For people who are unfamiliar with bail, how bail works, and what it means to secure bail bonds there may be some confusion and overlap as to what the terms actually mean.  In many instances, they may use the terms interchangeably without realizing their mistake in doing so.

BAIL

When a person is arrested and charged with a crime they will usually be given the opportunity to be bail out of jail.  In the state of California, the criminal charges will be cross-referenced with the county’s bail schedule.  A bail schedule is set annually by county judges and lists monetary amounts that correspond with particular charges. Bail in California is set at the highest amounts in the nation.

Ultimately, bail is the amount of money a defendant will need to post with the court in order to be released from jail.  If a person is unable or unwilling to post the full amount with the court, a second option is to seek out the assistance of a bail bondsman.  That is where bail bonds come in.

BAIL BONDS

A bail bond is the contract between the contract signer (called the indemnitor) and the bail bonds company (called the surety) that stipulates the defendant will appear for future court proceedings related to the criminal charges.  Working with a bail bonds company has its advantages in that they can generally help expedite the release process.  Another advantage of working with a bail bonds company is that only 10% of the total bail amount will need to be paid in order to have the defendant released from jail.   That money is paid to the company as a fee for their services and is not refundable.

HOW TO BAIL SOMEONE OUT OF JAIL

If you receive a call from a friend or family member informing you of their arrest, the easiest way to arrange for bail is to seek out the assistance of a local, expert bondsman.  The bail bondsman will ask you for some basic information such as the charges, when the defendant was arrested, what jail and the bail amount.  If you don't know all of the details, a professional bondsman should be able to assist you anyway.

There is the option not to bail out of jail. However, helping someone post bail is a lot less complicated than you might think.  Your bail bondsman should be able to answer any questions you have about how the process works, how long it will take, and the responsibilities that come with helping someone get out of jail.