The bond or cash has posted, and you are waiting for your loved one to walk out. For most Pomona Police arrests, what happens after bail is posted in California involves Pomona City Jail and Pomona Courthouse South. For the steps before posting, read how bail works in Pomona, and if you have not paid yet, check whether you need a bond.
How soon is someone released after bail is posted?
In our experience, release from Pomona City Jail takes 2 to 6 hours once bail posts. The City says the jail releases people who can post bond or bail; its line is (909) 620-2131.
The officer who accepts the bail signs a release order and sets the time and place of the first court appearance (PC 1269b(a)).
The jail discharges the person on the bailed charge alone (PC 1269b(g)), so it can still hold them on a warrant from another case or another agency’s hold. If LASD already moved them to a Sheriff’s jail, LASD handles the release; its custody line is (213) 473-6100. Our inmate search guide shows how to find them.
When is the first court date after release?
The release order lists it. For a Pomona case, the county directory lists a criminal clerk’s office at Pomona Courthouse South, 400 Civic Center Plaza, (909) 802-1100.
The arraignment is the first hearing, where the defendant hears the charges. PC 825 sets a deadline for people still in custody: 48 hours from arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. Someone out on bail appears on the date the paper sets instead.
The clerk’s office opens weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Allow time for security screening; park in the 7th St. public lot. Missing a later hearing, through trial and judgment, can forfeit the bail too (PC 1305(a)(1)).
What conditions can a judge add after bail?
A judge can add protective orders, such as no-contact or stay-away orders, and can raise or lower the bail. A protective order under PC 136.2 needs good cause to believe a victim or witness faces harm or intimidation. The person may not have or get a firearm while it lasts.
Bail at the jail comes from a warrant, the LA County bail schedule or a court order. In a felony, after an information or indictment, PC 1289 lets the court raise or lower it for good cause and hold the person until someone posts a higher amount. The court can also switch the person to own-recognizance release (PC 1270), which comes with its own signed promises (PC 1318).
What does the cosigner still owe after release?
The cosigner, called the indemnitor, promised to repay the surety company for any final forfeiture after a missed court date. That promise lasts until the court exonerates the bond; collateral comes back then, once any unpaid premium or charges are settled (10 CCR 2088.2). Until then, help the defendant reach every date, and tell the agent about a new address or phone if your agreement requires it.
If you doubt the defendant will appear, talk to the agent. Before any forfeiture, PC 1300(a) lets the bail company surrender the defendant to custody, and the court may then exonerate the bail. Our cosigner and collateral guide explains what you signed.
Can you still go to jail after paying bail?
Yes. A judge or officer can return someone to custody in these cases:
- A missed court date. The judge can issue a bench warrant, an order for police to arrest the person (PC 978.5). In a felony, missing court on purpose to evade it is a separate felony, and a willful absence of 14 days or more can support a finding of that purpose (PC 1320.5).
- A new arrest. Bail on one case does not cover a new charge.
- A probation violation. Officers can rearrest someone on probation when they have probable cause of a violation (PC 1203.2), and many violation warrants carry no bail (see probation violation bonds).
- A surrender by the bail company under PC 1300(a).
- A sentence. A judge can order custody as part of a sentence, and the bail ends at judgment (PC 1195).
What happens if a court date is missed?
Without a sufficient excuse, the judge must declare the bail forfeited in open court (PC 1305).
If the bail tops $400, the clerk mails the surety or depositor a forfeiture notice within 30 days. The clock runs 180 days from the forfeiture, or from the mailing when the law requires a notice, plus 5 days for mail. If the defendant appears in court within that window, the judge cancels the forfeiture and exonerates the bond. For good cause, the bail company or a cash depositor can ask the court to extend it to no more than 180 days from its order (PC 1305.4).
If the window closes, the court enters summary judgment against the surety (PC 1306), and the cosigner may owe the surety. Call the agent the same day. A warrant walk-through lets the person surrender with a new bond ready.
What happens to the bail money when the case ends?
The court exonerates, or cancels, the bail. That happens when a judge dismisses the case (PC 1384), or when the defendant appears for judgment and the court pronounces it or grants probation (PC 1195). Your refund depends on how you posted; bail vs. bond compares the two:
| Posted | What happens at the end |
|---|---|
| Bond premium | Not refundable in most cases, including when prosecutors drop the charges; one premium covers the bond until exoneration (PC 1276.1) |
| Cash from a relative or friend | The court returns all of it after judgment, within 10 days after you claim it with the receipt (PC 1297) |
| Cash from the defendant | Refunded after a dismissal (PC 1384); after a judgment with a fine, the court can apply it to restitution, fines and costs first (PC 1297) |
The premium has two surrender exceptions. Under 10 CCR 2090, an agent that surrenders the defendant before a covered court date must return the premium. It may hold back the out-of-pocket expenses in 10 CCR 2081(c) and (d) if it proves a much greater risk. PC 1300(b) also lets a judge order the agent to refund it when a surrender lacked good cause.
Common Questions About What Happens After Posting Bail
Read the release paper and put every court date on a calendar. Keep the bail receipt, since a cash depositor needs it to claim a refund. Hire a defense lawyer or, if you cannot afford one, ask for the public defender at arraignment. Tell the agent about any move, as your agreement may require, and follow each court order.
Posting bail leaves the charges and the evidence where they were. With bail posted, the person waits for court at home, which makes it easier to meet a lawyer and keep a job. Miss a date, though, and the judge can add a bench warrant and a bail forfeiture.
The agent keeps a bond premium in most cases. On $20,000 bail, a 10% premium is $2,000. A relative who deposits the $20,000 instead gets all of it back after judgment by claiming it with the receipt. The defendant’s own deposit can first cover any fine, restitution and costs the judgment orders.
Yes, for the money. If a missed date leads to a final forfeiture, a bond cosigner can owe the surety the full bail plus allowed expenses (10 CCR 2081(e)). A cash depositor can lose the deposit. Returning to court inside the 180-day window saves the bail, though some costs can still apply (PC 1306(b)).
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