What happens when you’re arrested in Los Angeles?
You Do Not Have to Stay in Jail
When someone is arrested in Los Angeles they may initially be taken to the local police station for booking, and if this is not an option, they could be held there for 48 hours until they appear in court for their arraignment hearing, when the judge will decide if they will be granted bail. However, if the local jail is full, the arrestee will be transferred immediately downtown to either the Men’s Central Jail or the Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF) for women in Lynwood for booking and housing, if necessary.
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How does the bail process work in L.A. County?
Once the booking process is complete, which can take up to 24 hours, and the official charges have been established, the arrestee may be eligible for bail based on the county bail schedule, which lists the amount that corresponds to the crime committed. Then a bondsman will physically go to the jail facility to post the bond with the Jailer for the release of the inmate. The Jailer will verify the paperwork and start the release process, which could take a few hours, again, depending on the volume of bookings at that time.
However, the process should really start as soon as an individual has been arrested because in Los Angeles, the largest and most populated city and county in the state of California, it could take as long as 24 hours before bail can be posted due to the volume of arrestees being booked every day of the week. And, since our bondsmen have been working closely with L.A. jails for over 20 years, we have an established relationship with the Jailers and their staff to get the process moving forward with the intention of shortening the process for our clients.
How much does a this cost?
All agencies in California are regulated by the Department of Insurance, who enforce an average premium fee to be 10% of the total amount of the bail. Therefore, if bail is set at $20,000, you would only have to pay $2,000 for your release from custody. And, if the amount is $100,000, the fee would be $10,000 and often require collateral to assure that if the defendant skips or fails to appear in court as scheduled, the collateral will cover the full amount of the bail bond. Otherwise, the initial 10% fee will be all you ever have to pay.
Even though the industry is regulated, there may be some agencies advertising “discounted” fees. Be aware that this is really illegal and in one way or another, you will pay the full 10% fee, or that agency could lose its license to provide bail services.
Where is the Los Angeles County jail?
Los Angeles County actually has three main jail facilities: 1) the Men’s Central Jail, which is located in downtown Los Angeles; 2) the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, which consists of the Los Angeles County Medical Center Jail Ward and a medical services building, across the street; and 3) the Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF) for women, which is also referred to as the Los Angeles Jail for Women or the Lynwood Jail, located in Lynwood, California.
Are there other L.A. County Jails?
Yes, there are four other jail facilities: 1) Mira Loma Detention Center, also know as ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), which houses Federal “detainees” until their immigration cases have been decided; 2) Pitchess Detention Center – East Facility, also known as “Morrissey Hearing”, and the oldest operating jail in the county housing parole violators, and the North Facility, which houses pre-sentenced and sentenced male inmates in a maximum security environment; and, 3) the North County Correctional Facility, a maximum security complex comprised of five jails within one facility.
Bail Bonds in Los Angeles 