Bail bonds are something that we often hear or talk about, but that many people do not actually fully understand. TV shows such as Dog the Bounty Hunter have made more people aware that bail bonds and bail bondsmen are out there, but very few people know about the actual bail bonds process, and especially the process within California.
The easiest and simplest way to describe bail bonds is to first begin how the process works if someone makes the decision to put up a Cash Bail. For example, let’s consider the fact that bail may be set for a certain individual at $10,000 for a California bail bonds incident. In that type of situation, a friend or family member of the person in trouble can gather $10,000 and use it in order to get the person out of jail. The court then holds onto this money as part of the bail bonds process in California as a method to guarantee that the person in question will show up at all court appearances.
If and when the defendant shows up to all court appearances, the person that placed the money down will receive all of the funds back.
Now, with that said and out of the way, here is how the actual California bail bonds process works.
If bail happens to be set at $10,000, then a bond can often cost $1,000. This money is considered to be a premium and is non-refundable in any instance. Once the person in question leaves jail, the money is then used and not given back, even if the alleged criminal is only out of prison for a day.
The benefit to this is that should the court proceedings last for a lengthy period of time, the person in question is allowed to be free during that time. This is obviously far more beneficial than staying in prison for the duration of the court procedures.