Who Should I Bail in Los Angeles?

When you receive the phone call saying that your friend or family member is in jail, your first instinct will probably be overwhelming sympathy and a great urge to see them freed. But before posting a bail bond in Los Angeles, you may want to consider how well you know this person, how responsible he or she is, and what your responsibilities will be.

First of all, jail is a horrible place to be. This sounds obvious, but it cannot be expressed strongly enough. If you care at all about the individual, do not waste any time finding a Los Angeles bail bondsman to post bail.

That being said, there are times where you will be put in the awkward situation of being unable or unwilling to post bail. The most common example is not having enough money to pay the 10% bond fee, which can often be paid by finance plan but may also require a co-signer to ensure that payments are made.

The worst scenarios involve not trusting the defendant to fulfill his or her side of the bail agreement. When using a Los Angeles bail bonds business, the signer is essentially promising that the defendant will attend all scheduled court hearings. The signer is put in charge of the defendant and is responsible for paying the entirety of the bond if the defendant misses court dates or jumps bail.

If you think that the arrestee will skip his trial hearings or flee justice, you do not want to be held financially responsible for that person. Granted, this is probably only going to occur in extreme situations, such as individuals with prior history of arrest, an uncontrollable addiction to drugs or alcohol, or some other significant personality flaw that prevents the person from taking responsibility for themselves, but you still must consider the possibility.

In most cases, you will want to post bail ASAP, but if you don’t fully trust the arrestee, don’t leave yourself open to getting burned and becoming financially burdened by this person.