Gold Country Bail Bonds - Local Agents
The purpose of this site is to better serve you with information regarding bail bonds and their procedure. At Gold Country Bail Bonds we understand that you may not have gone through this process before and in difficult times there is always questions of who you can trust. For over twelve years our Bail Bondsman have been providing fast professional service to Northern California areas including: Placerville, Tahoe City, South Lake Tahoe, Jackson, San Andreas, Auburn, Nevada City, Grass Valley, Sonora, Roseville, El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Woodand, Marysville, and Sacramento Areas.
It is our company's goal to provide discreet, confidential, and professional service to all our clients. Service is the foundation of our business, and it is this foundation that has made Gold Country Bail Bonds a local leading provider of bail bonds in El Dorado, Sacramento, Yolo, Calaveras, Placer, Nevada County, Sutter, Tuolumne, and Amador, and Counties. Nationwide Agents Available 8% Bail Bond Premium on Approval
8% Bail Bond Premium on Approval
The Department of insurance has approved Gold Country Bail Bonds to offer 8% Rates if any party to the transaction is a member of AARP, has retained an attorney, is Active or Vet Military, or Labor Union Member.
Local Bail Agent Network
Gold Country Bail Bonds works through a network of Agents in over 30 States and Southern California to provide convenient expedited service where you need it. If you have a friend, family member or loved one that has been arrested in another state just call us to expedite the process. Our extended network of qualified agents will insure a fast hassle, free release from custody. We have licensed bail agents available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any and all of your questions and concerns about bail bonds. If are in need of a bail bond for a friend, family or loved one, please have the person's name, and if possible the county name that they are held in ready, so that we may expedite their release process. We here at Gold Country Bail Bonds would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please use the buttons above to get more information
Bail Reductions
Bail allows a defendant to be released from actual custody on the posting of a bond, cash deposit, or other security deemed sufficient to guarantee to the court that the defendant will return to answer to the charges levied against him/her. The word bail as used in California law (called statutes) has several different meanings. People often get confused when they hear the word bail. Bail can refer to security posted guaranteeing appearance, or the surety or bondsman who posts security with the court to guarantee appearance. There are three distinct types of bail in California.
- Cash Bail, the putting up of money with the court for the entire penal amount of the bail set.
- Property Bond, the use of real property rather than money. Generally a more complicated and time consuming process.
- Surety Bail, the use of a surety bail bond via a bail agent, or bail bondsman. Commonly a bail bond agency charges only a percentage of the penal amount of the bail set.
A reduction in bail can come at different times depending on the complexity of a case. Bail can be reduced at arraignment, the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, on the filing of an information or indictment; however some judges are reluctant to reduce bail at arraignment because they know very little about the case. As of arraignment they usually don’t have the police reports to review, the judges tend to avoid making a decision on bail without facts. At this point a bail review, or bail study is generally requested by the judge, a Probation Officer will review the facts and make a report back to the court for a further bail hearing.
A good guideline of how courts set bail is described in the California Constitution, Article I Section 12. In part it guides the court on factors to be considered in the setting of bail, and the reduction of bail. Three factors to be considered are;
- Seriousness of the offence (s) charged.
- Defendant’s criminal record.
- Probability of the defendant (accused) returning to court.
Hearings on bail motions (increase or decrease) are generally informal. Most bail motions are made either orally or in writing. Written motions are generally more complex; include memorandum of points and authorities, and declarations of supporting facts. Some courts even require actual testimony, affidavits, or declarations. The assistance of an attorney is advisable.
The judge has a lot of discretion when setting bail amounts. The California Constitution uses the word “may” with regards to excessive bail. May is a word that gives judges their wide range of discretion. Bail reduction hearings are common place in the courts; some hearings are more complex than others. Judges often have their own mindsets on how bail should be set. Each judge is different; it’s not uncommon to have a different judge review bail on the same case.
Bail and Electronic Monitoring – Pretrial Releases
In some cases electronic monitoring can utilized for bail reductions. By offering the option of an ankle bracelet a number of our clients have had more success requesting bail reductions. We offer two options for ankle bracelets, the first operates on GPS and cell phone signals allowing clients to go to work or school and continue to be monitored. The second option is more of a traditional house arrest system which operates on radio frequency with a base station located in the house.
