Arrests can happen out of the blue when you least expect it, causing a great deal of anxiety and stress because you do know the outcome to expect on the alleged offense. Although the court presumes that you are innocent until the alleged case judgment at trial, you could end up in jail longer than you would expect following an arrest.
Even when you are not under arrest, educating yourself on what to do after apprehension is important because remaining in jail is not an option. Instead of sitting behind bars, pending the resolution or judgment of the accused charge, you can take advantage of the bail option to regain your deserved freedom.
If you are new to the legal justice system, posting bail could seem unfamiliar and foreign. However, it is an option you cannot overlook when you are in police custody for an alleged offense. At Alomar Bail Bonds, we deeply understand the fear and uncertainty of an arrest or detention by the police.
Although we will not be your legal representative in court, we can assist you in settling your scheduled bail to regain your needed freedom soon after an arrest or apprehension in the city of La Verne.
What to Keep in Mind Following an Apprehension in the City of La Verne
As mentioned above, an arrest is an unexpected event that can occur anytime and anywhere. Typically, a law enforcement personnel or officer can lawfully arrest you if he/she:
- Has an arrest warrant from the court, permitting him/her to arrest you
- Has a probable cause
- Was an eyewitness when you were committing an unlawful activity
Before and after apprehension or arrest for any criminal offense, the most critical thing to remember is to stay patient and calm. Your actions or behavior towards the arresting officer could negatively impact the alleged case’s outcome.
Although an arrest could seem unjustified and unfair, it would be in your best interest to avoid resisting an arrest because it is a different crime in the eyes of the court. Here is what to keep in mind upon an arrest on suspicion that you are a suspect in a criminal case in La Verne:
Remain Quiet
Although you could feel the need to justify your situation to the officers, it is wise not to do that because these people are not your friends when you run afoul with the law. If these officers want some answers from you, you should remember you have a constitutional right not to answer their tricky questions.
In simple terms, it is lawful to remain silent when you are under investigation or arrest on suspicion that you are a suspect in a criminal case.
Hire an Attorney
While the court can provide a public attorney or defender to protect your best interests during the prosecution process, it would be wise to hire a private defense attorney soon after the police arrest you. In addition to providing relevant legal advice, a skilled and experienced defense attorney can be your voice in court for the best attainable judgment on the accused case.
Take Down all the Relevant Information About Your Arrest
If you are not keen, police can violate your constitutional rights at any stage of the arrest process. Therefore, keeping track of your dealings and encounters with the officers in your head is essential, even when you are not officially under arrest. If the officers did not have a search or arrest warrant, you should keep this issue in mind and inform your attorney once you meet him/her.
Do Not Discuss the Alleged Case’s Details with Relatives or Friends
Any information you decide to disclose to your friends or relatives could apply against you at trial, lowering your chances of beating the alleged case. The only person you can trust after apprehension is your attorney. Once you contact your defense attorney, you can disclose to him/her every information you feel would be relevant in building defenses to fight your charge.
Bail at a Glance
After an apprehension in the city of La Verne, the police could release you shortly or not, depending on the accused case’s seriousness and facts. If the accused charge is serious or violent, the police will hold you in custody until you settle your bail.
Generally speaking, bail is the amount a defendant or an arrestee pays to the court upon an arrest to assure his appearance or availability in the oncoming court proceedings to prove his/her innocence. To uphold the assumption that you are innocent until your case judgment at trial, you should do your best to settle your bail if you are under arrest on allegations that you are a suspect in a criminal case.
Most police or sheriff stations have a bail schedule, listing predetermined or pre-decided bail amounts each arrestee will pay for an alleged crime. If your offense has a predetermined bail, the arresting officers will allow you to pay or post bail while at the station.
