Oroville Bail Schedule (Butte County)

While most Americans believe that the system is inherently fair, this is not always the case. The media routinely covers stories of people who were later found to have been wrongfully convicted. Justice is possible only for people who are able to build an effective defense, which is impossible while a person is in jail.

Dealing with a bail bonds company is an essential part of defending yourself. It is important to gain freedom as quickly as possible. While many people assume that they must stay incarcerated until a judge sets bail, this is always not the case in Butte County. Some people can pay bail according to the Butte County bail schedule and leave jail before even seeing a judge. You can find out from a bail bonds company if you meet the criteria.

What is a Bail Schedule?

The Butte County bail schedule is a list of set bail amounts for different crimes. These crimes are ones where the law has determined that the defendant does not need to see a judge prior to paying bail and being released. If you qualify, you can leave as soon as bail is posted and appear in court at a later date.

These amounts will seem high to many people because they are! The United States has the highest bail in the world for most offenses. However, you do not have to pay the entire amount if you are using a bail bonds company. Rather, you pay ten percent, and the bail bonds company pays the rest.

Bail for Different Crimes

Some crimes do not have a set amount because they are very serious. A judge needs to review the case and determine whether the accused can safely be allowed freedom. In some other cases, there is pre-set bail which may be paid immediately for immediate release by the accused and the bail bondsmen.

In Butte County, pre-set bail is generally allowed for crimes that are committed against property rather than a person. The amount of bail increases with the severity of the crime and the likelihood that the person will not appear in court. For example, loitering has one of the cheapest pre-set bail amounts, at $114. Hunting and fishing crimes, such as killing a deer without having a hunting license and tag, have bail amounts beginning at $649 and extending up to thousands of dollars even for a single offense.

These bail amounts are cumulative, so if you are charged with more than one crime you may easily end up with a bail amount that is in the five figures. This actually can be easy to do. If you are loitering in a public park while holding a bottle of beer, for example, you have committed at least three crimes: loitering, possession of alcohol in a park, and possessing a glass bottle in a park. When people cannot afford these high amounts of bail, they should contact a bail bonds company as quickly as possible.

Consider reading about the Placerville bail schedule