You can face arrest for domestic violence under California law if you cause an injury, minor or serious, on your intimate partner or family member. In some instances, physical injury is not necessary for you to be arrested. As long as you inflict bodily harm or threaten to inflict bodily harm on your partner or family member, you may face charges. The law enforcement officers only need to have probable cause to suspect that you committed domestic violence for you to face an arrest. When the police arrest you in Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino County, Justice Bail Bonds will be here to provide 24-hour bail services. Our Lake Arrowhead bail bond agent will respond immediately to your call.
Domestic Violence Bail in Lake Arrowhead
Every time an offender is arrested for committing a domestic violence crime, there's a bail of some sort. The state of California has strict rules for domestic violence crimes. Given the seriousness of the offense, it is unlikely for the judge to release you on your own recognizance. An arrest can happen any time, even when you don't have enough money to pay bail. Our Lake Arrowhead bail bond company is always open to clients. We will help you raise the bail amount in the shortest period to get you out of jail.
The standard bail amount for most domestic violence crimes is $50,000; you have to post the entire bail amount to be released from jail or use a bail bondsman. If your domestic violence crime is less serious, the bail amount might be lower, usually around $20,000. However, this amount is still too high for most people to raise within a short period. Intense ramifications and political stigma surround domestic violence crimes. This explains why it's rare for judges to release domestic violence offenders on their own recognizance.
Domestic Violence Charges
A wide variety of charges can arise from a domestic violence offense in California. The specific charges that you face will vary depending on what you did. Domestic battery charges might apply if you hit your partner or your close family member. If you inflict minor injuries on the victim, you'll most likely get a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. However, if you inflict extensive or severe injuries on the domestic violence victim, felony charges might apply.
Criminal threats charges might apply if you threaten your spouse, domestic partner, or another intimate person with bodily harm. While engaging in an argument with your partner, you might rip off the telephone from the wall to prevent the victim from calling the authorities. In this case, other charges like vandalism or might apply.
Usually, the police do not assign a specific domestic violence charge. The police's work is to arrest you and book you in custody for a general domestic violence crime. The prosecutor who deals with domestic violence charges will be responsible for determining the specific domestic violence offense to charge you with. The bail amount will depend on the specific domestic violence offense that the prosecutor charges you with.
Posting Bail for Lake Arrowhead Domestic Violence Crimes
There are three common ways of posting bail after an arrest in San Bernardino County:
- Cash Bail
- Bail bond – Bail bond is the most common way of posting bail before release from custody
- Property Bond – while posting a property bond, you will allow the court to place a lien on your property. If you do not show up for future court hearings, the court can initiate foreclosure proceedings. Even if property bail is a viable option, it's rare for many people to use it.
If you seek a release from jail through a cash bail, you have to deposit the entire cash amount required by the court. You will give the money to the arresting agency or the court's clerk. There are many ways of paying cash bail, depending on the court's policies of procedures. Most courts will allow you to pay a cash bail through cash, money order, travelers check, banker's check, or personal check. You will get the full cash bail amount 60 to 90 days after resolving your case as long as you attend all the court meetings. You will forfeit your money to the court if you fail to appear for any court hearings.
If the court or the police suspect that you obtained the cash bail amount through illegal means, they might hesitate to release you from custody. The court will delay your release from custody and hold a hearing to determine the cash bail source. It will be up to you to prove that you didn't obtain the cash bail through illegal or fraudulent means during the hearing. If you prove that you obtained the money legally, the court will release you on cash bail. However, if it turns out that you raised the cash bail through illegal means, the court will not release you and might even raise your bail amount as a punishment.
The Bail Bonds Process
Most people do not have a means of posting a cash bail and mainly rely on bail bonds for release from custody. With a reliable Lake Arrowhead bail bonds company, the process of posting a bail bond is fast and often takes less than an hour. After posting a bail bond, it might take an additional thirty minutes to four hours to be released from custody, depending on the jail facility's size and procedures.
Bail bondsmen, also known as bail agents, will post bail for you. In return, you have to pay a non-refundable premium fee of 10%. According to California law, the highest premium that a bail company can charge is 10% of the bail amount. Therefore, if the bail amount is $20,000, the premium will be $2,000.
Some bail bonds companies may offer a discount and charge less than 10%, mainly for clients who are union members or government employees. Lower rates might apply to clients who are represented by an attorney. Lower rates may apply if you are a member of the U.S. army. If any of the persons mentioned above will co-sign the bail for you, lower bail charges might apply. For most bail bonds companies, contracts last for up to one year. If a domestic violence case extends beyond one year, the defendant may have to pay a premium renewal.
