In California, bail is set on a county-by-county basis. Butte County's judges have an annual review of the bail schedule and will adjust the amounts as needed. This bail schedule will be used by law enforcement throughout the county to set bail amounts for defendants.

The judge always considers public safety when setting bail. If the defendant could cause more harm to the public, the bail amount will be set higher.  If the defendant is a repeat offender, their bail amount will be set higher.

Any extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration. For example, if the defendant was arrested for a DUI but also caused an accident, injury, or death, the amount of bail will be greater than that of a DUI alone.

The judge will also consider if the defendant poses a flight risk, i.e. no family ties to the community, no job, etc.  In some instances, the judge may allow the defendant to be released on their own recognizance (OR) and no bail will be needed for their release. The bail amount could also be reduced by the judge.

There is also the possibility that the judge will order the defendant to be remanded, meaning that there will be no bail and the defendant will spend the duration of the court proceedings in jail.

Once a bail amount has been set for your loved one, you may pay the entire bail amount to the court or jail. The defendant will be required to appear for all court cases or the bail could be revoked and they would go to jail. After the court case has concluded, the bail money will be returned to you. The way many cases go, though, it could be months or even years before you received this money back.

Your other option is to seek the services of a licensed bail bondsman. Rather than having to pay what is often a very large sum of money, you can pay a percentage (10%) of the bail amount to a bail bondsman.

The bail bond fee, called a premium, is set by the California Department of Insurance. It is equal to 10% of the total bail amount.  For example, if bail is set at $10,000, then you will pay a bail bond premium of $1,000 to a bondsman.

We know that paying a large sum of money isn't always easy. That is why we are happy to accept payment with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card. We often offer no-collateral bail bonds, and in many cases we can make a payment plan for those who need one. There are no additional fees for a payment plan.

This is a very trying time for you. We will work hard to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible. A bondsman is ready for your call at any time of the day or night when you call 888-BAIL-BOND.