Keep Bailing

You’ve recently bailed your brother out of jail – does that mean you’re completely done with your responsibilities?   Some people who sign a bail bond contract believe that just because they’ve provided their signature and the defendant has been released, that they no longer have future responsibility beyond making sure the bail bonds agency is paid.

In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address questions relating what it means to be an “indemnitor” for a California bail bond.

Fact or Fiction:  I’m listed as the bail bond indemnitor on my brother’s bond contract. The bail bonds agency was paid in full and he’s been released from jail.  There’s nothing else I need to do, right?

Fiction.  When you sign a contract with a California bail bonds company you assume responsibility beyond just making sure the agency is paid.

When a person is released on bail that does not mean their charge has gone away. Instead, it means they’re Read more »

Paying for Bail Bonds and Financing Options

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 Read more »

Many people will live their entire lives without being arrested or without being called by a friend or family member who’s asking, “help get me out of jail!”  Bail bonds, to many; are a completely foreign language.  In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address the question as to whether the cost of working with a California bail bonds company can be negotiated.

Fact or Fiction:  You can negotiate with a bail bondsman in the same way you can haggle with a car dealer.

Fiction. Sorry folks, that misconception is just that – a misconception.  Bail bond premiums are set by on a state-by-state basis. In California, that agency is the Department of Insurance.  In the state of California, bail bonds companies charge 10% of a bond’s total premium to provide the service of getting someone out of jail.

Although discounts are granted on Read more »

If you have never needed to secure bail, there are likely a number of points regarding the when, where, and how of bail bonds that remain fuzzy.   If you are actively seeking out the assistance of a California bail bondsman, you might wonder if the money you post to get your friend out of jail will be returned to you at the close of the case.  In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address that question directly.

Fact or Fiction:  You get your money back from the bail bondsman when the case is over.

Fiction.  This misconception goes right to the heart of What Is A Bail Bond or How is Bail Different from Bail Bonds?

Simply put, bail is a security that’s paid to the court which allows a defendant to be released from jail while awaiting his or her trial date.  If a person’s bail has been set at $5,000 and a friend or family member chooses to post that amount in full with the jail or court using cash or cashier’s check, that’s certainly an option.  The court will then hold onto that money and, if a defendant fulfills all their legal and financial obligations pertaining to the case; the money will be returned to the individual who posted it when the case concludes. That process can, however, take several months or even years to resolve.  If the defendant “fails to appear” for any mandated court proceedings, the bail will be considered forfeited, meaning the court keeps the money, and a bench warrant will be issued for his or her immediate arrest.

This brings us to Bail Bonds: If you instead choose Read more »

Pop culture oftentimes depicts bail bondsmen as being tough, rough-and-tumble, tattooed men with long ponytails.  Even now, you’re likely conjuring up a mental image of a big, beefy guy sitting behind a desk, browsing the Internet for tattoo parlors and pool halls. Let’s just say Hollywood isn’t exactly hitting the nail on the head with the hammer.

Fact or Fiction:  Bail bondsmen wear leather, carry guns, and chase down bad guys.

Fiction:   Bail bondsmen are everyday people, who are licensed by the California Department of Insurance and are able to assist a defendant get out of jail before their court date. There are fathers, daughters, wives, sons, and even soccer moms that are bail bondsmen.

They are not Read more »

The bail bonds company that posted the $1 million bail bond for Randy and Evi Quaid is quickly running out of time.

In 2010 the Quaids were arrested, taken to a Santa Barbara County jail and charged with trespassing and felony vandalism for allegedly squatting in a Montecito home they previously owned.  The Quaids then skipped to Canada after being bailed out of jail citing the need to escape a cult that kills celebrities. In continued made-for-Hollywood twists, Beth and Duane Chapman of Dog The Bounty Hunter fame, recently issued a warning for the Quaids.

If the bail bonds company fails to produce the Quaids to law enforcement officials before Read more »

Here’s some Friday Fun for you: Hawaii News Now today reported that Duane and Beth Chapman, best known for their hit A&E television series “Dog the Bounty Hunter” are scheduled to open a “new logo and merchandise” shop in Hawaii Kai on Saturday.

The new shop, Da Kine Dog House, will compliment Beth’s Da Kine Bail Bonds business.  The store will carry DVD’s, bags, mugs, photos, books, mouse pads, clothing and more.  Locals expect the opening of Da Kine Dog House will attract swarms of fans who wand to get a closer look at life inside the Dog house.

The grand opening will be held Read more »