Keep Bailing

Two parolees were arrested early this morning and taken to after ramming a possibly stolen SUV into a police cruiser.

Police were called when neighbors saw two individuals looking into cars.  According to the SF Gate,

The driver came to a stop at the dead-end of Pettit and then threw the Nissan into reverse, ramming Roth’s Ford Crown Victoria cruiser, the sergeant said.

The suspects fled on foot but were arrested within the hour with the help of a California Highway Patrol helicopter and a Pleasant Hill police K-9 unit, Roth said.

Christian Dorsch, 40, of Vacaville and April Carruth, 35, of Benicia were taken to Contra Costa Jail in Martinez. The two are currently not eligible for bail as they have parrole holds. When someone on parole is arrested, they are held in a “No Bail” status pending review by their parrole officer.

“What’s Wrong With Bail in Los Angeles?” I’m thinking about making this a category here at KeepBailing. Bail is a great Constitutional Right. The system is really quite good and costs nothing to John Q. Public. Release on Own Recognizance is another story…

Recently, I had a call from a woman who’s brother was arrested and was at the Van Nuys Jail. He had been in an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. His bail was $30,000 and their mother agreed to bail him out. As our bail agent arrived at Van Nuys (and was illegally approached by street solicitors looking to cut him a 5% deal on a bond – also illegal, but that’s another post), he went into the jail with bond in hand and the jailer told him, “Sorry, the guy just had an O.R. approved.”

My guy tells the jailer, “Well, I have a bond, wouldn’t that be better for everyone?”

“Sorry, gotta O.R. him,” the agent was told. (Note that I recognize that the officer was doing what he’s told to do.)

You might be thinking, that’s great for the defendant and his family; they don’t have to pay. Well, not so fast. What are the facts about O.R. versus bail when it comes to appearance in court? 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 »