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Booking and Bail in California

Wheather a person has been arrested for domestic violence, DUI, DWI or any other offense the process is the same. Persons taken into custody by the Police or Sheriff's Department will be held at either the Police Station Jail, Sheriff's Station Jail or will be transfered to the Los Angeles County Jail (IRC) and will be kept there until their first court date called the "Arraignment." Bail is allowed to be posted in any facility 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.

Before a bail bond is turned in and accepted, the arrestee must pass a background check through "Live Scan", which is a machine that is linked to a county, state and national database. That database will notify the authorities of any possible holds, warrants, or aliases that might prevent release or increase the total bail amount of an arrestee. Once the results of the Live Scan come back from the various government agencies, that person is then "cleared" to bond out. At this time, a jailor will review and accept a Bail Bond for an arrestee and release them on the Bail Bond.

From the time a Bail Bond is turned in, it takes between 30 minutes and 3 hours for a release depending on the facility where the person is being held. Release times do vary based on the workload of the jail's staff as well as the type of facility. Once out, a person will need to complete his or her part of the paper work, take a picture, and make sure to show up to each and every court date thereafter.