An arrest for hit-and-run can result in an extended stay in jail, as the police gather more evidence for the prosecutor to table during the trial. However, you can be released on bail if you are eligible, so you can also prepare well for the prosecution. A pretrial release makes it easy for you to gather evidence, interview eyewitnesses, talk to an expert witness, and hire the best California criminal defense attorney to help with your case. You could miss out on this if you do not have the money to post bail, but a reliable bail bondsman can help.
We help defendants like you post bail immediately after their arrest at Future Bail Bond. We can start by ensuring you understand how our services work and the fee for hit-and-run bail bonds.
What Constitutes Hit-and-Run in California?
A hit-and-run occurs when, after engaging in a road accident, you leave the scene without being cleared by the police. The law requires motorists to stop, call for help, help the injured, exchange insurance information, or wait to be cleared by the police after an accident. Leaving the scene makes it difficult for responding officers to understand what happened at the accident scene to solve the case. It could also be interpreted as an admission of guilt, whereby you quickly leave the scene because you caused the accident, or have something to hide.
Motorists are required to stop, even if they did not cause the accident. You can call for help and offer assistance to the injured as you wait for the police and paramedics to arrive at the scene. If no one is injured, it is still critical to stay so that you can give a statement to the police. Exchanging information with other motorists in the accident also helps resolve the issue quickly and efficiently.
Hit-and-run is a wobbler offense; the prosecutor can file misdemeanor or felony charges against you, depending on the particulars of your case. Misdemeanor hit-and-run is covered under Vehicle Code 20001. It occurs when you flee from the scene of an accident that has resulted in property damage. Felony hit-and-run is under VC 20002. It occurs when you flee from an accident scene that resulted in an injury or death.
Your legal obligation as a driver when you are involved in an accident is to stop and help the other road user who was in the same accident. This can be another motorist, pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist. Remember that this obligation applies even when another party is responsible for the accident. What matters is that you were also involved in the accident. Also, the charges apply regardless of the outcome of the accident. Even a minor accident can result in hit-and-run charges if you did not stop to leave your details behind.
Possible Penalties for a Hit-and-Run Conviction
Remember that a hit-and-run can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the details of your case.
A misdemeanor hit-and-run mainly occurs when you flee from an accident that resulted in property damage. If convicted, the judge may sentence you to six months in jail and impose a court fine of $ 1,000. A misdemeanor conviction can also earn you a point on your driver’s license. If you accumulate more points, the DMV can designate you as a habitual traffic offender, which can result in driver’s license suspension or revocation.
A felony hit-and-run can occur if you flee from an accident in which another person died or was injured. In addition to reporting an accident once it happens, you have an obligation as a motorist to help the injured before the police arrive at the scene. A conviction for this can result in two, three, or four years in prison, and up to $10,000 in court fines. A hit-and-run charge can also result in additional charges like DUI, child endangerment, or vehicular manslaughter, depending on the details of your case.
A felony DUI will also add points to your driver’s record, which can affect your driving privileges in the future, when you accumulate more such points.
The criminal penalties are not just what should worry you when you face hit-and-run charges in California. A conviction for such a serious crime will leave you with a damaging criminal record that can impact your life for years. A misdemeanor conviction can remain on your record for up to ten years. A felony conviction can remain on a person's record for the rest of their life. This can impact how easily you get hired, find a place to rent, or access essential services, like credit and insurance.
Thus, preparing for defense is crucial after an arrest for hit-and-run. You can do this comfortably while out on bail. If the court grants you bail, but you lack the financial ability to post it, a reliable bail bondsman can help. Accessing hit-and-run bail bonds today is easy. You can obtain a referral from someone who has previously used a bail bond service, or conduct a simple online search to find one.
Posting Bail after a Hit-and-Run Arrest
An arrest for hit-and-run can occur at any time after the accident. Armed with a warrant for your arrest, the police will look for and arrest you on sight. Since they do not give you time to prepare yourself, your life can easily be disrupted. If you were working, in school, or simply taking care of your loved ones, you must quickly leave that behind and go with the officers to the police station. The booking process will follow, after which you will be detained in jail for some time to wait for your initial hearing.
The initial arraignment can happen a few hours after your arrest or longer, depending on your case. This means further disruption from what you were doing before the arrest. Since your freedom is highly restricted while in jail, everything in your life will remain pending until the court grants you bail. You will know about this during the initial arraignment, when the judge determines your eligibility for bail and sets the amount.