If you have a friend or loved one in jail and your lawyer wants to try for a bail reduction don't forget this valuable tool. It may be the determining factor in their release.
How is Bail Amount Determined? Bail Schedule
There are many factors that come into account when an arresting agency decides on how much bail the accused must pay to be released from jail. For most crimes, bail amounts are derived from a document called the "bail schedule" a list of crimes with corresponding bail amounts decided by the district attorneys office and local judges. However, the bail schedule does not list bail amounts for ALL crimes. In this case bail will be decided by the Judge. Here are some examples
How the Jail handles the bail amount totals varies from county to county. Some counties maintain the policy of "Stacking" bail. In this system all charges carry a specific amount and are added together, the sum is the amount that the accused must pay for release. Other counties may use only the highest bail amount to determine the total bail.
How to Determine Bail in El Dorado County
El Dorado County is a little Different than most counties in their policy of determining total bail amounts. All misdemeanor counts of a crime are stacked (bail amounts are added together) and felonies are only stacked if the crimes occurred in succession of time ex. burglary, led to hit and run, hit and run led to evasion. Warrants are always stacked for they are different case numbers.
Searches and Search Warrants
Every person has a Constitutional right protecting them against unreasonable searches and seizures. (Fourth Amendment) The Fourth Amendment was ratified as a means to guard against abuse of the writ of assistance, better defined as a “general search warrant” in the American Revolutionary times. The Fourth Amendment specifies all searches and arrest warrants be sanctioned judicially, and supported by probable cause. In 1961 the Supreme Court ruled the 4th Amendment to applicable by way of Due Process outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment.
The 4th Amendment specifically only applies to government employees, and does not protect you from searches and seizures (reasonable or unreasonable) conducted by a private citizen, and only applies to criminal law with no protection under this amendment for civil law.
The Supreme Court has ruled that searches and seizures can violate the reasonableness required pursuant to the 4th Amendment in certain cases. However, not all actions by governmental authorities to obtain or collect information and evidence on a person constitute a search. The actions of governmental authorities are what trigger the protections guaranteed pursuant to the 4th Amendment. If no search occurred, there may be no necessity (requirement) for a warrant. On the contrary if a search occurred there may be a necessity (requirement) for a warrant.
In 1968 the Supreme Court ruled that in certain circumstances police officers (governmental employees) can conduct limited warrant-less searches with suspicion levels less than that of probable cause in certain circumstances. In certain situations officers may conduct a “pat down search”. This activity is primarily done for the safety of the officer (s) and to determine if a “suspect” has a weapon of some sort. An officer needs to articulate specific facts in order to justify their actions; a vague hunch does not work.
The 4th Amendment mandates a law enforcement officer receive permission from a court of law (Judge or Magistrate) in order to lawfully search and seize evidence in the course of investigating a crime. The permission granted by the court is called a warrant. When a law enforcement officer conducts a search and seizure without a lawfully issued warrant it may be considered unreasonable and or unconstitutional. However there are certain exceptions that allow un-warranted searches and seizures.
Prior to 1914 evidence was allowed to be admitted into a criminal case no matter how it was obtained. The Supreme Court adopted the “exclusionary rule” in Weeks vs. United States. Other decisions came shortly after giving further protection of the 4th Amendment. One such ruling dealt with tips resulting from illegally obtained evidence is also inadmissible in trials, known as “fruit of the poisonous tree”. The main function of this protection is to deter law enforcement officers from violating suspects 4th Amendment rights.
Through the years courts have established exceptions to the warrant requirements, for example: Plain view, with probable cause and a reason to be present an officer may seize objects that are in “plain view”.
Open field, fields, water, woodlands etc. may be searchable without a warrant. The expectation of privacy level is far less than that of a person’s home, person or vehicle. The Supreme Court has ruled in a 1924 case that the 4th Amendment protection does not extend to open fields.
Curtilage, the outdoor area’s immediately surrounding a home may be protected, and considered an extension of a person’s home. Therefore subject to privacy protections afforded in the 4th Amendment. To fall outside of the realm of cartilage interpretation there may need to be a great distance, fence, plants, etc to separate the area and be considered an open field.
