At the inception of the case, Mr. Bruno examines all bail issues and has succeeded in getting bail greatly reduced or eliminated for many of his clients.

If bail is an issue in your case, you should always contact an attorney before you post bail or communicate with a bondsman because a highly skilled and professional attorney, one like Mr. Bruno with good relations with the Bench and bail bondsman, can assist you in significant ways in getting the bail amount reduced, getting the bond amount reduced, or eliminating bail altogether. Of course, this saves you a lot of money and eliminates one of the uncertainties of the criminal justice system.

Here in Orange County, attorneys said the ability to speak to an on-call, 24-hour a day magistrate about a specific client's bail. This discussion can include reducing the bail or removing the bail altogether and getting the client released from custody on his own recognizance (an OR release).

With rare exceptions, criminal defendants are entitled to bail. In California, the courts refer to what is called the Uniform Bail Schedule. This will set the presumptive amount of bail for each particular offense. In addition to the schedule, the detention and release officer, and the courts will take into account the defendant's prior record, whether or not the defendant has failed to appear that any prior court hearings, and anything else that can be presented in aggravation or mitigation.

For misdemeanors, a defendant's release on his own recognizance is presumed. However, despite this presumption, bail is set on many misdemeanor cases. In a misdemeanor case, the bail can range from $1000 to $25,000. In felony cases, bail can range from $20,000 to $1,000,000 and, as stated previously, in rare cases, no bail.

If you would like to discuss bail on behalf of yourself or a loved one, contact Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney Ketih J. Bruno. We offer a free face-to-face consultation and can work out a payment plan in most situations. We serve people living in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino.

The Newport Beach, Orange County, California, Law Offices of Keith J. Bruno represents Californians who have been charged on, arrested for, or accused of criminal offenses in Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and San Bernardino.