Unfortunately, securing your freedom is not automatic if you are under arrest as a suspect in any criminal case. While some defendants are eligible for an O.R. (own recognizance) release after an arrest, the court will require you to post bail to secure your freedom in most cases. Bail bonds play a crucial role in the legal justice system by ensuring defendants are out of jail before receiving their case’s verdict.

However, there is a hot discussion on alternative approaches that defendants have to secure their freedom after an arrest if they cannot afford to post cash bail or secure the services of a bail bondsman. Since every arrestee has a constitutional right to stay free before his/her charge verdict, it would be unfair to hold you in legal custody just because you cannot afford to post bail.

That is why bail funds come in to address the unfairness and inequalities in the bail system, ensuring access to justice is not dependent on an arrestee's financial situation. Bail funds are generally community-based initiatives that help raise funds for arrestees who would otherwise remain in legal custody until their case verdict due to a lack of money to post bail.

What You Need to Know About the Bail System

The bail system is a crucial part of the criminal justice system, designed to ensure defendants or arrestees appear at all scheduled court hearings before receiving their charges verdict. After an arrest and the booking procedure, the police will allow you to post bail while at the police station if the alleged charge has a predetermined bail amount.

Bail is the financial deposit you pay to the police or the court’s clerk to guarantee that you will make all your court appearances to challenge the allegations you are up against. If your offense has no predetermined bail amount on the bail schedule, the court will decide how much you should pay to secure your freedom at the bail hearing.

That means you could end up in legal custody for up to twenty-four hours unless your arrest occurred on a public holiday or the weekend. In that situation, you could end up in jail for up to seventy-two (72) hours.

In other words, the bail system's primary aim is to prevent the pretrial detention of defendants after an arrest by ensuring they secure their freedom pending the outcome of their charges. Below are the key features of the bail system:

  1. Bail Price Determination

During your initial court hearing or bail hearing, the judge will decide how much you should pay as bail based on the following factors:

  • Your criminal record
  • The seriousness and sophistication of the alleged charge
  • Whether you are a flight risk
  • Whether you have a record of skipping bail
  • Your ability to pay

  1. Bail Options

After an arrest, you will have various options for posting bail, including cash, property, or a bail bond. Most defendants unwilling to put their property or money at stake for their freedom will opt to work with a bail bondsman to secure bail bond services.

A reliable bondsman could offer quick Moreno Valley bail bonds services to secure your freedom. However, you will have to pay him/her ten (10) percent of your bail amount as a fee (premium) for his/her quick services.

  1. Pretrial Detention

If your offense is grave or the court considers you a flight risk or public threat, you will likely remain in legal custody until your case’s trial date.

  1. Bail Refunds and Forfeiture

When you comply with all the requirements and conditions of your release from jail on bail, particularly by making court appearances, the judge will refund your cash bail regardless of the verdict of your case at the trial hearing. However, when you fail to show up on your court-scheduled dates, the judge will forfeit your bail, meaning you will not receive any refund.

As awareness of how the bail system works is increasing, many people criticize it for perpetuating socioeconomic disparities because those with money can secure their freedom while those without remain behind bars. According to advocates of legal justice reform, paying cash bail unfairly and disproportionately impacts low-income defendants and people of color, which is unfair.

What You Need to Know About Bail Funds and Their Role in the Criminal Justice System

To many, “bail funds” is a new legal term, but it is an option you can consider to secure your freedom if you are in police custody as a suspect for any offense. Bail funds are charitable and community-based organizations that offer financial aid to defendants who cannot afford the court-set bail amount after an arrest.

The primary purpose of these funds is to address the current unfairness within the legal justice system by assisting defendants who cannot receive their freedom using other means, like cash bail or bail bonds.

Bail funds work on the idea that every arrestee should have a right to secure their freedom upon an arrest, pending the outcome of their case, regardless of their financial status. Explained below are some of the significant roles that bail funds play in the legal justice system:

They Help Humanize the Criminal Justice Process

Bail funds help humanize the criminal justice process by offering financial support to defendants in police custody after an arrest. They recognize that every defendant deserves a fair opportunity to prepare defenses to challenge the alleged violation outside a detention facility to increase their odds of securing a favorable outcome.

They Help Ensure Every Defendant Has Equal and Fair Access to the Legal Process

Bail funds help level the playing field by ensuring indigent defendants who cannot afford cash bail receive equal and fair access to their deserved justice. By preventing pretrial incarceration of defendants due to their financial status, bail funds help foster a fair and just legal justice system.

They Help Mitigate Socioeconomic Disparities and Unfairness

Recognizing that the cash bail option disproportionally and unfairly impacts low-income defendants, bail funds help reduce the financial burden that indigent defendants face in the legal justice system after an arrest. In other words, they help prevent a two-tiered legal justice system where your financial status determines whether or not you will receive your freedom upon arrest.

They Help Promote Systemic Change

When speaking about reform of the legal justice system, bail funds are frequently at the forefront of advocacy campaigns to change the broader bail system. They typically work towards systematic reforms that help address the causes of unfairness within the legal justice system by advocating for laws prioritizing public and community safety without supporting socioeconomic disparities.

