Source: http://www.baillaws.com/laws/california
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 14:58:31+00:00

Document:
1. California Insurance Code, Div. 1, Part 2, Ch. 7, Sections 1800-1823, (hereafter referred to as IC).
Under IC 1800.6, cities and counties are free to enact further regulations not in conflict with the IC sections cited above in A.
2. California Penal Code, Part 2, Title 10, Ch. 1, Article 5.5, Sections 1299-1317 (hereafter referred to as PC).
3. California Code of Regulations, Title 10, Ch. 5, Sections 2053 et seq.
2. Licensing Requirements for Agents.
2. The regulatory body is the Insurance Department.
3. Notice of Forfeiture [PC 1305-1308].
4. Allotted Time Between Forfeiture Declaration and Payment Due Date.
When the bond is forfeited and the period of time in PC 1305 has elapsed, the court in question enters a summary judgement [PC 1306(a)] and the district attorney or county counsel must demand immediate payment within 30 days after the summary judgement becomes final [PC 1306(e)(1)]. The clerk of the court must serve notice of the entry of judgment within five days of the date of the judgment [PC 1308(b)].
1. The court can extend the time period not to exceed 180 days from its order [PC 1305.4] or permit tolling [PC 1305(e)].
if the court has reason to believe there is a sufficient excuse for a failure to appear, it may continue the case for a period it deems reasonable [PC 1305.1].
California has no remission period.
7. Bail Agent’s Arrest Authority.
California Penal code allows the agent to arrest the principal himself or empower another to do so. [PC 1301].
A bail agent’s license may also be held by a corporation [IC 1810(b)].
9. Noteworthy State Appellate Decisions.
2. People v. Frontier Pacific Ins. Co.(1998) 74 Cal.Rptr.2d 316, 63 Cal.App. 4th 889.
If upon the non-appearance of a defendant, the trial court continues a case without forfeiting bail, and the surety later brings a motion for relief from a subsequently entered forfeiture, the court may not consider evidence not part of the record from the first hearing to determine whether there was a rational basis for a sufficient excuse.
In criminal prosecution, the Superior Court, Santa Clara County, No. 191155, Leonard B. Sprinkles, J., declared bail forfeited after defendant’s second failure to appear for sentencing. Surety’s motion to vacate forfeiture and exonerate bail was denied, and surety appealed. The Court of Appeal, Mihara, J., held that: (1) trial court lacked jurisdiction to forfeit bail bond upon defendant’s second failure to appear, in absence of showing on the record that court found sufficient excuse at time of first nonappearance for defendant’s absence; and (2) declaration submitted by district court in opposing motion to vacate forfeiture, detailing an alleged in camera discussion with judge at time of defendant’s first nonappearance that allegedly explained his absence, did not change result. Reversed.
California does not have any known provisions related to this.
3. County of Madera v. Ranger Ins. Co. (1991) 281 Cal.Rptr. 230, 230 Cal. App.3d 271. County sought to recover from surety on bail bond when defendant failed to appear in criminal case. The Madera Justice Court, No. 020641, Victor C. Dahman, J., granted summary judgment in favor of county. Surety Appealed. The Court of Appeal, Dibiaso, Acting P.J., held that: (1) court may not reinstate defendant on previously forfeited bail bond without prior notice to the surety, and (2) failure of court to provide prior notice requires release of surety obligation. Reversed.
4. When Is A Bailee Required to Appear in Court?
In a felony criminal prosecution, the trial court properly granted defendant’s surety’s motion to vacate the bail forfeiture ordered when defendant failed to appear at a hearing on a defense motion to continue the trial. The trial court lost jurisdiction when it failed to forfeit the bail bond two days earlier on the occasion of defendant’s failure to appear at the master trial calendar hearing and so it was without jurisdiction to order the forfeiture two days later. Pen. Code, 1305, requires a defendant’s presence at “trial,” which includes the date set for the appearance in the master trial calendar department. If the court fails to declare forfeiture at that time, it loses jurisdiction and the bond is exonerated by operation of law. Even though defendant had executed a Pen. Code, 977, waiver, which allows a felony defendant to be absent on specific occasions, Pen. Code, 1305, which governs forfeiture procedure, was the more specific statute and thus it took precedence. When there is a conflict between a general and a special law, the special law must control.
[See 4 Witkin & Epstein, Cal. Criminal Law (2d ed. 1989) 2023 et seq.] (2) Bail and Recognizance §9 — Forfeiture of Bond or Deposit. The forfeiture or exoneration of bail is entirely a statutory procedure, and forfeiture proceedings are governed entirely by the special statutes applicable thereto (Pen. Code, 1305-1309). Because the law abhors forfeitures, these statutes are to be strictly construed in favor of the surety.
6. People v. Topa Ins. Co. (1995) 38 Cal.Rptr.2d 167, 32 Cal. App.4th 296. Summary judgment must be filed within 90 days after the date it may first be filed, or the trial court loses jurisdiction over the bond.
Surety filed motion to vacate forfeiture of, reinstate and exonerate bail bond. The Superior Court, Sonoma County, No. 16737, R. Bryan Jamar, J., granted summary judgment on forfeiture, and denied surety’s motion to set aside summary judgment and exonerate bail. Surety Appealed. The Court of Appeal, Merrill, J., held that: (1) trial court was without jurisdiction to do anything other than enter summary judgment of forfeiture following expiration of 180-days period for seeking relief from forfeiture, absent tolling of 180-days period, and (2) trial court’s failure to enter summary judgment forfeiting bail within 90 days after lapse of 180-day period for seeking relief from forfeiture meant that its jurisdiction to enter summary judgment had expired and bail was exonerated. Reversed.
7. People v. Ranger Ins. Co.(1996) 59 Cal.Rptr.2d 777, 51 Cal.App.4th 1379. The court must give notice to the surety at its proper address.
After receiving notice of summary judgment of forfeiture, surety on bail bond moved to discharge forfeiture, set aside judgment, and exonerate bail, based on procedural irregularities in giving of notice. The Superior Court, Santa Clara County, No. 172001, John A. Flaherty, J., denied motion. Surety appealed The Court of Appeal, Wunderlich, J., held that: (1) notice of original forfeiture forwarded to surety by defunct general agent to whom it was mailed achieved statutory goal of actual notice; (2) order, naming wrong surety, that surety reassume its obligations under reinstated bond was ineffective; and (3) even if reassumption had been effective, notice to address known to be incorrect was ineffective. Reversed.
8. People v. American Surety Ins. Co. (2000) 92 Cal.Rptr.2d 216. Deportation of a bailee entitles the surety to relief from a forfeiture (and to have its liability extinguished).
Surety which had posted bail for defendant who was arrested on drug charges, and who was unable to appear for preliminary hearing due to his deportation by Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), moved to vacate forfeiture and exonerate bail. The Superior Court, Ventura County, Nos. CR44361, 187541, John J. Hunter, J., denied motion. Surety appealed. The Court of Appeal, Yegan, J., held that defendant’s deportation rendered him unable to appear due to “detention” by civil authorities, and thus operated under statute to exonerate bail. Reversed.
In September 1999, California enacted a law (A 243) regulating bounty hunters, termed “bail fugitive recovery persons” in the statute. This law added section 1299 to the California Penal Code. The bail fugitive recovery person is defined as one who has “written authorization” by a bail agent, surety, etc., (under PC 1300 and 1301) and is contracted to investigate, surveil, locate, and arrest a bail fugitive for surrender to appropriate authorities, or any person employed to assist in the arrest of such a fugitive.
no felony convictions [PC 1299.03(a)(5)].
11. Jurisdictions Allowing On-line Case Checking.
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