If your beloved friend is in jail after an arrest, the first step to take is to help them secure their freedom without unnecessary delay. One way to do so is by posting their bail to the court clerk's, which is sometimes challenging because the bail amount could be high. However, you don't have to break a neck paying your friend's bail in cash if you have a reliable bail bondsman in your corner.
Bail bond dealers at 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds are not only experienced in bailing defendants out of jail, but they are also aware of everything that occurs in jail and courts in the city of Sacramento, California. Don't hesitate to speak to a knowledgeable agent if your beloved friend needs quick bail bond services to stay out of jail, pending the judgment of their case.
Top Four Reasons to Post Your Friend's Bail
Bail is a common term, but most people don't know what it means until they run afoul with the law. Typically, bail is the money a defendant gives to the court after an arrest to temporarily secure their freedom, awaiting the alleged charge's judgment. To make the bail process faster, most defendants in police custody seek help from their friends or relatives to post their bail.
Although posting bail for a friend comes with some responsibilities, it can help them obtain their deserved freedom before the final verdict of the alleged crime. Below are reasons why your friend's freedom is critical upon arrest in the city of Sacramento:
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They Will Continue With Their Daily Life
Posting your friend's bail following an arrest will allow them to continue their daily life, including schooling and working. If your friend remains behind bars for many hours or days after an arrest, they will fall behind in school. Even worse, they could risk losing their job, which will significantly impact their future.
Being out of police custody will allow your friend to make necessary arrangements with their school and employer to avoid unnecessary inconvenience during their court days.
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They Can Seek Proper Legal Help
Although your friend can still meet with an attorney while in jail, they will not have a chance to seek proper legal guidance and representation on their case. To increase their chances of achieving the best outcome on the alleged crime, they need to work with a specialized attorney who understands the ins and outs of the court system.
Therefore, posting your friend's bail will give them ample time to find the best legal counsel to represent and defend their legal rights at each stage of the legal justice system for a less severe charge or dismissal of the case.
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They Will Have an Opportunity to Prepare for the Outcome of the Alleged Case
Although it is challenging to predict the possible outcome of the alleged crime, the time your friend will spend with their loved ones while out on bail will help them prepare for the worse, like an imprisonment term.
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You Have a Right to Stay Free if You're Not Yet Guilty of the Alleged Criminal Case
Upon an arrest, your friend has a right to walk free because they are not yet guilty of the alleged crime. However, securing their freedom upon an arrest will cost them a bit of money "bail" upfront.
Posting your friend's bail means they will be out of jail before the final verdict of the alleged crime, which can take weeks, months, or sometimes even years. One sure way to show your friend that you care about them is by being there for them when they are in trouble with the law.
Bail Hearing in the Criminal Justice System
Before your friend obtains a release from jail upon an arrest, the court presiding over their alleged case will schedule a bail hearing. The bail proceeding or hearing will typically happen within 24 to 48 hours after arrest. Generally, the primary purpose of this court proceeding is to determine the amount of bail or money that your friend must pay to be out of custody before their trial date.
Apart from determining their appropriate bail amount, the judge will also explain their rights and the criminal allegations they are up against at this court proceeding. After that, they can choose to enter a plea of their choice, that is:
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No contest
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Not Guilty
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Guilty
To increase their chances of securing a release on bail or without bail, your friend should consider retaining the services of an attorney. The court will most likely grant your friend bail application request if they have ties to their community, for example:
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A home or place to stay
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Employment or business
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Their family is ready to support them to be a law-abiding citizen
Reasons Why the Court Can Deny Your Friend's Bail Application Request
Never assume that you’re eligible for bail anytime you are behind bars for an alleged criminal case. Below are reasons that can make the court deny your friend's bail request following an arrest in Sacramento:
They are a Repeat Offender
Typically, during the bail proceeding or hearing, the court will review your friend's criminal history to see whether or not they are a repeat offender. If they have several bail applications for the same alleged crime, the judge might decide to deny their bail application or request.
The judge may also deny your friend's bail request if they have one or more past arrests or convictions for the same offense because it implies that they are a notorious offender who is not ready to learn from their past mistakes.
They are Disrespectful in Court
Some behaviors or conduct in court can make the judge deny your friend's bail request, for example shouting or yelling. Even if they don’t have a past criminal record, this behavior can make the court deny their bail application request.
They are a Danger to the Society
The court may also deny your friend's bail application if their reputation in the society is "bad" or perhaps there are many negative complaints about them. Typically, following an arrest, the court will investigate your friend's criminal record and reputation to know more about them.
If they have a history of causing mental or physical harm to people, the court may keep them in jail without bail.
The Alleged Crime is Severe
As you might beware, all offenses are not the same in the eyes of the law. If the alleged charge your friend is up against is a severe offense like rape or murder, the court might deny their bail application. Generally, in that situation, the court assumes that the defendant (your friend) is too dangerous to be with people before the judgment of the alleged crime.
In contrast to other petty offenses, the likelihood that the court will deny your friend's bail request if they are in jail on suspicion of committing a severe or violent crime is high. Unless your friend has a severe health issue that requires medical attention, the court is likely to deny your friend's bail request if they are under arrest on suspicion of committing a brutal or severe crime.
They have a History of Missing Court Dates
Once your friend applies for a release on bail, the judge will check their records to see their past court dates' compliance. If they have a history of missing court dates after obtaining a release on bail, the judge is likely to deny their subsequent bail application, even if the alleged charge is non-violent.
