Understanding the Bail Bond Process – I
Trying to understand the Los Angeles Bail Bond process or one from any other city can be confusing and quickly become frustrating. There are 3 main steps that happen prior to someone being bailed out of jail.
- A person is arrested and ‘booked’
- Bail Is Set
- Bail is Posted
Understanding these first steps will make it easier to navigate the process of getting bailed
What Happens When You Are Arrested?
The process below is explained for the City of Los Angeles; however, the process is very similar in every other city
In Los Angeles when a person is suspected of committing a crime of some sort they are arrested. The first step is that they are usually taken, by police car, to a detention center and go through a process where they are ‘booked’. At this point, background information is collected. The police look for outstanding warrants, or charges against the person. They take finger prints and run them against unsolved cases or, if this is a first offence, simply index them. Photos, known as ‘mug shots’, are taken and any possessions the person may have on them at this time are taken and processed. If there is a concern that you are under the influence of something, intoxication checks are done at this point. Finally you are escorted to a holding cell where you are allowed to make one collect call. Usually at this point you call a loved one. Discussing with them the possibility of contacting a good, reputable Los Angeles Bail Bonds agency who is an expert in your area, is the best plan.
In the next part of this series, we will discuss how the Bail is set and then posted.