After an arrest, a person's most significant concern is how they will be free again. California laws provide various ways through which one can be freed after an arrest. The judge decides your option based on the circumstances of your case. For most arrestees, posting bail is the only way to obtain a pretrial release. If that applies to you, you must find a way to pay your bail. If it is too high, consider partnering with a reliable bonds dealer. At Alomar Bail Bonds, we offer affordable bail bonds for those arrested in West Covina. Our agents work round the clock to ensure you will not remain jailed longer than you should.
What Happens After Arrest
The police have a greater responsibility to maintain law and order. They are always on the lookout for anyone that violates the law. When it happens, they move swiftly to make an arrest. Whether you are a suspect or have been caught in the act, the police will take you to the station for the booking. It is the judge's mandate to determine whether or not you are guilty.
Arrests intimidate everyone, even people who have been arrested countless times before. No one chooses to be on the wrong side of the law. That is why it could stress you and your loved ones to be behind bars. The police will follow the procedure after arrest, including booking and detaining you until they receive an order from a judge. They will take down your personal details, pictures, and fingerprints, record them online, and hand over your case details to the prosecutor.
A few hours after your arrest, you will attend your first hearing before a judge. It is a bail hearing where the judge decides your eligibility for bail based on the facts of your case and criminal history. Most defendants qualify for bail in California. It means you could be released soon enough if you can pay the required bail.
If you have skipped bail before or are presumed too dangerous to be released back to the community, the judge can opt to keep you incarcerated until the conclusion of your case. In that case, the judge will speed up your trial and sentencing to avoid keeping you long in custody before you are determined guilty.
If you qualify for bail, the judge will leave it up to you to determine when and how you will pay it. You will then sign release documents and an agreement to appear in court when required until the end of your case.
Why Post Bail
Bail is an assurance a defendant gives to a court to appear in all court sessions relating to their case if the court grants them a pretrial release. The law requires judges to grant pretrial releases after an arrest unless in specific conditions like cases where the defendant is presumed as a danger to the community.
Bail is an integral part of the California justice system. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that suspected offenders attend all court sessions without fail. For that reason, the amount is set high to discourage defendants from skipping bail. It would be a significant loss for you to skip bail and lose a large sum of money. Many defendants will willingly go through trial and sentencing to receive the bail money back in full.
The courts mainly use bail as collateral for those that wish to be freed before trial. No one wants to remain in jail for weeks or months before the judge declares them guilty. Our jails and prisons are also not well equipped to accommodate everyone arrested daily. Therefore, releasing suspects on bail helps ease the burden on taxpayers while ensuring that everyone goes through trial as required by law.
Unfortunately, not every defendant qualifies for bail in California. Sometimes judges deny bail on specific conditions, depending on the circumstances of a case. For instance, if a defendant has skipped bail in the past, the judge can deny bail on that ground. Judges also deny bail to suspects likely to commit other crimes during their trial period. You are also not suitable for bail if it is believed that the community will not be safe after your release.
The Process of Bail Release
This process starts when a defendant attends their first hearing in court. That should be a few hours after the arrest. The judge goes through the details of your case as provided by the prosecutor, your past criminal history, and other information related to your situation. From their findings, the judge will make one of the following decisions:
Release You on Your Own Recognizance
It means a pretrial release whereby you will not pay anything to obtain your freedom. Judges primarily grant this release to defendants whom they believe will attend all court sessions without fail. Those who mainly qualify for this are first offenders and those facing charges for lenient misdemeanors. The judge will explain the importance of attending all court sessions and the consequences for failing to appear. You will be asked to sign an agreement to honor all your court dates until the determination of your case.
Grant You Bail
Most defendants in West Covina are released on bail after arrest. It means that the defendant must pay an amount of money or give a property of an equivalent value to the court to secure their release. Once your bail is determined, the judge gives you time to pay it, and then the court will process your release. The court will give you back the money or property after the conclusion of your case.
Deny You Bail
As mentioned above, the judge can deny bail under specific conditions. When this happens, your trial will be conducted rather quickly to minimize your time in jail before trial. If you are guilty of your charges, you will be detained according to the sentence provided by the law. But if you are not guilty, the judge will release you.
The judge makes these decisions by considering a few factors like:
- The nature of your charges
- Your criminal history
- Your possibility of fleeing the state after pretrial release
Bail Bonds
Some defendants do not enjoy a pretrial release because they cannot afford the set bail. They do not return to their families, businesses, or work soon enough, affecting different aspects of their life. You will likely lose your job after an arrest, especially if you cannot return to work after a few days.
Bail bonds offer a solution to defendants and families affected by high and unaffordable bail. Bail bond companies offer bail bonds to those that cannot afford to obtain a pretrial release. You can benefit from these services if you qualify for bail but cannot raise the required amount.
Bond dealers help by offering a surety bond to the court on behalf of a defendant. They pay a fraction of the bail and assure to pay the remaining amount to the court if their client skips bail.
They help process your release from jail and can do so within hours of your arrest. That minimizes the time you would have spent behind bars.
Bond dealers offer their services for a profit. They charge a premium, usually at a rate of 10% or less, which covers the cost of their services. Thus, you will not get a refund once you pay the premium. Most bond dealers do not charge an additional fee, making bail bonds quite affordable to families that cannot raise the entire bail. You only raise a small percentage of the amount, and the bond dealer handles the rest. If the defendant successfully goes through all court processes, the bond dealer receives back their money and does not charge you any additional amount for their services.