Exigent circumstances, an exception to the warrant requirement may be an exigent circumstance. This happens when a law enforcement officer reasonably believes there is a need to protect life or property. When a search is not motivated by intent to arrest or obtain evidence an un-warranted search may not violate persons 4th Amendment rights.
Vehicles, persons in automobiles generally have a lesser expectation of privacy. A vehicle usually does not serve as a person’s residence or repository of personal belongings. A law enforcement officer needs some sort of probable cause and a reasonable belief the vehicle, occupants, and/or contents are connected with criminal activity. As a general rule items in “plain view” may be seized with out a warrant. Searches at time of arrest, its common and has been found to not violate the 4th Amendment to search an individual incident to an arrest. Two major factors come into play, 1. Officer safety, the officer needs to check for weapons. 2. Preservation of evidence, the officer needs to gain control of evidence to prevent destruction by the arrested party.
Example; It’s reasonable for the officer to search the area within the arrestee's immediate control, that is, the area from which the defendant may gain access to a weapon or evidence. A search of the room in which the arrest is made is therefore permissible, but the same is not true of a search of other rooms, as the arrestee would not probably be able to access weapons or evidence in those rooms at the time of arrest. Borders & Airports, a person, vehicle, and personal effects may be searched without a warrant at any United States boarder or international airport. The “border search” exception even relaxes the necessity for probable cause. While at a border crossing or international airport any person may be searched at random with virtually no violation of his/her 4th Amendment rights. However a search that intrudes on a person’s dignity and privacy must be supported by reasonable suspicion.
Misc. exceptions, some of the other exceptions used for the basis of a warrant less search are; Public Schools, Government Offices, Jail and Prison Cells, Searches Made With Consent.
Fourth Amendment protection does not apply to an arrest and or seizure by a private person. (Citizens Arrest) Most states have laws governing the specific circumstances when a private person may arrest another. Some general examples of when a private person would make an arrest would be when a felony or misdemeanor crime has been committed and possibly witnessed by the arresting citizen. The arresting citizen should have a reasonable belief that the person arrested has committed the crime. A private person making a citizens arrest has no qualified immunity and may face a civil lawsuit if they’re mistaken.
This information has been provided as a reference, and should in no way be relied upon as legal advice. If you have questions or concerns of a specific matter you are encouraged to seek the advice of a competent attorney.
Want to become a Bounty Hunter Like “Dog”?
Well maybe not exactly like Dog, but a bounty hunter just the same. The job of a bounty hunter is to arrest fugitives running from the law. It is a dangerous? Sometimes sure, but that's half the draw right? If you think that a career as a bounty hunter is right up your alley here are the steps needed to do it legally.
Advice: Fugitive Recovery agents come through our office all the time trying to get business. We have only used a few. If you want to get into this business be ready to bring something extraodinary to the table. You must be effective and be able to back it up time and time again. Remember, it takes years to build a great reputation, and only a day to ruin it. That being said, here are the legal requirements.
- Complete a 40- training course at an accredited community college that teaches individuals how to become a Fugitive Recovery Agent. This course should include a course about the power of arrest course pursuant to Penal Code Section 832.
- Complete a 12-hour, pre-licensing bail education course that is compliant with the Insurance Code Section 1810.7. Go to bailschool.com to see class schedules.
- If you are planning on carrying a weapon you must complete the P.C. 832 Firearms course. You must obtain a firearms permit from your county sheriff and carry the permit with you wherever you go.
- Complete an 8- hour course that focuses on duties of a security guard and the power to arrest.
- Complete the training course successfully to become licensed.
After you have completed all the requirements above you can start make contacts in the bail industry and offer your services as a fugitive recovery agent. This business can be lucrative, it is competitive. In order to break into this business you must be persistent, resourceful, and able to bring results every time. Remember, the act of physically restraining the Fugitive and bringing him/her back into custody is only the end of the hunt. First you must convince a Bail Agent to entrust their liability to you, then find out where the Fugitive is residing. My advice is to plan your strategy on all these fronts before you start taking classes. Don't start this endeavor until you are sure you can stick with it for the long haul. Good Luck and Happy Hunting.