California DUI Cases and Bail
How much does it cost to get out of jail... and why?
The term "bail" means the amount of money that you must surrender to the court in order to be released from jail. It is a way of ensuring the court that you will attend your future court appearances.
In some instances involving California DUI cases and bail, the court doesn’t require any money for release. Such situations are called "O/R"... for "own recognizance." Basically, an O/R release is based on your own promise to come back to court to face the charge.
Our Los Angeles DUI Lawyers emphasize that bail amounts and practices can vary from court to court, county to county. In many places, someone arrested for DUI who remains in custody until law enforcement is legally required to put him or her before a judge (two work days) is likely to receive an O/R release. In others, one may come sooner or not at all.
Where bail is required, it is almost always assigned according to the "schedule" of the California county in which you are arrested. Bail for "standard" DUI offenses (not involving injury to person or property) commonly range from $5,000 to $10,000. Note that the seriousness of the DUI crime alleged can also impact and increase the bail amount.
Our Los Angeles DUI Lawyers point out that "bail bondsmen" (also called bail agents) will post your bail in exchange for a non-refundable fee (or "premium"), which California law sets at a maximum 10%. If, for example, your total bail is $10,000, the maximum you would pay a bondsman would be $1,000. Moreover, we commonly work with bail bondsmen who charge well below the maximum. Note also that bail can be posted for you by another person.