Keep Bailing

MENLO PARK, CA - Can anyone say, anger management classes?

In a rage of unknown beginnings, Nikolai Bonds, son of Barry the ’home run king’ Bonds decided to throw a temper tantrum, along with a metal doorknob at his own mother, Sun Bonds. According to the Mercury News, the incident happened during an argument at her home in Menlo Park.

Reportedly, Nikolai spit in Read more »

Do Not Pass Go… Do Not Collect Two-Hundred Dollars

If for some unfortunate circumstance you are jailed in California and want to bail yourself out, you’ll need to pay 10% of whatever the bail amount is. For example, if your bail is set by the judge at $10,000, you’ll need to come up with $1,000 to pay a bail agent.  Even in this strapped economy, there are a lot of families who can get together and come up with that kind of money. Pretty basic, right?

As a caveat, if your bail amount was set  at $30 million dollars (as in the case of  one, Mr. Phillip Garrido), you would need to pay your friendly bail agent 10%, well… $3 million dollars.  Let’s just say that like the rest of America,  the Placerville  judge wasn’t taking too kindly to Mr. Garrido when he showed up for his day in court. Seems as the accused kidnapper and rapist of Jaycee Dugard, Mr. Garrido’s stiff bail amount would make it very difficult for him to get back onto the streets. A fit decision, I’d surmise. However, Garrido’s bail amount was far from being the highest ever set. And he isn’t alone when it comes to notorious people with multi-million dollar bails Read more »

Sgt. Kelley Lara was a 15 year veteran of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department on her way to work on Thursday afternoon. A vehicle moved into her lane, causing her to lose control and crash into a truck. She was dead at the scene.

According to the Oroville Mercury-Register, a witness to the accident followed the car involved in the accident to obtain the license plate number. A 22-year-old woman was questioned by the California Highway Patrol in connection with the crash late on Thursday night. After brief questioning she was arrested and taken to the Sacramento County Jail. She is out on $30,000 bail pending arraignment.

Bail bonds are a critical part of the Criminal Justice System,” began Scott Steiner, Deputy District Attorney for Orange County Superior Court and judicial candidate as he addressed the July monthly meeting of the Orange County Bail Agents Association (OCBAA). He added that many see bail as an after thought in a case, but every single case involves bail at some level.

Mr. Steiner wanted to make sure that local bondsmen knew Read more »

OJ Simpson just doesn’t go away, even though we thought that he had been “put away” last year after his Las Vegas felony assault with a deadly weapon during a robbery involving a gun.

Now, awaiting appeal in that case, OJ Simpson is requesting bail. Ken Ritter of the Associated Press reports:

“Simpson recognizes that he has a heavy burden in demonstrating that his release will pose no danger to the community and that he is not a flight risk,” attorneys Yale Galanter and Malcolm LaVergne said in a follow-up document filed Monday with the state’s only appellate court. “Simpson will strictly adhere to whatever conditions this court sets for bond.”

The Nevada State Supreme Court will hold a bail hearing on August 3.

Whether you’re getting ready for Summer vacation or you travel abroad on business, you have probably watched carefully the story of reports Euna Lee and Laura Ling, sister of news correspondent Lisa Ling.

Being arrested abroad is a serious situation. Other countries don’t offer the protection that the United States offers.

Read more »

We hear it almost everyday: “What’s your rate?” or ”Can I get a bond at 5%?”

We know when someone calls and starts with those questions, we probably aren’t going to write the bond. How do we know? We know because the legal bail rates in California are clear. The people we deal with for bail are concerned with our professionalism and how quickly and efficiently we can get their situation settled. They aren’t looking to do business illegally.

So why do people who need bail call with such questions? One word: “Undercutting.” This is the term used for the practice of offering illegally low rates on bail. It’s a major problem Read more »

Generally speaking, a surety bond is a contract whereby one party engages to be answerable for debt, default, or miscarriage of another. A surety bond involves three parties: Read more »

Receiving a call that someone you know is in jail is never convenient, but a family member in jail really spoils a joyful holiday season!

Last year, we had a call late in the evening on December 23rd from a woman in Arizona who wanted to arrange bail for her sister who had been arrested in San Diego and was incarcerated at the Las Colinas Women’s Jail. She wanted her sister bailed out quickly, and we understood her urgency. Getting a person out of jail as fast as possible is one of the top concerns that our clients have.

However, this client had an added complication: Read more »

The Trial of the Centrury Touched It All:
Sex, Celebrity, Murder, Race… and Bail