The goal of most people who are booked into the city or county jail is to get out as quickly as possible. Depending on the crime, the bail amount can be quite high. This is especially true when the prosecutor decides to charge defendants with serious charges that will likely be eliminated during plea bargaining. If bail is high, the fee for the bail bond will be high as well. If the bail is too high, a Criminal defense attorney Los Angeles can often get the bail reduced by a considerable amount. It is often possible to get released with no bail at all. That is why it may be worth it to hold off on the call to the bail bond company when there is a high bail.
To get the bail lowered, a defendant along with the Khalaf & Khalaf Criminal defense attorney Los Angeles will need to attend an arraignment hearing where the list of charges will be introduced. At that time, the defense attorney can ask the judge to reduce or eliminate the bail. The problem with waiting until the arraignment hearing is that a defendant may have to spend a few extra days in jail due to scheduling reasons. However, it might be worth it when considering that the fee for a bail bond in California is a steep ten percent. With a high bail amount, ten percent of it can be a lot of money. The bail bond fee is not refundable. Even if the defendant is acquitted or if the charges are dismissed by the prosecutor, the fee is not refundable. That is why it is better to have an attorney work on lowering or eliminating the bail.
When the Criminal defense attorney Los Angeles requests a lower bail amount, he or she may argue a number of things. First of all, the defense lawyer may argue that the evidence is so weak that both the bail and the charges should be dropped. Secondly, he judge may reduce the bail considerably if the defense lawyer can show why the defendant is not a flight risk. A person who has deep community ties such as family, real estate, businesses, and employment in the area is far less likely to flee than someone who is from another state or country. If the bail is reduced considerably, the fee from the bail bond company will be a lot less.