Securing a jail release after being arrested for or charged with a crime in Desert Hot Springs might or might not be straightforward. Suspects accused of minor violations may secure an own recognizance (OR) release and wait for their trial while free. For those accused of severe crimes, making bail might be the sole option to walk free while awaiting trial.
Posti bail may be challenging if you do not have sufficient funds. You can access Desert Hot Springs bail bonds here at El Don Bail Bonds. We offer professional, reliable, and 24/7 bail bonds, and our bail bondsmen will provide invaluable help during your challenging period of incarceration. Call us, and we will do everything possible to secure your release.
Overview of Bail In Desert Hot Springs
Bail refers to the sum of money the court requires an accused person to pay to be freed from jail. The accused must accompany this sum of money with the promise to appear for court proceedings on the scheduled court dates. A defendant can pay the bail sum using cash, valuable property, or Desert Hot Springs bail bonds.
Courts and jail facilities accept money orders, money in cash, cashier’s, traveler’s, and personal checks. Should you make court appearances as scheduled, the court will refund the money at the end of the case. If the judge finds the accused guilty, part of the bail money will be used to pay for the court fines, costs, restitution to the victim, and other costs.
The Bail Process
The Desert Hot Springs bail process commences with an arrest. Police officers make an arrest when they have probable cause or reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. When a police officer arrests you, they will drive you to the nearest police station, sheriff’s department, or jail for booking. Booking entails various steps. The precise order of the steps might differ across facilities, but here is an overview of what to anticipate:
- Recording of personal information: the arresting officer will record your details, like your name, physical characteristics, address, and birth date
- Fingerprinting and photographing: the officer will take a series of photographs, known as mugshots, and record your fingerprints. They enter these records into national and state databases for identification purposes.
- Health screening: The detention facility will perform a health screening to evaluate your medical condition, screen for infectious diseases, and identify immediate medical needs. The screening ensures your and other detainees’ well-being and safety in custody.
- Search and inventory: the police will search you (usually a strip search) and inventory your personal belongings. They will confiscate keys, wallets, and mobile phones and store them until you are released. You may also need to surrender your clothing and wear a standard-issued uniform while in jail. Any illegal or contraband items found during the search might incur more charges.
- Criminal background check: the police will conduct a background check on you to see whether you have any past criminal record or outstanding warrants against you.
After the booking, the police will take you to a holding cell. Depending on the severity of the supposed offense and the jail's capacity, you might be held with other detainees or alone. The arresting officer will then compile the information collected during booking into a formal record. The record will become part of your criminal record and be used throughout the legal process.
The arresting officer will then hand the information to the D.A., who will determine whether or not to press charges. You will be free to go if the D.A. does not file charges. But if they do, you will be set for your first court appearance, called the arraignment.
During your arraignment, the judge will read your charges and ask you to plead. You could plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest. The judge will proceed directly to sentencing if you plead no contest or guilty. If you plead not guilty and based on the case facts, the judge may proceed to grant bail, release you on your O.R., or order that you remain in custody.
Own recognizance release involves being released without posting bail. The court will only require you to sign a written promise to show up in court on all the scheduled dates. This type of release occurs in minor violations, and the court will only grant it if it is sufficiently convinced you will fulfill your promise of appearing in court.
Bail Setting and Bail Hearing
If the judge grants you bail, they will set the amount. They will check on the bail schedule to see what bail amount responds to your crime. A bail schedule is a list of preapproved bail amounts for various crimes. Judges refer to these schedules to know precisely how much money they will determine as bail. They can set the precise amount indicated on the schedule. Or, they can slightly lower or increase it at their discretion. Desert Hot Springs judges refer to the Riverside County bail schedule.
The judge will consider several factors before deciding whether to set the bail amount or entirely deny bail. Some of these are:
- Concerns of public safety: If you pose any threat to the victim or community, the judge may set a higher bail amount or even deny the bail altogether. Courts scrutinize crimes that involve violence against victims, weapons, or violations that threaten public safety more closely.