You could be eligible for bail if you are not a flight or security risk. The judge will also consider your criminal history, details of your case, and your financial ability when setting bail. Once the amount is agreed upon, you will be given payment options to ensure your court appearances are guaranteed.
The primary option is usually cash bail, whereby you pay the full amount to the court before being released. Posting cash bail is easy if you have the full amount, because you can be out in minutes once you make the full payment to the court. You can file for a refund after the case is closed. However, it can take time if you need to raise funds from your family and friends, or if you need to liquidate your assets. Additionally, you risk losing the full bail if you fail to appear.
Alternatively, you can use a property bond if you have valuable assets that the court can accept as a guarantee for your court appearances. You will be given the asset back after the case, but could lose it if you fail to appear.
For defendants who lack the finances to make bail, you can opt for hit-and-run bail bonds. Third-party companies offer these at a small charge. The amount you pay for a bail bond service depends on how much the court sets your bail. If you face felony hit-and-run charges, and your bail is high, you will pay more than you would for a misdemeanor charge. Typically, bail bond companies charge a 10% fee when helping defendants with bail. This is more affordable than what you could pay if you opted for cash bail.
Reasons to Choose Hit-and-Run Bail Bonds
An arrest happens when you are least prepared to post bail. This means you could face challenges posting bail even for a misdemeanor offense. Additionally, courts generally set expensive bail to ensure you appear for all scheduled hearings for your case. If the amount were low, many defendants would flee after being released on bail. That is why you may struggle posting bail after a hit-and-run arrest. While you would fundraise from your loved ones or sell your valuable assets to raise the required amount, working with a bail bondsman is more convenient.
Bail bondsmen are only in business to help defendants with bail. This is all they do for a small profit. A bail bondsman will be willing and ready to help, provided you are prepared to pay the required fee and are willing to appear for your trial. Thus, there is no need to struggle to raise your bail when you can quickly engage the services of a bail bondsman.
Bail bondsmen are highly reliable and convenient. Remember that the essence of their existence in the industry is to help you with bail. Their primary goal is to ensure that all eligible defendants have an opportunity to post bail for a pretrial release. Once you find a reliable bail bondsman, you will be out of jail in no time. However, you must make all court appearances as required to avoid bail forfeiture and additional legal issues. In the event of bail forfeiture, the bail bondsman will incur a substantial loss.
Bail bonds are more affordable because you only need a small fraction of your bail. If your bail for a felony DUI is set at $8,000, the bail bondsman only requires $800 from you, which is easier to raise than the full amount. If you cannot afford the $800 upfront, you can negotiate a payment plan whereby you pay a particular amount upfront and the remaining amount in small, manageable installments.
How To Post Hit-and-Run Bail Bonds
After your initial arraignment, you can contact a bail bondsman once you realize that you cannot afford to post cash bail or a property bond. The bail bondsman you choose must be a licensed company that offers reliable and timely bail bond services. They will explain how their services work, what to expect, and what the company expects from you. They will also discuss the fee and explain how you should pay it to start the bail process. You can ask questions and seek clarifications to ensure you fully understand everything.
Once you are ready to start the process, the bail bondsman will give you an agreement to sign. This communication can occur over the phone or online, and may not require a physical meeting. This is because most bail bondsmen now offer online bail bonds. It makes communication easy and convenient, allowing you to quickly initiate the bail process and reduce your time in jail. Once you sign the agreement, the bail bondsman will handle everything on your behalf.
Note: Some bail bondsmen require collateral for their services. This reduces their risk of financial loss in case of bail forfeiture. If you have something valuable, you can use it as collateral to obtain a bail bond service. Other bail bondsmen need you to have a cosigner. This is an individual who helps you with the bail process while you are in jail. They also take responsibility in case you fail to appear, and the court forfeits your bail. A cosigner can be a friend or family member. Once you meet these requirements and sign the bail process, the bail bondsman can quickly process your release.
Find Reliable Hit-and-Run Bail Bonds Near Me
An arrest for hit-and-run in California can cause so much stress and anxiety because of the seriousness of the crime and its hefty penalties. A conviction can result in a lengthy jail or prison sentence, a hefty court fine, and other lifelong consequences. However, you can fight for a favorable outcome if you plan your defense well. This may be possible if you are freed on bail pending the hearing of your case.
At Future Bail Bond, we help if you lack the financial resources to make bail. We also assist with the bail process to ensure a quick and smooth pretrial release. You can count on us for our reliability, timeliness, confidentiality, and convenience. Call us at 619-880-8737 to learn more about our services.
