Several Types Of Los Angeles Bail Bonds

Where bail is required, a defendant will not be released from custody until the bail bond has been delivered to the court.

Bond may be posted in one of several ways:

Surety Bond

A common way to post bond is to obtain a “surety bond” through a bail bondsman. In this type of arrangement, the defendant or a family member or friend pays a fee to the bail bondsman. The bail bondsman then issues a guarantee to the court that if the defendant fails to show up, they have the funds to pay the full bail amount.

Posting A 10% Cash Bond

As an alternative to using a bondsman, you may have the option to pay the court a 10% cash bond. You can do this either by making a 10% cash payment directly to the court or by paying a bondsman to pay 25% of the full amount of the bond to the court. Paying the court directly works well for people who have a lot of cash on hand because they can avoid paying non-refundable fees to the bondsman.

Securing Bond With Real Property

Another option for posting bail involves using the defendant’s real property such as a home to secure a bond. The value of the real estate property needs to be close to the value of the bond. If the defendant fails to show up for court, then the state of California could recover the defendant’s property.

Posting A Full Cash Bond

Some defendants may be required by the court to post a full cash bond, such as where a defendant is considered a flight risk. In these situations, a defendant must pay the entire amount of a bond before they can get out of jail while awaiting trial. As an alternative to paying the full amount to the court, a defendant may be able to get a surety bond for the full amount from a bondsman for a fee.