- Flight risk: the chances of an accused person fleeing before court trial is a key factor. Judges consider factors like employment status, family responsibilities, and ties to the community. If deemed a flight risk, you may be subject to a higher bail amount or stricter pretrial release conditions to ensure your appearance in court.
- Criminal record: An accused’s criminal history significantly contributes to bail determination. You may be subject to a higher bail amount if you have past convictions or bail violations. If you have no criminal record or have only minimal past violations, the judge will likely set a lower bail amount. Or, they may even release you on your own recognizance.
- The severity of the charges: the crime’s seriousness and nature substantially influence the bail value. If you committed a severe offense, like a felony or violent crime, the judge would set the bail amount higher than if you had committed a minor offense.
- Financial resources: Judges also consider an accused’s capability to post bail. They set bail values at various levels to ensure accused persons make court appearances while reflecting their financial means. If you are wealthier, you may be subject to a higher bail amount to deter flight. If you are indigent, you might be qualified for reduced bail or O.R. release.
The judge will weigh these factors carefully to balance public safety and your rights with the interests of justice.
If the judge sets a too-high amount, you can request a bail hearing to try and convince the judge to lower the amount or set the amount indicated on the bail schedule. Your lawyer can help you with this hearing. They can present mitigating circumstances that can be convincing, including proving that:
- You have good connections with the community
- You have made all court appearances before
- You have no criminal record
- Releasing you will pose any danger to the community
Posting Bail
If you are accused of a crime in Desert Hot Springs, there are three main ways to make bail: cash bail, a property bond, and contacting a Desert Hot Springs bail bonds service for help.
Cash Bail
You must have the exact amount of money required to post cash bail. Alternatively, you can post a check for the required amount at the court or jail. Some courts or jail facilities may allow you to use a credit card to pay bail.
Even though cash is generally the most straightforward way to pay bail, these amounts usually range between $10,000 and $100,000. That makes it highly unlikely that many defendants will have this much money. Provided you attend court on all the scheduled dates, the court will return your bail money.
However, some court cases last longer than expected. They could last 12 months or more. If your case is ongoing, you will be incapable of using or investing the cash in whichever way. Should you fail to make court appearances, you may lose your cash bail and will not receive your money back.
If you have made cash bail, it usually takes 6-12 weeks to be refunded the money after your case ends. If you paid cash bail and failed to make all the court appearances, the court will allow you 180 days to show up and explain why you never appeared. If you do not show up after 180 days, the court may issue a bench warrant for your arrest, and you will lose the cash bail forever.
Desert Hot Springs Bail Bonds
Most people arrested in Desert Hot Springs post bail via a surety or bail bond. That is because, as mentioned above, they lack enough money to make cash bail. A bond is an agreement between the defendant and a local Desert Hot Springs bail bonds company’s bondsman. In this agreement, you promise to attend court as the court requires, and the bondsman promises to pay bail on your behalf.
However, to post a bail bond, you must pay the bondsman a premium, which is a fee for their services. The premium is generally 10% of the total bail value as the judge had set and is nonrefundable. Thus, for example, if the total bail amount is $100,000, you must pay the bondsman 10,000 dollars. Some companies offer discounted premiums to various groups of people. These include:
- Those with attorney representation
- Union members
- Teachers
- AAR members
- Military members and veterans
If you fall under the above categories, your bondsman could give you a premium of up to 8% or 7% based on the company you chose. So, if the total bail money is 100,000 U.S. dollars, you may ultimately pay 8,000 dollars.
The bondsman loses the bond money if you do not make court appearances as required. Thus, your bondsman will have strong reasons to track your movement and ensure you attend court hearings. It will be up to the bondsman to locate you if you fail to appear.
