Bail During the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us. For most of us, it’s a time of love and celebration. The problem is that holiday plans don’t always go off without a hitch and sometimes a loved one is arrested during the holidays.
Getting arrested during the holidays does more than kill the festive mood. The fact that it’s a holiday means additional stress. Between federal/state days off and staff requesting vacation time leaving everyone shorthanded, the judicial process slows down over the holidays, which means it takes even longer to process cases.
How fast do we act during the holiday season? For our part, we can have the bail bond ready to go in almost no time at all. The court system and jail could delay things, especially if you require a bail hearing before you learn how much bail money you need.
The good news is that if you do require a bail hearing, you can speed things up by contacting us in advance. While we won’t be able to write your actual bail bond until an amount is actually declared, we can have all the paperwork done and signed so that you’re ready to be released on bail almost as soon as the hearing ends.
In addition to 24/7 service, we also provide:
- 0% Interest payment plans
- 24/7 availability
- 20% Discount to veterans
- Phone approvals
- No hidden fees
- Outstanding customer service
The information needed to bail someone out fast includes:
It doesn’t matter if it is a weekday, a weekend, or a Federal holiday, we’re here and we’re ready to provide you with the bail bond you need. Consultations are always free.
Click the Chat Now link or call (800)793-2245.
Stay Safe Going into the New Year
Celebrating at bars, restaurants, clubs, and community events is a lot of fun and a great way to create some spectacular memories, but it can also be dangerous. The good news is that there are steps you can take to protect yourself while making the holiday a memorable experience.
Pick a Group of Trusted Friends
There is safety in numbers which is why you should plan on going out with a group of people who are just as excited about going out as you are and who you trust. Before hitting town, decide on things like who is driving (or if you’re getting a rideshare car or cab home.) Agree that no matter what happens, everyone leaves each location with the others, that no one leaves anyone behind, and have a form of communication ready to go if someone does get separated from the group.
Limit Your Drinking
Yes, you want to have a good time, but don’t drink so much alcohol that you get into a fight with your friends, or your normally good judgment wavers. Know what your limit is and pace yourself accordingly. If you do imbibe in too much alcohol, make sure at least one member of your friend group is sober enough to watch out for you.
No matter what you’re drinking, never leave your drink unattended. If you do have to leave your drink, order a new one when you return to the table. Never drink from a glass that you’ve lost track of, no matter how temporarily.
Stick to Areas You’re Familiar With
New Year’s Eve isn’t really the night that you want to explore new locations. If you do want to go to a New Year’s Eve party that’s in a part of town you’re unfamiliar with, visit that area in the weeks leading up to the party. That gives you a chance to find the safest parking spaces, bus stations, cab stops, and walking routes.
Leave Your Valuables at Home
New Year’s Eve is not the time to be waving around a lot of cash or to show off the nice new jewelry you got for Christmas. Those things make you attractive to thieves and pick-pockets. Limit the amount of cash you have on you and keep your nicer items at home.
Practice Self-Situational Awareness
Self-situational awareness is a great way to prevent yourself from becoming a victim this New Year’s Eve. The entire time you are out, be hypervigilant about your surroundings and the people in them. Pay extra attention to anyone who is taking an extreme interest in you or who seems to appear everywhere you do.
Stay safe and have a wonderful time ringing in 2022.
Most Common Reasons People Are Arrested During the Holiday Season
The holidays are here. For most of us, that means spending time with friends and family members we love. This is a time when we make good memories and spread love.
Unfortunately, not all of us will enjoy the holiday season. Some studies indicate that crime rates increase during the holiday season. There are a few different reasons for the surge of crime. First, people have time off work which gives them more time to get into trouble. Second, many people who don’t usually overindulge will often misjudge how much alcohol they’ve consumed. The increased alcohol content lowers inhibitions and results in them doing things they’d never have considered if they were sober. The third reason crime rates increase during the holiday season is because money is often tight.
Police have noticed that there are certain crimes that surge more than others during the holidays.
Drunk driving offenses are always a problem during the holidays. People get together and want to have a good time which often involves alcohol. The problem is that many don’t plan to spend the night where they are drinking and fail to have a DD at the ready so they slide behind the wheel and ultimately get caught driving while intoxicated.
The best way to make sure you aren’t charged with a DUI this holiday season is to only drink while you’re home, always having a DD at the ready, or arranging to take a cab/Uber home. If you aren’t sure you’ll be able to get yourself home safely, stay away from the alcohol. Staying sober might not seem like fun, but it beats spending a night in jail and dealing with the fallout of a drunk driving arrest.
Retailers report that shoplifting increases during the holiday season. This is likely due to the fact that some people find themselves short of money and unable to purchase gifts for their families. If you’re contemplating stealing a gift this holiday season, please reconsider. Store managers are going to be on the lookout for sticky fingers and with more stores installing elaborate video surveillance systems, the odds of you getting away with the theft are small. Instead of trying to steal a gift, consider making a homemade present.