They Help Support Community Engagement

Bail funds often engage with local communities to sensitize and educate them about the effects of cash bail on indigent defendants and advocate for the reform of the broader legal justice system.

They Provide Immediate Assistance to Defendants

Bail funds can be handy when you are in an emergency and need to secure your freedom as soon as possible but cannot afford cash bail or a bail bond.

Generally speaking, bail funds are critical in fighting the injustices and disparities in the bail system. Aside from providing defendants in legal custody with financial help to secure their freedom upon arrest, bail funds help empower communities and advocate for a compassionate and just legal justice system.

The Difference Between Bail Bonds and Bail Funds

Many people confuse bail funds with bail bonds, which defendants purchase from a bail bondsman. However, there are differences that you ought to know about these two ways of securing your release from jail following an arrest.

Bail funds are non-profit organizations that derive the financial aid they offer arrestees from grants, community contributions, and donors. Because of their dedication to ensuring social justice, bail funds contribute to addressing the inherent injustices and inequalities in the legal justice system.

Conversely, you can secure your freedom upon an arrest by purchasing bail bonds from a bail bondsman. The bondsman will charge you a fee, usually 10% of your total bail amount, to offer Moreno Valley bail bonds services. In exchange, you have to promise the bondsman to comply with all the terms of your release, particularly attending your court-scheduled hearings.

The bondsman will be accountable for your total bail amount when you skip bail or fail to appear in court as required. That is why most bondsmen will require you to surrender valuable collateral before posting your bail bond. Examples of collateral the bondsman could accept to offer you quick Moreno Valley bail bonds services include the following:

  • Boats
  • Vehicles
  • Real estate
  • Land
  • Valuable jewelry

Unlike bail funds, which rely on the community to derive the financial support they need to help defendants, bail bondsmen derive fees from arrestees seeking to secure their freedom after an arrest. That means bail bondsmen are profit-making entities whose profits depend on how many defendants they help secure their release from legal custody after an arrest.

Another distinguishing factor between these two systems is the repayment responsibility. When bail funds help you secure your freedom after an arrest, you will have no obligation to repay these funds because this assistance is considered community support.

However, when you opt for Moreno Valley bail bonds services, you will not receive the fee you will pay the bondsman, regardless of the outcome of your case.

What to Consider Before You Apply for Bail Funds

Whether or not to go for bail funds after an arrest depends on your beliefs and the circumstances of your unique case. Below are some of the factors to consider when determining whether you are an excellent candidate for bail funds after an arrest:

  1. Other Alternatives

First and foremost, before seeking bail funds assistance, you should consider other ways to secure your freedom after an arrest, including working with a bail bondsman or posting cash bail. Compare the costs, terms, and possible repercussions of these alternatives before you make your final decision.

  1. Your Financial Status

If your financial circumstances prevent you from posting cash bail or lack the necessary funds to obtain Moreno Valley bail bonds services, applying for bail fund assistance could be an excellent way to secure your freedom.

  1. The Nature and Type of the Alleged Charge

Bail funds will probably prioritize criminal cases that align with their mission and the communities they serve locally. If you or a loved one are under arrest for protesting against social injustices, he/she will most likely qualify for bail funds to secure his/her freedom, pending the outcome of the alleged charge.

  1. Potential Long-term Consequences of Applying for Bail Funds

After an arrest, you should consider your decision's potential long-term effects before accepting bail fund assistance. While bail funds help provide immediate aid to indigent defendants, it is wise to know and understand the obligations and commitments associated with them, if any.

  1. Your Own Core Beliefs and Principles

Ultimately, your values and beliefs will determine whether or not you decide to apply for bail fund assistance. If the bail funds’ mission to address systematic inequalities embedded in the legal justice system aligns with your beliefs, it could influence your final decision.

Factors to Consider When Finding a Bail Bondsman for Moreno Valley Bail Bonds Services

If you decide to secure Moreno bail bonds services after an arrest, you should find a reliable bail bondsman to secure your freedom immediately. Below are some of the factors to consider when finding a reliable bail bondsman for fast bail bonds services:

  • The bondsman's credibility and reputation
  • Whether the bondsman offers 24/7 services
  • The bondsman's experience in the criminal justice system
  • The bondsman's cost of services
  • Whether the bondsman offers flexible fee payment plans
  • Whether the bondsman is insured and licensed

When your freedom is at stake, you must ensure the experts you have on your side are the best, including your bail bondsman. The above tips can lessen your options to find a reliable bail bondsman without hassle.

Find a Bail Bondsman Near Me

Unfortunately, an arrest could attract unexpected financial obligations, especially if the alleged offense requires you to post bail to secure your freedom. That is where the services of a bail bondsman become crucial.

If you want to secure your freedom as soon as possible after an arrest, our bail bondsmen at Fausto Bail Bonds can offer you the financial assistance you need. Call us at 855-328-7867 for fast Moreno Valley bail bond services to secure your freedom as soon as possible.