In some jurisdictions, the court may also allow you to post a property bond, which will use property that you own as collateral for your conditional release. Unfortunately, though, if your bail amount is high, you may not have the resources to post bail with the court on your own.
The bail bond agent will need you to sign some paperwork in order for you to secure their services. This usually means paying an amount to the agent, usually a percentage of the total bail amount, and signing off on any collateral for the bond.
The defendant can post their own bail or ask a family member or friend to post it. If the defendant uses a bond company, the company may require the defendant to have a co-signer (someone who will help the company find the defendant should they fail to appear).
Yes, in California, you do have the option to bail yourself out of jail under certain circumstances. When you're arrested and booked into jail, the authorities will set a bail amount if you are not considered a danger to society or a high flight risk.
No - if you signed the bond it doesn't matter whether you have a job or not - or whether the bondsman asked you if you did. You are liable as surety on the bond - having a job or not has nothing to do with your liability. Sorry.
Bail information is considered public record in the State of California, meaning that anyone (not only defendants themselves) can request this info. The details can be accessed via the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system or the Criminal Intake Section.
Bailing someone out of jail who has a history of untrustworthy behavior can create headaches. You're essentially agreeing to put up 10 percent of a bail bond that could be tens of thousands — or even hundreds of thousands — of dollars. If they fail to show, then you went to all that extra trouble for nothing.