Eight Ball Bail Bonds – FAQ

There are three basic release options available.

1. Surety Bail Bond

An alternative to cash bail bond bail is a surety bail bond. This process involves a contractual undertaking guaranteed by an admitted insurance company having adequate assets to satisfy the face value of the bond. The bail bond agent guarantees to the court that they will pay the bond forfeiture if a defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court appearances. The bail bond agent’s guarantee is made through a surety bail bond company and/or by pledging property owned by the bail bond agent.

For this service, the defendant is charged a premium (typically 10% of the bail amount in California). For example, if the bail amount is $10,000.00, the premium charged is $1,000.00. Prior to the posting of the surety bail bond, the defendant, friend or relative must contact a licensed bail bond agent. You can contact us toll-free at 1-866-910-BAIL (2245). Once a bail bond agent is contacted, an interview or appointment will be scheduled immediately.

By involving the family and friends of a defendant, as well as through the acceptance of collateral, the bail bond agent can be reasonably assured that the defendant released on a surety bail bond will appear at all of his/her court appearances.

After this procedure is completed, the bail bond agent will post a bond for the full bail amount, financially guaranteeing the defendant’s return to court as scheduled.

With bail bond money on the line, the bail bond agent has a financial interest in supervising bailees and ensuring that they appear in court each and every time the court orders them to appear. If the defendant does not appear in court (skips), the bail bond agent has time and the financial incentive to find the defendant and bring him/her to court.

2. Cash Bail Bond

Cash bail bond means a person must give the court or jail the total amount of the bail bond in cash. The bail bond cash will be held by the court until the defendant appears at all of his/her court cases and the case is concluded. Full cash bail bonds provide a powerful incentive for the defendant to appear in court. If the defendant appears for all of his/her scheduled court appearances, the cash bail bond should be returned in full.

3. Release on Personal Recognizance (P.R.)

Another method of release pending trial is through a pre-trial release program administered by the county or a law enforcement agency. Usually, the employees of these programs interview defendants in custody and make recommendations to the court regarding the release of individuals on their personal recognizance (i.e., without any financial security to ensure the defendant’s return).

The interview process is often conducted over the telephone, usually with little inquiry into the defendant’s background. The interview process attempts to determine whether the detainee is likely to appear in court. There is usually no verification of information provided by the defendant. Since no bail money, property, or bail bond is posted to secure the defendant’s appearance in court, he/she faces no personal economic hardship from the conscious decision not to appear in court.

Typically the 10 percent premium is fully earned once the bail bond is posted with a jail or court. That is how bail bond agents and their surety bail bond companies make their money and pay their bills.

There are two types of jails: city jails and county jails. City jails are operated by city police departments and county jails are operated by the county sheriff. After a defendant is booked into a city jail (i.e., fingerprinted, photographed, warrants checked, etc.), it typically takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour to be released on bail. After a defendant is booked into a county jail, it usually takes anywhere from 2 to 6 hours to be released on bail. We wish we could speed up the process but the city and county jails operate at their own pace. Eight Ball Bail Bonds does everything possible to expedite the defendant’s release. Let us assure you we will be by your side every step of the way.