Domestic violence arrests also increase during the holiday season. There are likely a few different reasons for this. First, stress over finances and strained family relationships can push some people over the edge. Second, people are often home rather than working and the increased contact can result in some pushed buttons. Third, having family and friends around can encourage the victim to report the violent acts which they may not have felt they could do in the past.
Recognizing that emotions run high during the holidays, it’s in your best interest to recognize when your temper is getting short and remove yourself from the situation before you react with violence. It’s better to take a walk or go for a long drive than to get arrested for domestic violence during the holidays.
Stay safe this holiday season!
Using Marijuana While Driving
Yes, you can legally use marijuana for recreational purposes in California, but that doesn’t mean you can use it wherever you feel like it. California lawmakers treat recreational marijuana the same way they treat alcohol. It’s a substance that you’re free to use provided you’re able to do so without potentially hurting other people.
The potential to hurt yourself or someone else is why you’re not allowed to use marijuana while you’re driving.
While most people assume that California’s Vehicle Code 23221 VC only pertains to alcohol, if you take the time to read through it, you’ll discover that marijuana is also addressed. The code states that:
- A driver shall not drink any alcoholic beverage or smoke or ingest marijuana or any marijuana product while driving a motor vehicle upon a highway.
- A passenger shall not drink any alcoholic beverage or smoke or ingest marijuana or any marijuana product while in a motor vehicle being driven upon a highway.
- A violation of this section shall be punished as an infraction.
The fact that using marijuana while driving is considered an infraction is a good thing. It means you don’t have to worry about being sentenced to jail time though you will be fined $250 plus any other costs connected to the infraction.
Don’t assume that because using marijuana while driving is only an infraction you don’t have to worry about getting into too much trouble. The fact that marijuana is involved means the officer who pulls you will likely write additional things you were also doing while driving, such as weaving within your lane or failing to come to a complete stop.
If you’re enjoying marijuana while driving and do get into an accident, the very fact that you were using marijuana at the time, something California lawmakers have forbidden, increases the likelihood of anyone else who was involved in the accident launching a successful civil case against you.
No matter how long your commute is, it really is in your best interest to resist having a relaxing puff of marijuana until you’re safely inside your own house.
What to do When the Police Want to Question You
It doesn’t matter if it’s a phone call asking that you schedule an appointment or if officers knock on your door. Learning that the police want to talk to you is enough to strike terror into your heart, even if you haven’t done anything wrong.
When you learn that the police want to speak to you, you should forget anything you learned from procedural shows. They always imply that you should wait to get a lawyer, that’s a huge mistake.
The police can’t force you to talk to them without a lawyer and contrary to what popular culture might want you to believe, having a lawyer doesn’t automatically make you seem guilty.
Legally speaking, you’re not obligated to speak to the police unless they have presented you with a warrant. However, they aren’t obligated to leave you alone either. If the police believe that you have the information that they need, they can keep contacting you and attempting to set up an appointment. Hiring a lawyer and meeting with them is one of the best ways to resolve the situation quickly.
The main reason you want to hire a lawyer when you’re going to speak to the police is that the lawyer will make sure you don’t say anything that could potentially implicate you and they will also make sure the police follow the strict letter of the law during the questioning.
While you’re waiting for a lawyer, you shouldn’t answer any questions the police try to ask. If you feel compelled to speak, limit your comments to “I’m waiting for my attorney.” While you don’t want to talk to the police without your lawyer, you also don’t want to do anything to offend the police. Don’t slam the door in their face, don’t yell obscenities, and don’t even think about making any threatening comments. It’s in your best interest to stay calm and polite. The only thing losing your temper accomplishes is potentially creating a situation where your behavior inspires the police to press charges against you.
You should also remember that just because the police have asked to talk to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they think you’ve done something wrong. In many situations, the police simply want to ask you a few questions that will help them build a case against someone else.
Parents Worry About Their Kids Way More Than You’d Think
As a parent, don’t you always have a concern for your children? Even if they are well behaved and honest, parents’ concern for their child continues to linger no matter what. It’s all part of being a parent.
It’s important to always be reminded that any trouble your kid gets into, you as a parent can be held responsible and liable. You may need to pay fines and fees – fees for educational programs required by court, legal fees, and others. To avoid this stress and pain, keep an eye on your child whenever you can, but do not be too overbearing. A part of growing up for a child will include some rebellion, but if they can do this in ways that don’t include legal trouble, you’re golden. Take note of your parenting styles and how your child reacts – where do you need to loosen up? Where can you be more trusting?
No one expects them to be a perfect parent nor is there a perfect parenting guidebook to follow rule by rule. It’s going to be challenging, but it’s also going to be fun – until you get a call from the police (hopefully you don’t).
Now, if your child does get arrested, there is no need to call a bail bonds agency because minors are ineligible for bail (though they don’t stay in jail – they are still released back to the parents). However, if your child is 18 or older and calls you from jail because they indeed need bail help (they are now old enough) please do contact a bail bonds agency.
If you are in need of a bail bond don’t hesitate to call us for help. Absolute Bail Bonds in Victorville will quickly reunite you back together simply call us at (800)793-2245.