They are a Flight Risk
It is not uncommon for defendants to flee out of the state or country after obtaining their freedom on bail. Typically, the court will consider particular defendants to be more prone to fleeing than others. For instance, the court might consider your friend a flight risk if they are a non-citizen or the alleged offense is severe and would attract severe penalties upon conviction.
If the judge denies your friend's bail application, it will help to know the reason to assist them in reapplying for another bail request with the help of an attorney. An experienced defense attorney can guide them on the bail application process and increase their chances of achieving the best possible outcome.
What You Need to Remember When Hiring a Bail Bondsman
Being knowledgeable on the following facts is vital when looking for the services of a bail bond company to help your friend secure their release from jail without delay:
A Bail Bond is Affordable
Posting your friend's bail in cash might be challenging, especially if the alleged offense is severe, necessitating a high bail amount to act as surety for their release. Fortunately, a bail bond is an affordable option that may even come with flexible fee payment plans to make it easy for you to bail your friend out of police custody.
With a bail bond, you will only have to pay a bail bondsman a non-refundable ten percent of your friend's bail amount as their services fee (premium). Then, the agent will post half of your friend's bail, promising the court to make payment of the other half if they fail to appear on their scheduled court dates.
When you choose to be a co-signer in your friend's bail, you should expect some responsibilities before exoneration of the bail. The bail bondsman will expect you to "keep an eye" on your friend to ensure their compliance with the requirements of their release, including showing up on the oncoming court dates to counter the alleged charge.
You Might Need a Collateral
Apart from the non-refundable premium, most bail bond agents will require you to provide collateral or security for your friend's freedom, especially if the alleged charge against them is severe. Depending on the required bail amount, your prospective agent may accept any of the following kinds of assets or properties as collateral or security for your friend's freedom before their case trial:
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Land
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Real estate
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Boat
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Vehicle
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Valuable jewelry
Before you hand over any of the above properties as collateral for your friend's freedom, you should be confident that they will appear for their court dates. If they decide to flee or jump bail, the bail bondsman will keep your asset or sell it. Honest communication with your friend once they are out on bail will help you predict whether or not they have intentions of jumping bail.
A Dependable Bail Bondsman Must be Legally Licensed
The law requires every bail bondsman to obtain a license before commencing with this business. If your prospective agent isn't licensed, you should consider that as a red flag, indicating that they are unreliable and unqualified.
Before you obtain a license to run a bail bond business, you must meet particular qualification requirements under the law. That means, if your prospective bail bond dealer or company is unlicensed, they are probably unqualified to conduct this business.
Bail Bond Agents who Solicits Business From the Jail are Unreliable
Avoid settling for the services of any bail bondsman you find hanging out around the jail trying to solicit business from potential clients because they are unreliable. Even if you are desperate to have your beloved cousin home as soon as possible, you should take your time to find a bail bond dealer with a physical office.
In the bail bond business, having a physical office where your potential clients can come if they need bail bond services is vital as having a license for the business. Undoubtedly, working with an agent with a physical office shows some sense of professionalism and seriousness in the bail bond business.
A Reliable Bail Bondsman is Available 24/7
A dependable bail bondsman understands that an arrest can typically happen at any time of the day or night. If your friend calls your phone number at night to inform you that they are in jail for any alleged crime, you will not wait until morning to assist them on the bail process.
A reliable bail bondsman understands this and will be available 24/7 to ensure your friend is out of jail as soon as possible.
A Dependable Bail Bondsman Have Positive Reviews in Their Website
Before settling or signing an agreement with any bail bondsman, you should check their website to see their past client reviews. If your prospective agent has positive reviews from their past clients, you should expect the best services once you hire them, and vice versa is also true.
Court Procedures Your Friend Should Anticipate Once They Out of Police Custody on Bail
Once your friend is out of police custody, they should know that their alleged case is not over. Being out of custody allows them to work better with their attorney to prepare for upcoming court dates. The following are court proceedings your friend should anticipate once they are out of jail on bail:
The Pretrial Hearing
At the pretrial hearing, your friend's attorney and the prosecution team will meet to discuss possible resolutions in the alleged case. Typically, the pretrial hearing is a chance for your friend's attorney to point out weaknesses in the prosecutor's evidence against your friend for dismissal of the charge or perhaps a less severe alternative charge.
The Trial Hearing
If your friend's attorney and the prosecutor will not resolve the alleged crime against them at the pretrial stage, the case will move to the next court phase known as the trial. During the trial phase, the judge or a team of twelve jurors will listen to evidentiary arguments from the prosecutor and your friend's attorney to determine whether or not they are guilty of the alleged charge.
At this phase of the criminal court system, Arguments from the prosecution team and your friend's attorney should be beyond a reasonable doubt. If your friend's defense attorney can raise a doubt on the prosecutor's evidence against them, they will not be guilty of the alleged crime.
In that case, the judge may dismiss or reduce their alleged offense to a less severe related charge with less severe penalties.
The City of Sacramento Courthouses and Jail Information
The information listed below will come in handy if you’re on a mission to bail your beloved friend or nephew out of jail in the city of Sacramento, California:
Courthouse Addresses
Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse
Jail Addresses
Sacramento County Jail
Find a Bail Bond Company Near Me
At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, our primary goal is to provide you with flexible, affordable, and fast bail services all day and all night. Our bail experts will walk you through the bail process and treat you with the utmost respect that you deserve during these confusing times.
We understand the financial stress associated with bailing a loved one out of jail. Don't hesitate to call us at 800-930-8999 if your beloved friend is behind bars for any alleged offense in the city of Sacramento, California.