Health and Safety Code 11357c
If a person is arrested for Health and Safety Code violation of code 11357c, the person has been arrested for possessing more than one ounce of marijuana. The crime is a misdemeanor and has an assumptive bail rate of $1,500. This assumptive bail rate is the same for every county in California and will not change unless there are extenuating circumstances of the case. For example, the assumptive bail rate would combine with another assumptive bail if a person is arrested for multiple code violations.
When a bail is set, the defendant may exercise his right to pay to get out of jail. The defendant may also choose to stay in jail while awaiting a trial if the person does not have the money to pay for the cost of bail. When a person has a $1,500, he may choose to borrow money from friends or family in order to pay the bail if he does not have the money on his own. Alternatively, the person could work with a bail bonding agency to get the bail bond money.
A bail bonding agency will provide the full bail bond amount to the defendant. The bail bonding agency then ensures that the defendant will be released from jail into the custody of the bail bonding agency. The bail bonding agency will work with the defendant to ensure that the defendant’s obligations to the court are met. For example, the defendant should show up for his or her trial. As long as the defendant fulfills his or her obligation to the court, the bail bonding agency will receive a full refund of the bail amount.
When a defendant uses a bail bonding agency, the services are not free. Generally, the agency will charge a ten percent down payment of the cost of the bail bond. If a person has a $1,500 bail bond, then the defendant will likely have to pay about $150 to the bail bonding agency to get out of jail.
If the defendant goes to court, this down payment amount is non-refundable, even if he or she is found to be innocent. However, if the defendant fails to fulfill his or her legal obligation, the bail bonding agency would most likely go after the defendant in order to rearrest him or her. If the bail bonding agency needs to track the defendant down, the defendant will have to pay more money and may even use assets that he or she had set aside as a surety to the bondsman. |
