Contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Once notified of the arrest your lawyer can arrange for bail in Orange County. A lawyer may also contact Detention/Release officers at the jail to reduce your bail or negotiate an own recognizance release. Do not discuss the facts of your case with anyone other than your attorney.
(1) Post cash bail - Anyone with the bail amount in cash or a money order may post your bail to secure your release. If you have a reasonable bail amount and access to the funds, you may post bail and have the entire amount returned to you when your case ends. (2) Have a bail bondsperson post your bail. - Bail bondspersons may arrange for your bail. Typically, the cost of a bail bond is 10% of the bail amount. Thus, if the bail amount is $100,000, you must pay $10,000 for the bond. The remaining $90,000 would be secured via contract with the bondsperson using property as collateral. When your case ends, the bondsman's interest in your collateral also ends but the 10% fee is not returned. Some bondspersons offer an 8% fee if you are referred by reputable lawyers.
With some execeptions, only conversations between you and your lawyer are privileged. Therefore, anyone you discuss your case with could potentially be a witness against you. For that reason, never discuss the facts of your criminal case with anyone other than your attorney. By contrast, confidential communications you have with your lawyer are protected by the attorney-client privilege.
That depends on the nature of your case and the impact it will have on your life and your future. When your liberty is at stake, having the best defense may mean the difference between resuming your life versus years of incarceration. Even in less serious matters, the collateral consequences are sometimes the most costly as a criminal conviction remains in your record FOREVER in law enforcement data bases. Even a midsemeanor conviction may jeopordize professional licenses (state board membership, medical licenses, CPA status, teaching credentials). Moreover, in the information age, more and more entities are gaining access to criminal records in the course of routine hiring procedures. Thus, it becomes crucial to retain a lawyer so your temporary problem does not result in long term regret.
Keller Rackauckas’s stellar record stems from our client-centric legal philosophy. We approach every case, large or small, vigorously and with all of our considerable legal resources at the ready. At the same time, we pride ourselves on caring for our clients as human beings undergoing a time of stress and uncertainty.
Keller Rackauckas LLP
18500 Von Karman
Suite 560
Irvine, CA 92612
tel: 949.476.8700
fax: 949.476.0900