Bail Reductions in Los Angeles Criminal Cases

Bail Help from a Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer

Our first priority is to get the defendant out of jail. A defendant out of custody is in a better position to help in his or her own defense. The Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers at Stephen G. Rodriguez & Partners have the experience to deal with bail, bail reduction, and obtaining the release of their clients without posting bail, commonly known as Own Recognizance (also known as O.R.). Own Recognizance refers to the release of the defendant on his or her own promise to appear in court without posting bail.

Bail Process

Bail is the means used to secure a person's release from jail. Bail is generally set according to a countywide bail schedule. The purpose of bail is to ensure the personal appearance of the defendant at all the required court proceedings.

If the bail is reasonable we can arrange for a bail bondsman to contact you and immediately post bail. If the bail is too high and we anticipate we can lower the bail or obtain the release of the defendant at the first court appearance, then we will suggest that the defendant remain in jail for 48 hours. At the first court appearance we can argue for no bail.

If we are successful then the defendant's family saves a considerable amount of money that can be put toward the defendant's legal defense. Many times, the family members rush to bail the defendant from jail and end up with no money to hire the lawyers. Sometimes the bail is increased at the first court appearance and the defendant is taken back into custody unless the family makes arrangements to pay the higher bail.

Bail Reduction

If the amount of bail is too high, we can petition the court to reduce the bail. In setting the amount of bail the judge takes into account the following factors:

• Public safety
• The seriousness of the criminal offense
• The prior criminal record of the defendant
• The likelihood of the defendant making all the required court appearances.

We will use these same factors to reduce the bail plus any additional favorable information such as: the defendant has no prior failures to appear in court (FTA); and the defendant lives in the community with his or her family and owns their home and is therefore not likely to be a flight risk.

Los Angeles Criminal Attorneys

We have a successful track record in getting our clients out of jail. Our experience and knowledge of the bail process and the court system enables us to get our clients out as quickly as possible. We offer jail visits and a no-charge initial consultation. Our office is located 10 minutes from the Los Angeles county jail and walking distance to the Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building. If you have any questions about bail and need straight-forward answers, call us. We can help!

Contact a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney if you need to get your bail reduced.