Conditional release Authorized in most states, defendants promise to appear, but a court can impose additional conditions of release, such as supervision by pretrial services or other monitoring.
The decision to post bail for someone should not be taken lightly. Financially, you risk losing the bail amount or collateral if the defendant fails to appear in court. Legally, the defendant's absence can lead to arrest warrants and additional charges, complicating their legal situation further.
Bail bonds in California are valid for the life of the cases unless you miss court or get rearrested. Then, depending on the circumstances, you may need to post another bond.
As opposed to conditional bail, unconditional bail is simpler and a bit unstructured. An unconditional bail is usually applied when the accused person is a no–flight-risk, their charges are relatively insignificant, they don't seem like a danger to society, and they have a clean criminal record.
Bond conditions are rules you must follow while out on bail. They help make sure you show up for court and don't commit new crimes. Common conditions include curfews, travel limits, and no-contact orders. Violating bond conditions can lead to getting arrested again.
An unsecured bond represents an obligation not backed by any assets. If you receive an unsecured bond, you can sign an agreement that you will appear in court following your arrest. If you do not appear in court per your bond agreement, you will be fined. Unsecured bonds are considered “good faith” agreements.
You may be eligible for an unsecured bond if you committed a minor crime. In addition, a court may be more inclined to offer you the option of an unsecured bond if you have no criminal history. If you accept an unsecured bond, it is in your best interest to comply with its terms.
The Bail Eligible Offenses, 2020 Reform Edition Generally, most misdemeanors (but not sex offenses and domestic violence charges); felony drug charges (aside from Operating as a Major Trafficker, PL 220.77; and non-violent felony charges (with exceptions noted above).