Some Arraignment Basics in California

From an emotional and legal standpoint, the arraignment is usually the beginning of criminal proceedings in Yuba County. Guards usually confiscate civilian clothes and make defendants change into jail clothes. Arraignment is always the beginning of legal proceedings against the defendant. This hearing is the first time a defendant appears before a judge.

Procedurally, the arraignment hearing in Yuba County is done when the defendant is taken from the jail up to court (in the same building). Video conferencing is not done at this facility. At this hearing, the prosecutor reads the charges against the defendant and the judge asks the defendant to enter a plea. Most importantly for you and your bondsman with Bail Bond Shealy, (bail bonds Yuba City), the judge usually considers or reconsiders bail. If Shealy Bail Bond posts bail before the Defendant has been arraigned, then the arraignment court date is typically set out 4 weeks from being released on bond.

What is an Arraignment Hearing?

Bail, however, is the core purpose of an arraignment hearing. If for some reason the defendant remains in jail before trial, a defense attorney might be behind the eight-ball for their client. It goes to reason that people who are in jail cannot fully participate in their own defense in any meaningful way. Obviously, people who are in jail also have very little freedom. This is just one of the very critical reasons it is so important to take advantage of bail release with Bail Bond Shealy so that you are free and functioning in society prior to your trial.  

During arraignment, which is sometimes called a bail reduction hearing, the judge may set or reset bail based on a number of factors, such as:

  • Severity of the charges,
  • Defendant’s criminal history,
  • Amount of evidence against the defendant,
  • Defendant’s ties to the community, and
  • Any threat the defendant poses to specific individuals or the community at large.

Typically, the sheriff already set a presumptive bail amount based on the severity of the offense. That amount might be $1,500 for a misdemeanor and $3,000 for a minor felony. Your Bail Bond Shealy bondsman (bail bond near me) can use this presumptive amount to prepare a jail release surety bond in Yuba City and the greater Yuba-Sutter County area.

What Happens After Arraignment?

Arraignment usually sets the criminal case on either the plea bargain track or the trial track. Most, but not all, criminal cases follow the plea bargain track.

If you do happen to encounter a plea bargain situation, an attorney’s negotiation skills are important during plea bargaining. Your lawyer must evaluate your case, determine the strength of the prosecutor’s evidence, and identify any legal defenses. Typically, plea bargain agreements involve either reduced charges or a lesser sentence throughout Sutter County.

If a defendant were to go to trial, prosecutors must establish guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. That’s the highest standard of proof in California law. That trial could be before a judge or before a jury.

To get out of jail 24-7 in Yuba City and the greater surrounding area and get your defense off to a flying start, contact Bail Bond Shealy now. Our discreet and professional bondsman is available to bond you out of jail every day 365 of the year.  For more information about bail bonds in Yuba, Sutter, Colusa, Butte, and Nevada Counties, click here. Call us at (530) 743-7000

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