Reasons to Use Bail Bond Companies in West Covina
Release on bail is an excellent idea if you want to leave jail soon after an arrest. California courts have predetermined bail schedules, which they use to determine how much bail each defendant should pay according to the circumstances of their case. But that could be a challenge if you will not have enough cash or cannot fundraise on short notice. You can partner with a bond dealer to post bail on your behalf for a small fee. Here are some of the reasons you can consider using bail bonds after an arrest in West Covina:
Bail Bonds Are Less Expensive
Criminal courts intentionally set bails high to discourage defendants from violating bail conditions lest they lose the entire amount. In some cases, courts set bail high to make it difficult for high-profile criminals to pay. That would keep them incarcerated for the whole of the trial period.
Posting bail is an expensive affair that only those with enough cash in their bank accounts can easily afford. That is why you should hire the support of a bail bonds dealer to minimize your financial burden and obtain a much quicker release. Even though you will pay a bond dealer's fee, the amount you need to raise upfront is not relatively high, making bond dealer services affordable for all defendants, regardless of their financial status.
Bail Bonds Reduces Your Jail Time
Jail is not the place to be if you value your freedom. You cannot go to work, school, run a business, be with your family or mingle freely with your peers while in jail. It is physically and mentally restraining. All you think of is what you could achieve if you were not incarcerated.
Bail bonds allow you to leave jail soon after your arrest. It could take time to raise cash bail or prepare documents for a property bond. Processing bail without much experience also prolongs your stay in jail. If your immediate freedom is important to you, partner with a reliable bond dealer.
Bail Bonds Gives You Access To A Public Defender
The court assumes that defendants who post cash bail or property bonds are financially able to afford a private lawyer. It could be challenging to convince the judge to assign you a public defender when you are financially stable. Public defenders are left for defendants that cannot afford legal representation.
Remember that legal representation is necessary for everyone facing criminal charges. An attorney advises, guides, and protects your rights against violation. Your attorney will also represent you during all court sessions you attend before your case's end. Having an attorney by your side will improve your chances of obtaining a fair outcome from your case.
Bond Dealers Offer More Payment Options
Times are tough, and most families today cannot afford an extra expense of as much as $1,000. Bail is usually higher than this, making it even harder to afford by most defendants. Courts do not offer much flexibility when it comes to bail payment. You can either pay in cash or surrender a property of a more excellent value than the bond.
Bond dealers are more flexible, which makes bail bonds more appealing to you now. Bond dealers are willing to negotiate and even sign payment agreements, provided you can pay their fee. Some people cannot raise even 10% of their bail upfront. But bond dealers are always prepared to take what you can afford and design a payment plan that works best for you.
Bond Dealers Understand the Bail Process Better
Court processes can be complex and intimidating, especially for first-time defendants. You will have a hard time if you opt to navigate the bail process alone. Your attorney can help, but a bond agent will smoothen the process even better for you.
This is all bond dealers do. They process bail payments for their clients daily. You can call them in the middle of the night, early morning, late in the evening, or even over the weekend. Your agent will quickly process the documents you need for a pretrial release. You are sure of experiencing less stress when working with a bond dealer.
How To Obtain Bail Bonds in West Covina
If your loved one is already in police custody, it is time to find reliable bail bonds from a ready and willing dealer to walk the journey with them. It is the most challenging time of their life. Thus, they need an agent that will support and guide them while ensuring that they do not stay long in jail.
Bond dealers in West Covina offer their services online and on the phone. Thus, contact your preferred dealer, and provide the details of your loved one. With the correct information, the agent should be able to track them in the jail where they are held to begin the bail process.
Bond agents understand how hard it is for anyone in police custody. Therefore, they work hard to speed up the process. Your agent will use connections to obtain crucial information about your loved one to process their release. The most important information the agent will need is their official names, address, date of birth, criminal history, and case details.
Once you plan everything with the agent, including how you will pay the premium, the agent will prepare documents that your loved one will sign to obtain their release. But remember that the defendant must appear in court on all set dates to avoid facing additional charges and forfeiting bail. Judges are very particular and will not hesitate to impose stiff penalties if the defendant fails to appear.
It is also crucial for the defendant to abide by all bail conditions given by the judge at the time of their release. For instance, they must stay out of trouble and not be arrested for any offense while out on bail. When that happens and their case proceeds slowly, the court will not impose additional fees and payments on the defendant or their family.
Note that bail bonds are available round the clock. You can start the process immediately after your loved one is arrested, regardless of the time of day or night.
Jail Information
West Covina Jail
Court Information
West Covina Courthouse
West Covina City Courthouse
West Covina Civic Center
Find Reliable Bail Bond Agents Near Me
Is your loved one under arrest in West Covina, and you would like to help them obtain their freedom soon?
Consider posting bail on their behalf if you have enough cash or valuable property. But if bail is high and unaffordable, you can always consider bail bonds. Fortunately for you, it is easy to find reliable, affordable, and professional bail bonds in West Covina today. We offer that and more at Alomar Bail Bonds. Our agents are well trained, experienced, and ready to walk you through the bail process. We aim to help defendants reunite with their families immediately after arrest. Contact us at 626-449-4118 to learn more about us.