
What is a bail bond and how can I get one for my cousin in Yolo?
A bail bond is a monetary assurance that a defendant will show up to court in order to stand trial for a crime that he or she has been accused of committing. In order to get a bail bond, your cousin needs to have had his or her situation heard by a judge after he or she was arrested and booked for a crime. A judge will decide whether or not your cousin gets to get out of jail on bail. If a judge does decide that your cousin can get out of jail on bail, then the judge will determine the amount of bail that will be required in order to get your cousin out.
When a judge sets bail, the judge will take a variety of factors into consideration. The bail amount will start with the assumptive bail rate, which is an approximate starting rate for the bail that is set for each penal code violation. The assumptive bail amount is the same for all counties in California, including Yolo.
The judge will also look at the crime(s) that your cousin has been accused of committing. There are some crimes, such as many murder situations, that are not up for bail. As such, a defendant that has been booked for murder might not be able to get out of jail on bail. There are other crimes, such as petty theft, that a judge might set a lower bail for. For small crimes, the judge might even determine that the defendant can get out of jail on his or her own recognizance, meaning that the defendant would not have to pay bail as long as he or she agreed to arrive in court for the trial date.
In order to get your cousin out on bail, you need to first figure out if your cousin is up for bail. You can either speak with your cousin directly to figure this information out or you can call the Yolo jail that is holding your cousin.
If your cousin is up for bail, then you will need to find the money in order to pay the bail. The bail amount is usually several thousand dollars, but can be as high as $1 million. If you need help paying this bail amount, then you should consult with a bail bonding agency. The bail bonding agency will pay the full amount of the bail in exchange for a down payment. The down payment is usually about ten percent of the amount of bail. So, if your cousin is being held on $10,000, then you will pay the bail bonding agency $1,000 in order to get him or her out. The down payment is not refundable, but it can be paid in increments or with a credit card if your bail bonding agency agrees.