El Cerrito, CA Bail Bonds

FOR 24 HR. BAIL BOND SERVICES CALL: (925) 231-8103

Bail Bonds/Getting Arrested in El Cerrito

If you, a friend, or loved one has been arrested in El Cerrito or surrounding areas and you need to post bail, please call us at (925) 231-8103 so our professional and courteous bail bond agents can assist you. We are on standby round the clock.

How does Bail Work?

If you decide to pay bail, you’ll be released on condition that you attend all your court hearings. If you don’t, you have to stay in jail until your hearings are finished. Bail is your insurance that you will attend your hearings and not flee. If you do, the bail becomes the property of the court.

Sometimes no bail is required if the charge is not serious and you are in good standing in the community (and you have no criminal record). In this case, you’ll just need to sign an agreement that you will attend all your court dates.

If you are charged with a more serious crime, bail will be asked of you as a condition for your temporary release.

In California, bail amount ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. In extreme cases, the defendant and his family will not be able to afford to pay the full bail up front. In cases like that, the best thing to do is to hire a bail bond agent.

What Does a Bail Bond Agent Do?

California bail bondsmen, as licensed professionals, help put up the money so you can post bail. You only need to pay them a non-refundable fee of 10% of the bail, called a premium, sign a legal agreement with your co-signer and the bail bond agent, and then the necessary paperwork will be submitted to the court so you can be released.

The contract includes the condition that if you flee your bail, your co-signer (usually a family member or a loved one) will be made to pay the full bail to the bail bond agent. The co-signer should, therefore, be able to shoulder the added legal expenses in case you skip bail. This means your co-signer must have a regular source of income or is able to put up a collateral.

What If I Can’t Afford the Premium?

With the economy as tough as it is, even 10% of the bail(8% if you are are active in the military or a veteran, a member of a union, or have retained an attorney) which is mandated by California State Law, might be too steep to pay up front. In cases like this, we can arrange a payment plan suited to your situation so you can afford to pay the premium at staggered amounts for your bail bond in California.

Call Leonard Padilla for your El Cerrito, CA bail bonds 24/7 at (916) PADILLA / (916) 723-4552 or locally at (925) 231-8103. We are standing by.