People who are arrested in San Diego County often want to know how they can get out of jail while their case moves through the criminal justice system. There are only two ways that this can happen.
One way is that the court can order the individual to be released on their own recognizance. This means that they don’t have to put up any money or assets to secure their release. Instead, the court takes the person’s word that they’ll appear at all their hearings.
The other option is for the court to set a bail. This is an assurance through property or money that the person will appear at their court hearing. If they post bail straight to the court, they may be eligible to have the bail returned to them at the conclusion of their case if they appeared at all hearings.
How does the court set bail?
Some bail amounts are set according to a schedule. For example, impersonating an officer comes with a $5,000 bail, but assaulting a police officer comes with a $10,000 bail. Pre-set bail amounts are only present for some offenses. Some of these are because the crime is so horrific that there’s not a possibility of bail, but others are because the court has full discretion over what bail is set.
What happens if a person can’t post bail?
A person who can’t post bail might need to use the services of a bail bondsman. This individual can post bail for the defendant to secure their release. The fee for this is typically 10%, but it’s not returned to the individual at the conclusion of their case.
Anyone facing criminal charges should seek the assistance of someone familiar with handling similar matters. Doing this early in the case is a good idea so they don’t have to try to rush their defense.