Court trials take weeks, months, or years to finalize. Fortunately, with bail, you don't have to remain in custody throughout the criminal court process. Bail allows you to continue living your life, interacting with your family while waiting for the case to end. But, when you cannot raise the full amount required or do not want to commit your money to the court, you can work with Fausto's Bail Bonds to get you out of custody as soon as possible. Contact us to be connected with a local Mountain Center bail bonds agent right away.
Understanding Bail and Bail Bonds
Bail is the money a criminal defendant must pay to be released from custody, pending the criminal trial.
Often, criminal defendants cannot raise the amount required for cash bail. They may need the assistance of bail bond agents. Bail bonds refer to a criminal defendant's agreement with a bail bond company to appear for all court hearings for a fee in return.
When working with a bail bond company, you pay 10% of the bail amount and offer collateral as the bail bond company's insurance so they can recover their money if you fail to appear in court.
Bail bonds are not designed as punishment for the defendant. Instead, they are security that the defendant will appear in court for all the scheduled appearances. Failure to show up in court leads to the revocation of your bail bond and a warrant for arrest.
24/7 Bail Bonds
Arrests can happen anytime. When that happens, you want a reliable partner to help you secure bail. Since the police don't stop making arrests at night, during the weekends, or during the holidays, we also stay up to ensure you can access Mountain Center bail bonds at any time.
So, whether it's midnight on Christmas or 6:00 PM on Thanksgiving, you can call our bail bond service and have us help you get out of jail as soon as possible.
How Much Do Mountain Center Bail Bonds Cost?
Judges determine the cost of Mountain Center bail bonds depending on the offense. Normally, misdemeanors have lower bail amounts compared to felonies. In addition to whether the offense was a misdemeanor or felony, the court also considers other factors when setting the bail amount. These factors include the following:
The Bail Schedule
The bail schedule is a judge’s guiding light when setting bail amounts. These schedules outline the specific amount for a specific crime. However, they still offer the judge the discretion to issue higher bail amounts depending on the severity of the offense, your criminal history, and your flight risk.
Criminal Status
Defendants currently on parole or probation are more likely to be denied bail or required to pay a higher bail amount. Engaging in a criminal offense while still on parole or probation signifies to the court that you have a higher chance of reoffending when released on bail.
Criminal History
First-time offenders, especially of non-violent crimes, are likely to receive low bail amounts. Repeat offenders and those who’ve had issues appearing in court as required are more likely to receive higher bail amounts.
Flight Risk
The court has to evaluate your likelihood of fleeing the county or state or failing to appear for scheduled court dates. Some of the factors that help courts determine your flight risk are:
- Your ties to the community.
- Your employment.
- Financial resources.
- Previous behavior when released on bail.
- Your age.
- Your reputation.
- The evidence available and the possibility that you could be sentenced.
The Severity of the Current Offense
The court considers the evidence available about the current offense to determine how much bail you should pay. They will consider factors such as:
- Weapons used during the offense.
- Whether the victim was injured during the offense and the severity of those injuries.
- Whether the offender made threats to the victim.
- Whether drugs were involved.
Bail reforms in California have led to the adoption of release on "own recognizance" for defendants who've committed misdemeanors, do not pose a threat to public safety, and are not a flight risk. Non-violent felony offenders could also get OR release at the court's discretion. OR release is not available for some violent felonies and capital cases.
Public Safety
Bail is designed to ensure public safety by setting a bail amount high enough to discourage the offender from committing another offense or denying bail altogether.
If you committed a shoplifting offense, you are less likely to be considered a threat to public safety. However, if you were arrested for a capital offense, a violent felony, or have a history of committing violent felonies, you’re less likely to be released on bail.
Your Ability to Pay
California made it unconstitutional for courts to set bail at an amount the defendant cannot pay. Therefore, the judge determines your income and ability to pay before they can set the bail amount.
Bail Algorithms
Courts are embracing the use of computer programs to calculate the amount of bail a criminal defendant must pay. These algorithms rely on information such as your criminal history and the current offense to calculate the recommended bail.
The figure recommended by the bail algorithm gives judges a good reference point when setting bail for your case. They will also consider other mitigating or aggravating factors before settling on the final bail amount.
Requesting Lower Bail
You can request a bail reduction hearing if you feel you were given a higher bail amount. You can file a bail reduction motion with the court asserting factors that the court should consider to lower your bail or release you on your own recognizance.
These factors include:
- Strong connections to the local community.
- Past behavior in appearing for court proceedings.
- Your criminal record.
- The severity of the current offense.
- You do not pose a risk to the community if released.
- You cannot afford bail.
Requesting Own Recognizance Release
If you committed a non-violent felony or a misdemeanor, you could request OR release during the bail hearing. You don't have to pay Mountain Center bail bonds with an OR release.
