When any person in the United States, they have the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. Why should any person who may be innocent have to remain behind bars for an extended period of time? Continue reading
Bail Bond Industry
Look here for bail how-to-guides and bail bond news.
Bail Hotline Bail Bonds Builds and Donates 35 Bikes to Miracle on Main Street
Co-workers from across the state participated in sales training and teambuilding exercises that cumulate in several teams building the bikes for kids in need.
Alternative Collateral for Bail Bonds
The easiest way to bail someone out of jail is with cash, though this doesn’t always work and leads us to the topic of discussion: bail bond collateral. In most cases, a surety bond is the way to go when bailing someone out of jail. A surety bond is when you pay 10 percent of the bond amount to the bond agency (also called a “premium”) and the agency’s insurance company backs the rest. When you buy a surety bond, you also have to have enough collateral to make up for the other 90 percent of the bond in case the accused skips out on a court date.
The Importance of Honoring a Bail Bond
Bail bonds and the prohibition against being held without excessive bail is one our Fundamental Constitutional Rights, and something we need to take seriously. There are many different aspects to bail, today we will take you through the consequences of “failing to appear”, “FTA”, “breaking a bond” or missing a court date.
There are two primary reasons for honoring a bail bond. It is important for both the co-signer (or Indemnitor) and the defendant to make sure to follow through on any restrictions, requirements, prerequisites, and obligations of signing a bail bond. By following these “rules,” per se, you can be assured that there will be no unexpected or unnecessary financial or criminal consequences (for the accused) of bailing someone out of jail.
Bail Bonds, Liability and Co-Signers
Bail bonds are a tricky business. Most people don’t know how they work, how to get one, or even how much they cost. Today, we will discuss one important component of bail bonds: Co-signing. By the end of this post, you should know everything you need to know about setting up and becoming liable for a bail bond.
What Does a Guarantor Need to Know About Bail Bonds?
Bail bonds exist for one reason: To get people out of jail. The bail amount is set rather high for multiple reasons, though, which can put a lot of financial pressure on the person bailing someone out (the guarantor). As a guarantor, you will have certain responsibilities to make sure the accused does not miss the court date which, in most cases, will cause your collateral to be surrendered.
Cash, Land, and Cars | Three Types of Bail Collateral
We have all heard about bail bonds from cop shows and movies, but how many of us have actually taken out a bail bond to get someone out of jail? That said, how much does bail actually cost?
$1.2M Payment to LA County from Local Bail Bond Company
Bail Hotline Bail Bonds pays a $1.2M forfeiture to the County of Los Angeles. The large payment must be made because a defendant failed to appear in court to face pending criminal charges.
After an exhaustive and unfruitful search for a defendant, Bail Hotline Bail Bonds has been ordered to pay Los Angeles County $1,240,000. When a Bail Bond company posts a bond for a defendant, that defendant is released into the custody of the agency—they take responsibility for presenting the defendant in court to face charges. “This is the largest forfeiture we have had to pay,” explained Daniel McGuire, CEO of Bail Hotline Bail Bonds. “Although the deadline for presenting the defendant to court has elapsed, our recovery partners will continue to search for Mr. Oscar Grijalva”
“Of course, paying the $1.2Million is going to sting, but it is part of the business. We conduct our due diligence, weigh the risks, and make our decisions on a case-by-case basis,” stated Pablo Fonseca, a director at Bail Hotline Bail Bonds. “Most of our clients are hard working people who made a mistake and need to be released to make it to work in the morning. Fewer than 10% of our clients fail to appear in court, and over half of those make later appearances and close their cases.”
In fact, a Department of Justice report published in 2007 stated that defendants released on their own recognizance failed to appear in court 26% of the time, versus 18% who are released and supervised by a bail bond company. Besides offering the county a lower number of FTA’s (failing to appear), bail bond companies bear all of the expense of monitoring and presenting the defendants to trial.
“Bail bond services are probably the most misunderstood portion of our legal system”, Mr McGuire continues. “We are a private company that serve over a thousand defendants in just about every county in California. We help get them back to their families, their jobs, and their attorney so that they may prepare for their trials. We bear the cost and responsibility of supervising these defendants, making sure they appear in court; and when they don’t appear, we pay the cost to get them back to court.”
About Bail Hotline Bail Bonds
With over 28 offices throughout all of California, Bail Hotline Bail Bonds offers thorough and quality assistance to individuals and families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A family-owned and operated business, Bail Hotline strives to provide the best bail services in both minor and severe situations. If you cannot make it to one the bail bond offices, Bail Hotline’s mobile service can assist you. Call 1-888-958-1228 or fill out our form for more information.
