How the Bail System Works

The bail system is designed to guarantee the appearance of a criminal defendant in court throughout all proceedings. To be released on cash bail, an individual must post with the court the total amount of the bail, in cash, to secure his or her return to court for each and every court date until the case is concluded.

Many people do not have the cash on hand, or available to them. An alternative to cash bail is the posting of a surety bond. What we do is post these surety bonds. This process involves a contractual undertaking guaranteed by an admitted insurance company having adequate assets to satisfy the face value of the bond. The bail agent guarantees to the court that they will pay the bond forfeiture, if a defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court appearance. The bail agent's guarantee is made through a surety company.

To be released pursuant to the posting of a surety bond, the arrestee, or a relative or friend of the arrestee typically contacts a bail agent. A bail agent is an individual licensed by the State of California to post surety bonds. Prior to the posting of a surety bond, the bail agent undertakes a detailed interview, as well as a complete application of the proposed guarantor (indemnitor). Many times credit is extended to the guarantor who agrees to make predetermined payments to our company.

For this service, the defendant is charged a premium. The amount charged to the guarantor is 10 percent (or 8 percent if you qualify). These rates are regulated and mandated by the Department of Insurance.

If you have any questions please call us at 562-392-0770 

For more information about the bail system, click here.