My daughter has never been arrested before. Isn't her bail kind of high?
The bail amount for most charges is pre-determined near the beginning of each year by a group of judges in each county. They decide how much the bail will be for certain charges. For example, in Orange County the bail for possession of a controlled substance is $20,000 and possession for sale is $25,000. The bail for domestic violence is $50,000. A first time DUI is $2,500 and if you have a California Driver's license, most likely you will be cited out. For a second DUI, the bail is $10,000 and for the third it is $15,000. These are all misdemeanors. If someone gets four DUI's, it then is charged as a felony and the bail is $50,000.
Someone arrested for Domestic Violence may have never been arrested before. They might have even been the one that called the police! We often see these cases don't get filed, no charges are filed. Of the ones that do get filed, they are often reduced to a misdemeanor. Usually the sentence requires the person to attend anger management classes and/or counseling. If the classes are completed and proof is turned into the court on time, it may be possible to get the misdemeanor expunged.
