LA Weekly reports he was taken to the LA County Jail to be booked and processed.  When he was finally able to use a pay-phone to call out, Petrick realized the only number he had memorized was a friend’s cell phone number.   Cell phones, however, are unable to accept collect calls.

Petrick, whose bail had been set at $150,000; said he had no issue in being able to pay for a bail bond.  He did, however, have problems locating a number for Los Angeles bail bondsman.   A phone book was not provided nor was list of bail bonds companies and their numbers posted on jail walls.  He said this situation “effectively denied him the ability to make bail”.

American Civil Liberties Union jails monitor Esther Lim and LA County Sheriff’s Department Spokesperson Nicole Nishida confirm that numbers for bail bondsman are not posted within the vicinity of the phones accessible to inmates. Nishida said this is to ensure that the Sheriff’s Department cannot be accused of “showing favoritism” toward any specific bail bonds company.

Spokespeople for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, though, said they each have a list of bail bonds companies and their phone numbers posted in common rooms of their respective jails.  Both counties are under contract with a company who provides that list.   Bonds companies pay a fee to the company in order to have their listing included.

Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds has made it easy: remember 8+8+8=24 hour bail bonds for any California jail and call 888-Bail Bond.

The Disney Star will be partying, drinking, and getting crazy with her girlfriends, she told US  Weekly.  In one scene, the coeds even wind up robbing a restaurant as a means of funding the trip.   Although the edgy part is a far-cry from her off-screen persona, Gomez said she was up for the challenge and embraced the role. Viewers should keep in mind that movie-set jails are quite different from what celebrity female arrestees like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan experienced when they were booked into the Lynwood Jail, the Los Angeles County women’s jail.

As far as having concerns about her younger, tween-fans sneaking into the film, Gomez said she’s not worried.  The film, written by Harmony Korine, will be released as independent, she said.  It will be shown globally at a number of film festivals and will be less-easy to access than films released to main-stream theaters.

Production for the film is set to begin in the early part of this year. No word as to if a bail bondsman will be used by the Gomez character.

Gomez first got her start in 1992 when she was cast to play Gianna in Barney & Friends.  Since that time she has stared in Spy Kids, 3-D: Game Over; the 1996 made for TV movie Brain Zapped; and has played varying roles in series such as Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place.  She has starred in a number of Disney Channel Original Movies and currently has a recording contract with Hollywood Records.  Her most recent single, Love You Like A Love Song is ranked number 23 on the The Billboard Top 40.

California law prohibits bail bonds companies from making attorney referrals.  The Top 50 Criminal Defense Attorneys Online list was thus created by allowing people to nominate attorneys who they feel are the most influential and have the strongest social media presence.

All nominees underwent a stringent evaluation process and the winners were selected based on multiple factors, including their use of social media marketing and AVVO rating.   AVVO ratings are calculated based on number of years in practice, professional achievements, industry recognition, and disciplinary history.  Company representatives say their ratings are easy to understand, lack favoritism and are completely unbiased.

Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds is family-owned and operated and has more than 40-years of experience in helping people get friends and loved ones out of California jails.  They have offices located throughout the state and have long-standing A+ accreditation with the Better Business Bureau.

The total cost of the proposed project in Tuolumne County Jail is estimated at $48 million. The other counties that applied for the small county category of funding are Kings, Shasta, Sutter, Madera, Imperial, San Benito and Siskiyou.

There is only $102 million available from the state for county corrections projects and the eight counties requested a total of $188 million. The criteria for receiving money is based on how many inmates the counties sent to State prisons in 2010. If Tuolumne is to receive any money, other counties will have to drop their requests.

CAO Craig Pedro is not optimistic about the county’s chances of being granted money this cycle. The state board is going to review each application in March before making its final decision on where to settle the money. Pedro said, “If we don’t receive grant funding this cycle, I can’t imagine proceeding at this time. That will be a decision for another day.”

Perhaps filed under the category of “Why Choose A Bondsman Wisely” or “How Not Run a Bail Business” comes today’s Fun Friday in Bail story: A Missouri bail bondswoman decided to take matters into her own hands after police refused to accept an alleged fugitive suspect into custody. Instead of releasing him, the bondsman handcuffed him to the stairs in her home. She was later arrested and charged with false imprisonment for the her actions. Hmm… no kidding?

KY-3 TV has reported that Jean Marie Chartier brought Reynaldo Delarosa to a Webb City jail in an attempt to revoke his bond but was denied because she did not have a court order.  Instead of letting him go she apparently transported him to her home and handcuffed him to the banister of her staircase. Court documents indicate it was her intention to detain him until she was able to speak with a judge the following day. Reportedly the defendant was confined in her home for at least 24-hours and was released only after his friends co-signed a $7,500 bond. Interesting way to get clients to pay. I don’t think we’ll try it.

In the state of Missouri, like California, it is illegal for a bondsman and/or bail recovery agent to detain a person longer than it takes to get them to the jail. They are also prohibited from cuffing suspects unless they are being taken to a jail.