However, if your offense has no predetermined bail, you will have to wait for your initial court proceeding “bail hearing,” which should occur within 48 hours, excluding the weekends. Below are available ways you can lawfully post your bail to secure your release from jail without delay:
- Use cash
- Use a valuable property
- Use a bail bond
When Bail Option is Available and When It is Not
Generally speaking, the constitution guarantees every defendant a right to obtain a release from jail on bail upon an arrest, except in particular circumstances. In most cases, the bail option will be unavailable in the following type of cases:
Felony Sexual Assault and Violent Felonies
If the accused crime is a felony sex crime or violent felony, the judge could deny you a release on bail, meaning you have to stay in the detention hall pending the resolution of the accused case. That would be possible, especially if the judge finds that you could be a threat to the victim of the offense and the general public.
Capital Crimes
If the alleged offense could attract a death sentence upon conviction, the judge could deny you a release on bail if the “presumption is great, or the facts of the case are evident.” Examples of capital crimes include:
- Treason
- Terrorism
- Murder
Parole Hold
The parole officer could place a parole hold when the police arrest you for an offense while on probation or parole for a convicted crime. When that happens, the bail option will be unavailable for the new offense.
Threats and Felonies
If the accused offense is a felony or involves threats of bodily injury, the court could deny you bail if the facts of the case are evident by convincing and clear evidence that you pose a danger to the public.
Immigration Hold
The bail option could also be unavailable when the federal government puts an immigration hold on you on suspicion that you are in the country illegally.
Rules for Setting Bail in the City of La Verne
As mentioned above, the judge will determine your ideal bail amount at your initial court hearing. During this proceeding, also known as arraignment, the court will:
- Inform you of the alleged case’s facts
- Inform you of your constitutional rights henceforth
- Inform you of the available plea options
- Determine your ideal bail amount
When setting your bail amount, the court should consider several factors, including:
- Whether or not you pose a threat to the victim or the public
- Facts of the alleged case
- Your criminal background
- Your history of attending your court dates once you are out of jail on bail
- The likelihood of availability during future court dates or hearings
- Your community or family ties
While you can attend this hearing and settle your bail without needing an attorney, it is not advisable to do so if you want to stand a chance of qualifying for a release on bail. Your attorney will know mitigating arguments which could work out to your advantage to obtain a release on bail.
Sometimes the court could give you an “own recognizance (OR)” release if the alleged charge is non-violent or non-severe. If you are the right candidate for an OR release, you should be happy because you will not have to burden your friends and family to help you pay bail.
How a Bail Bond Company Can Assist You Following an Arrest in the City of La Verne
Since most arrests happen unexpectedly, posting cash bail is undoubtedly a financial challenge to most defendants. Similarly, most defendants or arrestees have no valuable property to put as collateral for their freedom. However, staying in jail is not an option if you cannot post bail at that particular time.
If that is the case, you could want to consider posting a bond using the services of a bail bond company. However, you must give the agent a certain percentage (mainly 10% of the required bail) to obtain a bond. Once the agent has this payment and sometimes collateral to secure the remaining bail amount, he/she will immediately begin the release process to have you out of jail without delay.
Typically, this agent will post the bail on your behalf in exchange for an assurance that you will appear in court accordingly to prove your innocence. If you refuse or fail to avail yourself during the oncoming court dates as required, the agent will seize your collateral because the court will expect him/her to settle the remaining 90% of the bail amount.
The bail agent could also hire a bounty hunter to locate and arrest you. Once the police arrest you after securing your freedom on bail, you could end up behind bars without bail until your case’s final verdict. Hence, it is important to comply with the conditions and terms of your release on bail once you obtain your freedom to avoid a rearrest.
If you adhere to the conditions of your release, the judge will exonerate your bail, and you will have your collateral back. However, the agent will keep the ten percent cash fee as profit for his/her quick and necessary services.
Information That You Need Before You Contact a Bail Bond Company or Agent
To help the agent settle your bond without delay after an apprehension in the city of La Verne, you should remember to provide him/her with the following vital information when you make that call:
- Your full names
- Your jail booking number
- The location of the jail you are in custody
- Your total bail amount
- Your date and year of birth
- The name of the alleged crime
If you are the right candidate to post bail upon an arrest for any alleged offense in the city of La Verne, do not hesitate to contact a dependable bond agent without delay to obtain your release.