On a case-to-case basis, the bail bondsman might require collateral. The collateral consists of any item of value that assures the bail bondsman that if the defendant defaults or skips town, they can sell the collateral and recover the bail amount. Most bail bond companies, especially the well-established companies, will not request collateral for bail amounts below $100,000.
Domestic Violence Bond Co-signer
You will become a cosigner if you secure a bail bond on behalf of another person through a bail bond company. A cosigner has a crucial responsibility of ensuring that the offender will appear for all the court hearings. If the defendant does not show up for court hearings, the bail bond company will first trace the defendant and attempt to recover the bail amount from them. However, if the defendant cannot repay the bail bond amount or if the bail bond company is unable to trace them, the cosigner will have to repay the bail amount.
If the Defendant Fails to Appear in Court
If you post bail but fail to attend court hearings, the judge forfeits your bail. The judge might also issue a warrant for your arrest. If you had posted a cash bail and failed to show up in court, you would lose the entire cash amount. However, if you had posted bail through a bail bondsman, they will seek reimbursement from you. If you can't repay the bail amount, the bail bondsman will seek reimbursement from your cosigner.
However, all is not lost if you fail to appear in a court hearing. If you show up before within 180 days of receiving a notice of bail forfeiture, the court may vacate and exonerate the bail. However, you have to provide a relevant explanation as to why you didn't show up for the court hearing. Some of the relevant and acceptable excuses for failing to show up for a court hearing are:
- Serious illness
- Disability
- You had been held in custody by another jurisdiction
- Insanity or mental illness
After the Conclusion of Your Domestic Violence Case
After the conclusion of your domestic violence case, the court will release or exonerate your bail. The court will release your bail under several circumstances:
- Upon the conclusion of your case
- If the court refers you to a diversion program under PC 1000
- If it is evident that you are incompetent to stand trial
- Following an adverse verdict that places you into custody
If your domestic violence conviction includes fines and paying restitution to the victim, and you had placed a cash bail, the court may channel the bail money to them.
What You Should Look for in a Lake Arrowhead Bail Bondsman
The bail bond process in San Bernardino County can be complicated, especially if it's your first time to face an arrest. However, the process will be much simpler if you have the right Lake Arrowhead bail bonds agent. With so many bail bondsmen available, how can you choose the right one? Below are some of the important traits you should look for in a bail bondsman:
A Great Reputation
Reputation is everything while choosing a bail bondsman. You need to be sure that you can trust the bail bondsmen, especially if you will provide collateral for the bail. You should trust the bail bondsman enough to allow them to place a lien on your assets without anticipating future asset ownership issues. How can you know about the reputation of a bail bond company? You should go through different bail bond companies' websites and read the customer reviews. If previous clients had an unpleasant experience with the bail bond company, you are also likely to have an unpleasant experience.
Around-the-Clock Availability
The right bail bond company should always be available at all times. The police can arrest you at any time of the day or night. You should never spend more time in jail than you have to because a bail bondsman is not available. You should choose a Lake Arrowhead bail bonds agent who is always accessible and available anytime.
Vast Experience
You are likely to get out of jail faster if you work with an experienced bail bondsman. An agent should have ample experience working in the law enforcement industry to ensure that they get the job well done the first time. When you choose an experienced bail bondsman, you won't worry about remaining in jail because the bail bond company failed to do its job correctly.
Genuine Concern for Your Wellbeing
A good bail bondsman should have a genuine concern for your wellbeing. You don't want to be just another client seeking release from the company. You should work with a bail bondsman who is willing to listen to you and provide genuine help. If you do not feel free or connected to a bail bondsman, why would you want them to be the link between you and jail?
Why You Should Choose Our Lake Arrowhead Services
If you seek the best bail services in Lake Arrowhead, you can't go wrong with Justice Bail Bonds. We are a female-owned bail bond company that always keeps its word to clients. What makes us the best bail bond company in San Bernardino County?
- We have over 20 years' experience in the bail bonds industry
- Se Habla Espanol – We have both English and Spanish speaking bail bond, agents
- Our local bail bondsmen are always standing by and ready to respond at all times
- You can access our bail services online or on the phone, and this makes the bail bond application process convenient
- We have affordable and competitive bail bond prices. We also have easy and convenient bail bond repayment plans
Lake Arrowhead Jail & Court Information
Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station
26010 CA-189
Twin Peaks, CA 92391
San Bernardino Justice Center
247 West 3rd St
San Bernardino, CA 92415
Find a Lake Arrowhead Bail Bond Company near Me
You should not look further if you need the fast and efficient bail services in Lake Arrowhead. Justice Bail Bonds have a perfect solution for you. Our reliable bail bondsmen are reliable and will be quick to respond when you need them. Contact us at 951-445-4155 and talk to one of our agents.