You can convince the court to grant you an OR release if this is your first offense, it’s a low-level offense, you have responsibilities and community obligations that tie you to your location, and you do not pose a safety threat to the public.
When you request an OR release, the court investigates to assess your character and your ties to the community. The investigators will talk to your friends, family, employers, and other members of the community.
The investigation can trigger negative effects such as a higher bail amount or no release if the court uncovers that you are on parole or probation. In this case, it’s much safer to post bail.
Bailing Yourself Out of Jail
Cash bail is an option to get out of jail in Mountain Center. You'll need to pay the full amount to the court to secure your release. Some courts may also accept money orders, certified checks, and traveler's checks.
You could also ask family members and friends to help bail you out of jail by loaning you some money. If you cannot raise the full bail amount, consider calling a bail company that offers Mountain Center bail bonds to pay the bail amount on your behalf.
Sometimes, the court may refuse to take cash bail when the origin of the money is suspected to be from criminal ventures. This is often the case when the defendant must pay a large amount of bail.
For example, if you were charged for transporting drugs for sale and posted a cash bail of $100,000, the court may suspect that the funds are from drug sales. When this happens, you have to prove that the money used comes from a legal venture.
Bailing Someone Else Out of Jail
If your loved one is in jail, you can post bail on their behalf by paying cash bail or securing the help of a bail bonds company. Bail bond agents raise the amount required in court in exchange for collateral of equal value.
At the end of the court case, if the offender obeys all the pretrial release conditions, the court will refund the bail amount, and your collateral will be returned. However, the bail bond company takes 10% of the amount as payment for their services.
To bail someone else out of jail, you will need certain information, such as:
- The police department or jail where they’re in custody.
- The name and date of birth of the person you want to bail out.
- The bail amount.
- The specific charges they’ve been held for.
- The inmate booking number.
Once you have this information, complete the paperwork online or in person for the bail bond company to start processing. Once you've signed the paperwork, the process is faster, and your loved one will be bailed out of jail. The bail bonds company will post the full bail amount in court.
Conditions of Bail
Courts often attach conditions when releasing you or your loved one on bail. The defendant must adhere to these regulations or risk a violation and revocation of their bail. These conditions are based on your offense and must further public safety. The common bail conditions include:
- You must be released to a family or community member who must accompany you to all court hearings.
- Regular check-ins with a designated agency.
- Travel restrictions, which may include surrendering your passport.
- An order to avoid all contact with victims (often issued as a condition when released on bail for domestic violence or offenses where the victim was injured or at risk of injury).
- An order to surrender your weapons.
- Ignition interlock devices (DUI offenses).
- Mental health treatment.
- Alcohol/substance abuse treatment.
- Home detention.
- Electronic monitoring.
Cosigner Liability
When you’re posting bail on behalf of a criminal defendant, you become their cosigner. A cosigner in California must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a valid driver’s license or state identification.
- Show proof of income with a valid paystub or other means.
- Provide proof of residency.
In addition to covering the financial liability of bail, a cosigner takes on additional responsibilities such as:
- Ensuring the defendant appears for all their scheduled court appearances.
- Paying the bail bond premium.
When cosigning bail for a loved one, you are shouldering the financial risk of paying the full bail amount should they dishonor their court obligations. If you can’t raise the full amount, you could lose the collateral attached to the bail bond.
Fortunately, courts allow you to terminate a bail bonds agreement if you feel the defendant is at a high risk of fleeing the state or dishonoring their bail obligations.
What Happens to Your Bail After a Criminal Case Ends?
Bail ensures that a criminal defendant will appear in court until the end of the case. Therefore, whether the case ends in a dismissal or a conviction, you are entitled to the return of the bail you posted.
The bail refund happens at the end of the criminal case, either once the case is dismissed or after the sentencing if you were convicted.
If you posted bail through a Mountain Center bail bonds service, the court would refund the bail bondsman the amount posted. You will also recover the collateral used to guarantee the bond. The bail bondsman will keep the 10% premium you paid to secure the bond.
Jails and Police Departments Near Mountain Center
Your loved one could be held in one of the following jails and police departments in or around Mountain Center:
Riverside County Sheriff Lake Hemet/Mountain Substation
Location: 56570 CA-74, Mountain Center CA 92561
Phone Number: 951-659-3871
Robert Presley Detention Center
Location: 4000 Orange Street, Riverside, CA 92501
Phone Number: 951-955-4500
Hemet Courthouse
Location: 880 N State St, Hemet, CA 92543
Phone Number: 951-777-3147
Find A Mountain Center Bail Bonds Service Near Me
Thanks to bail, you can secure pretrial release for your loved one as they await the outcome of their criminal case. When you don’t have the funds to pay the full bail amount in cash, contact Fausto’s Bail Bonds from any jail or police department in or around Mountain Center, Riverside. We offer bail bonds at a 10% (or below) premium to expedite the release of your loved one. Contact us at 855-328-7867 to begin the process.