Some Desert Hot Springs bail bonds services generally request that you provide collateral before agreeing to pay bail on your behalf. Collateral could be jewelry, a car, a house, or any other valuable item you have. Should you fail to make court appearances, the bondsman will use this collateral to compensate for the forfeited bond amount.
Like cash bail, the bondsman has 180 days to track you down after you fail to attend court. Once they track you, they can bring you into custody or notify the police to arrest you. If they do not find you within the specified period, they will forfeit their bond amount forever. The judge will also issue a bench warrant for your arrest.
Property Bond
You can post a property bond instead of paying cash bail or the necessary premium to contract a Desert Hot Spring bail bonds service. Property bonds involve posting equity interest in real property as a promise that you will appear in court on all scheduled dates. However, the equity value must be at least twice the set bail value.
For example, if the judge had set bail at 100,000 dollars, the court should be content that the property’s equity value is a minimum of 200,000 U.S. dollars. Also, to post a property as a bond, the court should have recently appraised the property, professionally estimated the property’s equity, and disclosed any liens.
If the property meets all the above requirements, the judge will accept it and order your release from custody. If you miss court, the court will place a lien on your property and foreclose on it to compensate for the bail amount.
Preparing and submitting a formal appraisal for a property bond is time-consuming. Thus, people rarely seek these types of bonds. Nevertheless, a property bond is an alternative for making bail if you lack the money to pay a bondsman or make cash bail.
Choosing the Right Desert Hot Springs Bail Bonds Service
There are several factors to consider when hiring a bail bonds service to help you post bail. Considering these factors will ensure you feel confident and content in your decision. Some of them are:
- Transparency in charges: Even though working with a bonds company will save you significant cash, you still need to pay a 10% premium. Ensure you work with a bondsman who is incredibly transparent about this premium, as some may try to increase it. Also, let the company communicate about the deadline for payment. Some companies also charge hidden fees like administrative, processing, and travel charges.
- Experience: The most critical thing to consider when selecting a bonds company is its bondmen’s experience. If they have experience, they will help you successfully navigate the bail posting process, reducing your anxiety and stress. Also, it means they will ensure everything runs smoothly without delays. They can, for example, ensure you have all your paperwork in order, facilitating a faster jail release.
- Consequently, try to find out more about the extent of service the company will offer moving forward. You can, for example, check if they will let you access a hotline so you can check the updates on your case or ask questions.
- Reputation: ensure you check the reputation of the bond company itself. This will make you feel confident when giving them your cash. You will also be able to know whether it is a trustworthy company or not. Typically, you can learn more about a company’s reputation by checking reviews of it from past clients, whether they are added directly to the company's website or posted on a third-party website.
- Local insight: Go for a company that has developed working relationships with local court officials and police. This can enable the bail process to run more seamlessly for everybody involved. The bondsmen will also deeply understand the local rules and regulations regarding the charges you face and bail posting.
- Customer service: You should also consider a bonds service or bondsman that prioritizes top-notch customer service. Since this would be a stressful and nerve-wracking period for you, you would require a lot of guidance and support.
You might also want to consider a service that permits you to use payment options or payment plans, which can minimize your financial challenges during this period. That way, you will not need to land yourself in an intricate financial situation to bail yourself out of jail.
Jail Information
Palm Springs Jail
Phone No: 760-323-8116
Desert Hot Springs Sheriff
Phone No: 760-329-2904
Court Information
Palm Springs Courthouse
Phone No: 760-3932617
Find a Reliable Desert Hot Springs Bail Bonds Service Near Me
At El Don Bail Bonds, we are pleased to help you or your loved one secure a jail release if arrested in Desert Hot Springs. We boast licensed and experienced bondsmen who are up to the task and will work to ensure you are out of custody within the shortest possible period. Also, our Desert Hot Springs bail bonds are affordable. We have flexible payment options and financial plans to accommodate your financial situation. Call us at 760-342-0444 to kick off the bail process.