To find a Bail Hotline Bail Bonds location nearest you, visit https://libertyimmigration.com.
What is an Arrest Warrant?
Those who have had an arrest warrant issued in their name probably know the outcome, but it’s possible that they don’t fully understand the mechanism of the warrant. Knowing the way warrants work, however, is an important piece of information that a defendant or their family members need to know. At heart, an arrest warrant is simply a document authorizing law enforcement to arrest an individual and bring them to court, but in reality, it is much more.
What’s Involved in the Issuance of an Arrest Warrant
An arrest warrant is easily obtainable by a prosecuting attorney, but this doesn’t mean that certain rules aren’t involved. For instance, the prosecutor must file a complaint with a superior court magistrate in the county where the alleged offense is to be tried. At this point, the magistrate must review the complaint and decide whether or not enough evidence exists to prosecute.
If the magistrate deems it appropriate, they will issue an arrest warrant for the person against whom the complaint was filed. At this point, law enforcement officials have the right to seek out the person in question and affect an arrest. This, in effect, begins the process of a criminal trial.
Can an Arrest Warrant be Avoided?
Complaints can be filed without the knowledge of an alleged offender, so there’s not much that they can do to keep an arrest warrant from being initiated. The prosecutor, however, may request that the magistrate issue a summons in place of an arrest warrant. This summons is simply a demand that a person appear in court at a certain time and place.
Ignoring a summons can lead to the issuance of a bench warrant. It’s important to note, however, that prosecutors may not actually have any discretion in the issuance of a summons or arrest warrant. In California, for instance, a summons can’t be substituted for an arrest warrant if the alleged crime involved a firearm, violence, resisting arrest or any of several other potential circumstances.
What You Should do once a Warrant is Issued?
There are a few actions a person should take if an arrest warrant has been issued in their name. First, it’s imperative to speak with an attorney. Next, it’s a good idea to contact an expert bail agent at Bail Hotline. In certain cases a bond agency may be able to sign off on an individual’s bond immediately so that they can avoid going to jail at all.
Even those detained in other counties, who were only detained due to the arrest warrant, can request to stand before a magistrate in that county to provide the bail that would be owed in the county where the warrant was issued. At this point, the accused would simply be given a court date.
While it’s true that an individual can ignore an arrest warrant if they want, that simple fact isn’t going to make it go away. A person who tries their best to avoid arrest, while knowing there’s a warrant out in their name, will have to constantly look over their shoulder. And in reality, an arrest warrant is a lot like Vegas; the house is always going to win. Anyone facing an arrest warrant would do well to make bail quickly and find an experienced attorney.
Bail Hotline® Bail Bonds Launches Attorney Resources Program
Over a decade has passed since four brothers created Bail Hotline Bail Bonds with the intentions of changing the perception of the bail bonds industry. Bail Hotline® bail bond services now stretch the length and breadth of California, with over 26 branches strategically located in thirteen counties.
Bail Hotline’s dedicated team works hard to provide the California legal community with a dependable, flexible and efficient partner – making certain that each client receives the detailed attention they deserve. CEO Daniel McGuire adds, “Bail Hotline® Bail Bonds is committed to the highest standards of integrity, reliability, and service to our community. Bail Hotline® prides itself in being worthy of our customer’s trust, by helping families though difficult moments and assuring our customers they are our top priority.”
From its inception, Bail Hotline® challenged the norm in an industry normally thought of as stark, secretive and less than forthright – assuring that every branch offered defendants and their families not only empathetic and knowledgeable agents, but also a bright and inviting environment in which to handle these otherwise stressful issues.
Bail Hotline® has effectively redefined the role of the bail bondsman within its organization. Our agents are specialized on the business of writing and underwriting bail bonds. The offices are equipped with state-of-the-art technology that produces the most expedient results regarding locating your clients and obtaining the necessary information to have them home safely, and payment plans are customized to make bail affordable for all – with a 2% discount offered to clients that have retained a private defense counsel, active military and union members.
“As attorneys, your clients have placed their utmost trust in you,” says McGuire, “and you can count on our team to handle their bail process with integrity and professionalism every time! Register here for Bail Hotline’s new Attorney Resources program – and prepare to raise your expectations.”
About Bail Hotline® Bail Bonds
Bail Hotline® is a family owned bail bonds company that has helped defendants, throughout California, post bail for many years. With statewide coverage of knowledgeable bail bonds agents, flexible payment options, and superior resources, Bail Hotline® provides fast and confidential bail bonds services 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.