Factors Determining How Long it Will Take to Come Out of Jail Once You Post Bail
How long you will stay in jail after settling your bail will depend on your case and several other factors explained below:
Available Staff
Imagine when you go to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) offices early on a Monday morning, and only two or three staff are working. Now think of the same scenario in a crowded jail or detention hall where only two officers are on duty.
Typically, the number of officers present or at work that day will significantly influence the waiting time after posting bail.
The Jail Traffic
The time it could take to step out of jail after settling your bail will also depend on how busy the jail is at that particular time. If the detention hall where you are is holding several defendants or arrestees, it could take even six hours to have your freedom back after settling the bail.
Number of Necessary Paperwork
Undoubtedly, the bail process involves a lot of paperwork than you would expect. Often, the officer (s) in charge of releasing arrestees out of jail after posting bail must keenly oversee everything before they let an arrestee have his/her freedom. Therefore, this increases the wait time because the officers on duty must ensure none of the arrestees they let out has multiple warrants.
Luck of the Draw
When you post bail, the officers in charge will include your name in the list of other arrestees awaiting to secure their freedom on bail. Typically, every defendant’s name in this list will appear in order of when the court or the jail received his/her bail. That means it is pure luck to be the first to post bail among the crowd waiting to secure their freedom.
If that is the case, your name will top that list, reducing the waiting time. However, if you were the last to post bail, meaning your name is at the bottom of that list, it will take longer before you step out of jail.
For these reasons, it is wise to post your bail immediately after an arrest if you do not want to spend more time in jail.
Court Proceedings to Anticipate After Settling Your Bail
When you post bail, you should anticipate the following court hearings, which you can attend with your defense attorney to increase your chances of beating the alleged offense:
Pretrial or Preliminary Hearing
Depending on your case facts and circumstances, your defense attorney could work a favorable deal with the prosecutor at the pretrial proceeding for the best possible outcome on the accused charge. If the prosecutor presiding over your case has evidence obtained or acquired through an illegal search, your defense attorney can submit a suppression motion under Penal Code 1538.5.
If everything goes in your favor, the court will suppress this evidence, meaning it will not apply against you at trial.
Trial Hearing
After pretrial, you should prepare for the most critical proceeding in the legal justice system, the trial. Typically, at the trial proceeding or hearing, a judge or a team of twelve (12) jurors will be ready to listen to the prosecutor’s evidence against you and mitigating arguments from your attorney to make the alleged case’s judgment.
To secure a guilty verdict against you for the alleged crime, the prosecutor must have clear and convincing evidence to prove each fact of the case beyond a reasonable doubt. At this court proceeding, you will typically depend on your attorney to prove your innocence for acquittal of the accused crime or an alternative lighter charge.
Sentencing Hearing
Upon a conviction at trial, the court will decide your ideal sentence for the alleged crime at the sentencing hearing. Even at this stage of the criminal justice system, it is important to have an attorney in your corner for necessary legal representation to convince the court you deserve a lighter sentence for the convicted charge.
The City of La Verne Courthouse and Jail Information
As mentioned above, the bail bond agent will require some information from you to begin the bail bond process without delay. Upon an arrest in the city of La Verne, you will require the following necessary information if you need the much-needed services of a bail bond agent:
Jail Info
La Verne Jail
Courthouse Info
Pomona Superior Court
400 Civic Center Plaza Ste 705
Find a Bail Bond Company Near Me
If you need a bail bond in the city of La Verne, it is wise to hire an experienced and credible agent for the prompt services you deserve to have your freedom back without delay. We invite you to call Alomar Bail Bonds at 626-449-4118 if you or your dear friend wants speedy bail bond services in Pasadena.