Sonoma County Bail Bonds
When a person is arrested in the county of Sonoma, the person may be released on bail. The bail rate for the defendant’s released will be based on an assumptive bail rate schedule that is the same for all counties in California.
The assumptive bail rate schedule is determined on an annual basis by a panel of judges. There are different bail rates assigned to different violations, including penal code violations, vehicular violations, and health and safety code violations.
When a person is given the opportunity to be released from jail on bail, many times, the person will not have the amount of money that is required for bail. In such circumstances, the defendant may wish to call upon a bail bonding agency for services. The bail bonding agency is responsible for providing the defendant with funds that the defendant will use to get out of jail.
If a bail bonding agency is used to help a defendant get out of jail, the agency will charge the defendant a down payment for its services. The down payment is usually about ten percent of the total cost of the bail. In addition to the down payment, the bail bonding agency may request additional assets that can be used as collateral in the event that the defendant fails to appear in court of to fulfill a legal obligation.
In order to pay the down payment and provide collateral, many bail bonding agencies will provide payment plans for their customers. Also, the defendant can use a credit card, personal check or cash. In some cases, the defendants can also use collateral and money provided to them by friends and family.
As long as the defendant fulfills his or her legal obligation by attending all court hearings, the bail bonding agency will receive a refund of the bail amount, even if the defendant is guilty. The defendant will also be able to retain possession of his or her collateral. However, if the defendant fails to fulfill the legal obligation, the defendant may be tracked down by a bounty hunter that is hired by the bail bonding agency. The defendant will also need to pay additional fees to the bail bonding agency and may lose possession of the collateral that he or she had put up in exchange for bail.