Chartier is currently out on $25,000 bond until her court date, which she reportedly posted for herself. Stories such as these are why working with a professional bail bondsman is so important.

Fact or Fiction:  All Bail Bonds Require Collateral

Fiction: Although some bail bonds companies will require you post something of value (known collateral) to ensure the defendant will appear in court or for a payment plan, other bondsmen provide no collateral bail bonds, which clearly means collateral will not be required. Usually, the need for collateral is based on the risk and the amount of a bond. Is the bond $100,000? Is the defendant from North Korea? Or, is the defendant a local person who has a solid job for the last 10 years?

Many people do not want to put up their house as collateral on a bond. Similarly, some folks need a payment plan to cover the bail bond fee. If this applies to you, look for a bondsman who can work with your individual needs.

The complaint charges that Brown used his access to CJIS to find information on defendants he was never asked to investigate.  It is further alleged he then personally billed Liberty Bail Bonds and Aladdin Bail Bonds, both of whom do Kern County bail bonds,  for “investigative hours” and “fugitive recovery” services.

Attorneys for the six defendants Brown checked up on have said they had not requested Brown to do informational searches on their respective clients.  Upon execution of the warrant to search Brown’s home he issued a statement of “no comment” and requested to speak with an attorney.

The case was initiated by Public Defender Arthur Titus.  Titus had been made aware that “invoices involving outside employment” had been located on the hard drive of Brown’s computer.  A spokesperson from the Kern County Sheriffs Department declined to comment.

A spokesperson from the Kern County Public Defender’s office declined further comment, citing the matter was a personnel issue.

The District Attorney’s office is currently investigating the case.  Bakersfield.com said that calls to Aladdin Bail Bonds were not immediately returned.

The CDCR said the conversion will help to alleviate the adult male inmate overcrowding problem and avoid staff layoffs at the institution.

The conversion is scheduled to happen in three phases and is expected to be complete by July 2013.  The facility currently houses 3,171 female inmates.  The level of male inmates and staff is expected to be similar once the project is complete. The conversion at Chowchilla will allow the CDCR to create additional space for male inmates by using an existing facility while maintaining its workforce.

The CDCR said that with the implementation of the California jail realignment that the department expects a significant decline in the female population. Beginning Oct.1, all individuals newly convicted of non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offenses serve their sentences in county jails instead of state prison.A s a substantial portion of female offenders fall under the definition of non-serious, non-violent, and non sex-offenders, the female inmate population at CDCR has dropped.

On June 6, 2007 the female population hit an all-time high of 11,891. On Sept. 28, CDCR had 9,404 females housed in its three female prisons, VSPW, Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, and California Institution for Women in Corona.  As of Nov. 30, the female population dropped to 8,468. Projections indicate the female population will drop to 5,767 by June 30, 2013.

Although a number of residents have voiced opposition to the plan Sheriff’s officials maintain that the facility will “continue to house minimum security inmates” only.   The expansion is needed, they said, due to the state’s prison realignment program.  Proponents of the plan have pointed out that Orange County jails received close to 300 new inmates during the first month of implementation alone.

Eventually, plans for the facility would include expanding the 1,250-bed facility to 7,500 beds.  The cost to operate the expanded facility would be approximately $28 million per year.  Sources within the Sheriff’s Department said that funding sources have already been identified.

At current, the James A. Musick jail is commanded by Captain Dana Bergquist and provides rehabilitative activities and housing for minimum-security inmates.  Egg farming and vegetable growing are among the activities emphasized.

The prisoner population consists largely of persons charged with misdemeanor crimes such as DUI offenses or minor drug possession.  Persons convicted of violent felonies are generally not permitted to serve their time at this facility as they are considered “unsuitable”.

Persons wishing to visit inmates at the James A. Musick jail are able to do so Friday through Sunday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Visitors are required to pass through metal detectors, are subject to search and are required to have a valid ID.  Overly-revealing clothing is not permitted and visitors carrying contraband or who have outstanding warrants will be promptly arrested.

It’s no great secret that the economic waters continue to be a little rough.   Right now many people are stretching their paychecks just to make ends meet.  This is something that’s hitting people from all across the board, from all walks of life, and from all income brackets and backgrounds.  Having money stashed aside in a “just in case I need to bail someone out of jail-fund” is likely not something you have.

In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address questions regarding California bail bonds payments and financing a bail bond.

Fact or Fiction: You Have To Pay For A Bail Bond Prior To Release From Jail

Fiction:  With many bondsmen, yes, you do need to pay the full bond amount (10% of the total bail) prior to the defendant being release from jail. However, there are California bail bonds companies that offer payment plans.  You should keep in mind, though, that not every bail bondsman will allow you to spread out payment on a bond and if they do; the person wishing to purchase it will still need to meet eligibility requirements.

Different companies will offer different plans: some will require a minimum down; some will require you to pay within a given time frame; some may be very flexible and able to meet individual situations. Ask your bondsman about payment options, bail bonds payment plans, and find out if they will be able to work within your financial parameters.