bondsmen we see these bail phone scam alerts about twice a year. They are a real concern for the general public. Residents of Morgan County Alabama have been the latest put on alert for a phone scam that has been making the rounds recently.

The scammers have been calling around, pretending to be from a bail bond company, and telling business owners and families that their employee or loved one has been taken to jail. The fraudulent bondsman then tells the person that, in order to get their friend/ family member/ employee out of jail, thousands of dollars need to be wired directly to them.

The scammers have even gone so far as to give the person they call a fake phone number for the Morgan County Jail so that when he or she calls to verify that their loved one is, in fact, there, then the scammer will answer the phone as an employee of the jail and confirm that their friend or family member has been arrested. Wow! That’s a new one.

Two people have paid money to the scam artist, one paying more than $6,000. At least six other people have contacted the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office to ask about their family members.

Here are a few warning signs to be on the alert for if you receive a call for bail help:

• The caller will Read more »

Bail vs. Remaining In Custody

Question: My boyfriend is in jail and is eligible for bail, he is being charged with possession of a controlled substance.  His charge should be dropped because he has proof of  a prescription.  He will have to go court in about 2 weeks, but he really wants out.  In order to bail him out I have to pay $700 for the bail bondsman fee, but I know I will not get my money back when the case is over. We have a 7 month old baby and I know he will not be patient enough to wait until his court date, which is 10 days away.  If the case is dropped or dismissed he will be out free without having to have paid $700.  I need your opinion as to what I should do.  Do I bail him out or leave him in jail until his court date?

Answer:  Ten days is a long time to wait in jail.   If he has a job he needs to go to, you might want to get him out — jobs are hard to come by at this point.

If he does not work or provide care for your daughter, you may want to consider the cost of bail bonds.   How much of a financial hardship would it be even if you pay the $700?  Something else to consider is the emotional cost to you, him and your child if you decide to leave him there.

What it really comes down to is Read more »

What To Do If You Have A Warrant

People will often call bail bonds companies asking for assistance because they believe they have a warrant out for their arrest.  Many times they’re a bit frightened and don’t know what to expect.  They wonder what’s going to happen to them and whether this means law enforcement officials will soon be knocking on their door. Often people in California will learn of a warrant during a job search, which clearly is an embarrassment.

As bail bondsmen, we do not look up warrants. If someone does have a warrant out for their arrest, one option is Read more »

Paying A Bondsman When Found Not Guilty?

Today’s bail related question comes from Yahoo! Answers.

Question:  When I was arrested, I was bailed out a week later with the help of a bail bondsman.  My dad  is paying $400 per month on my bail of $15,000.  Does my dad still have to pay the bail bondsman even if I am found not guilty?  It is important to me to have a better understanding of this because I have put my dad in a position that is not easy for him.

Answer:  Unfortunately,  regardless of the outcome of your case, the money is still owed to the bondsman.  By law, the bondsman’s fee is earned as soon as you are released from jail. The bondsman cannot legally give you or your dad a refund.

The cost of bail bonds in California is typically 10% of the full bail amount in most states, so it is likely your dad has arranged for a payment plan on a fee of $1,500.  This fee is paid so that you can remain out of jail while you await your trial.

It is important that your dad continues to pay so that it does not result in Read more »

Bail Collateral Refund?

Here is another one of our answers to a bail bonds related question from Yahoo! Answers.  This answer was chosen as Best Answer by Voters.

Question:  I was the co-signer with someone to help bail a friend out of jail.  I was the one who paid the bail bond fee along with a security deposit that was to be refunded.  I was told  that we would get it back by a certain amount of time.  Who would receive the refund, myself or the main signer?

Answer:  If you placed a “security deposit” on a bail bond, it sounds like you used collateral  in the form of either cash, check, or credit card.  If that is the case, the collateral money that was  used will not be returned until the case is complete and all court appearances have been satisfied by the defendant.

Upon completion of the case, collateral will be returned by the bondsman to whomever placed it.

Tying up money and/or property for bail can be a real hardship. Next time you may want to look for a bondsman that offers no collateral bail bonds.

You’ve Been Arrested – Now What?

Everyone makes mistakes, and unfortunately, in some instances, those mistakes could result in being arrested.  In others, simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time could get you into trouble – even if you haven’t done anything wrong.

Unfortunately, such a situation could compromise your job, your relationships and life as you’ve known it.  Should you find yourself behind bars, there may be some solace in knowing you’re able to get out with the help of a expert bail bondsman.

In California, bail bond companies require you pay 10 percent of the set amount of bail in order to get you out of jail.  The amount of your bail will be set by the court and will be based on the crime for which you’ve been charged.  Lesser crimes will have lower bail amounts, whereas bail for more serious crimes will set higher.

If your bail is set at $10,000, does that mean you need to pay the full amount to get out of jail?  Not Read more »

Do I Need a Bail Bondsman?

Here is another question from Yahoo! Answers.  Our answer was chosen “Best Answer” by voters.

Question:  My brother got arrested and is due to appear in court. He alegedly “attempted to rob a bank” by requesting the teller to transfer $1,000 to his personal account, he never withdrew the money and left the bank. His bail is $50,000, do I need to pay $5,000 to a bondsman to bail him out or can he be released from jail?

Answer:  If you want to bail him out you can pay the full amount of $50,000 to the jail in the form of cash or a cashier’s check.  The alternative is to use a bail bondsman. The bondsman will Read more »

Merced County Jail – John Latorraca Facility

General Information

John Latorraca Correctional Facility
2584 W. Sandy Mush Rd.
Merced, CA 95340
Phone: 209-385-7575
Bail Bonds in Merced

The  John Latorraca Correctional Facility houses both sentenced and pre-sentenced inmates.  There are two facilities for Merced, the John Latorraca Correctional Facility and the Main Jail.  The Merced County Sheriff’s Department administers both jails and they also maintain the safety of inmates and staff.  The Merced County arrestees will be transported to one of these detention facilities for booking.  When booked in they will undergo a booking  process that consists of fingerprinting, photographs (mug shot), a background check and nationwide warrant search, this could take several hours to complete.

Visting Rules & Times

Visiting Rules

• A request form must Read more »

What Is The Release Time After Bail Has Been Paid?

Today’s question comes from Yahoo! Answers, where we often answer to many bail related topics.

Question:  Yesterday morning my boyfriend went to jail.  I paid for his bail downtown at 2:30.  I called the jail at 8:30 and they said he wasn’t gonna be released. What’s going on?

Answer:  You don’t mention which jail it is, but many jails have a release process that takes Read more »

What is a Bail Bond?

This question comes from Yahoo! Answers.  This is where you will find that we often answer bail related questions.

Question:  What is a bail bond? 

Answer:  Most simply put: a bail bond is a written and legally binding contract securing bail for a person that was arrested. The contract signer, also known as the “Indemnitor,” is responsible for the fee stipulated in the contract.  Most often the fee is 10% of the full bail amount.  The person signing is also ensuring the defendant’s appearance in court.

Bail is Read more »