I need to post bail, what do I do now?
If you have a friend or loved one in custody, or if you would like to get bail information, please call me Thomas Kelly at Wizard Bail Bonds (951)234-2762 anytime day or night.
How Bail Works
Typically when an individual is arrested for a crime in California, that person will be taken to a local law enforcement station for booking. Once booked the arrestee may be eligible for release on bail.
Using a Bail Bondsman
This process involves a contractual undertaking guaranteed by a Licensed, Bonded and Insured bail agent and the individual posting bail. The bail agent guarantees to the court that the defendant will appear in court each and every time the judge requires them to.
For this service, the defendant or co-signer is charged a percentage of the bail amount. In some instances collateral will be required. In most states, including California, the cost of a bail bond is set by law and rates are not negotiable. The California bail bond premium is either 8% or 10% depending on the amount of the bail. For example, if the bail is set at $5,000, then the premium charged is $500.
Before being released the defendant or a co-signer of the defendant, contacts a bail agent to make an arrangement for the posting of bail. After the paperwork is finalized, a licensed agent will file, or “post”, the bond with the jail which will result in the release of the defendant. Jail facilities vary in the amount of time to process the bond and release the defendant.
If a forfeiture is issued (defendant fails to appear), the defendant and the co-signer are individually responsible for the full amount of the bail. If the defendant is located within a certain amount of time and arrested by the bail enforcement agent the co-signer is then only responsible for all expenses the bail agent incurs while looking for the defendant