Articles
Guides and explainers
Finding Someone
How to find out if someone has been arrested in California
Learn where to check California arrest and custody information, why jail searches can miss someone, and how to understand booking and release records.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
What information you need to locate an inmate
Build a practical inmate-search checklist with names, birth dates, booking numbers and custody details, plus tips for California, federal and ICE searches.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Finding someone in federal custody (BOP) or ICE detention
Find official federal and ICE custody search tools, understand missing results, and distinguish BOP records, detention locations, and immigration court updates.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Bail Basics
What happens after an arrest: booking explained
Understand California jail booking, from intake and identity checks to release screening, bail and arraignment, including why public records can lag.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
How bail works in California, step by step
Follow California bail from booking through release and court appearances, including bail schedules, ability-to-pay review, bond costs and forfeiture.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Cash bail, bail bonds and property bonds compared
Compare California cash bail, commercial bail bonds and property-backed bail, including upfront costs, refunds, collateral, co-signer risks and delays.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
What a bail bond company does, and how to verify a licensed agent
Understand what California bail agents do, how premiums and collateral work, and how to verify a license without confusing a private business with a court.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Own-recognizance release and pretrial services explained
Learn what own-recognizance release means in California, how pretrial supervision works, and why court dates, written conditions, and travel limits still matter.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Paying for Bail
Paying for bail: payment plans, loans, collateral and the risks
Compare California bail payment plans, personal loans, cash deposits and collateral, including total costs, refund limits and risks to household finances.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Being a co-signer (indemnitor) on a bail bond: your obligations
Learn what a California bail bond co-signer may owe, how collateral and forfeiture work, and why ending responsibility takes more than a verbal request.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Legal Help
When to contact a criminal defense attorney, and finding a public defender
Understand when defense counsel becomes important in California, how public defender appointments work, and what families can expect at early court hearings.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
Courts & Law
California bail law: the Humphrey decision, bail schedules and the Penal Code
Understand California bail schedules, the Humphrey ability-to-pay rule, constitutional protections and Penal Code provisions without assuming automatic release.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
How California's court system works: arraignment to trial
Understand California criminal court from arraignment through trial, including release decisions, preliminary hearings, key deadlines, and court records.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
What happens if someone misses a court date (bail forfeiture)
Learn how missed California court dates can affect warrants, bail forfeiture, cash deposits, bond co-signers, and separate failure-to-appear allegations.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
After Release
Visiting, calling and sending money to an inmate in California
Understand California jail and prison visits, outgoing calls, mail, and money deposits, with practical ways to avoid wrong accounts, rejected items, and scams.
7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026