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The state of California is a pretty large place. It’s not unusual to travel from one county to another occasionally, such as if you’re visiting friends and family members. However, depending on when you travel and the circumstances that you’re doing it under, you may find yourself in hot water if you’ve participated in a crime of sorts.
If you or someone you know is arrested due to a crime that happened in a different county to your own, then things can get a little confusing when it comes to holding times, warrants, and of course, posting bail.
Alana’s Bail Bonds offers affordable bail bond services for everyone in San Diego and beyond. If you’ve been arrested somewhere outside of San Diego, such as in a different county, then we’d be more than happy to offer you some advice and assistance to help you get back on your feet. To help you out, we’ve also put together this helpful guide that will explain everything you need to know about cross-county warrants, arrests, and holding periods.
Out-of-County Arrests in California
With 58 different counties, each county has its own jurisdiction and is generally responsible for their own arrests and warrants. In most cases, an officer will only make an arrest if the crime taking place is within their jurisdiction and if the perpetrator is in their county. However, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule.
Officers may arrest someone outside of their jurisdiction if they have a warrant from a judge, or if they are a known criminal that is fleeing from one county to another. The other situation is if the officer is making a citizen’s arrest in a different jurisdiction.
If a warrant is issued for someone’s arrest, then they will typically be arrested by the jail of the county that they are currently located in. This is also where they will be booked. Authorities will be able to see if a warrant has been issued for someone’s arrest, as it will be listed in a database. If a police officer runs a scan on one’s driving details or name, then they’ll see that they have been flagged for an arrest.
In some cases, an officer may contact the local authorities of another county if they have information on someone that has had a warrant issued for their arrest.
So here’s a summary on out-of-county arrests in California:
- Arrests typically take place in the jurisdiction where the crime took place.
- Authorities can see on a detailed database if someone has a warrant for their arrest.
- Officers may work with authorities in another county if they believe they know their location.
In short, it’s not uncommon for someone to be arrested outside of the county that they originally come from, or the county that they committed a crime in. As long as there is a warrant for that person’s arrest, officers and local authorities may work together in order to apprehend the suspect.
Are You Entitled to Bail in Another County?
Absolutely. Even if an arrest takes place in a different county to where the crime supposedly happened, the arresting officer has a duty to let the person know that they are entitled to bail. This is because the right to bail isn’t just a right in California, but rather a constitutional right in the United States.
There may be some exceptions to this, such as if the court decides that you are too big of a risk to let out on bail, or if this isn’t the first time that you’ve tried to evade being arrested. You may also be denied bail if you have previously jumped bail and avoided your court hearing date. However, these are things that would normally apply to you regardless if you were arrested in another county or not.
Functionally, everything that you’d be able to do in your home county will apply when you are being arrested in a different county. You’ll have a chance to post bail by contacting a bail bondsman, or by paying the amount yourself. You’ll be successfully released from custody, and you can continue with your everyday duties. However, you will be set a court date as well, which you must attend regardless if you post bail or not.
All of this will be forwarded to the court that originally issued for your arrest.
Cross-County Warrant Holding Period
If someone is arrested in a different county to where the arrest warrant was issued, the length of the holding period can change based on a number of different factors. In general, local law enforcement will work together with the authorities of the county that issued the warrant.
From the day that you’re arrested and booked into their systems, you’ll be legally obliged to be collected within 5 days. This is 5 calendar days if the two counties are under 400 miles apart, and 5 working days if they are over 400 miles apart.
However, if an arrest is made without a warrant in a different state, then you’ll remain in the custody of the local jail until you are picked up. The inmate must be collected by the receiving county within 48 hours. They can also pay a bail fee set by the county that arrested them for immediate release, but all regular conditions of bail will apply here.
Alana’s Bail Bonds Can Help
Whether you’ve been arrested outside of San Diego or a warrant has been issued for your arrest by a different county, Alana’s Bail Bonds can help you secure freedom by posting bail on your behalf. You’ll be given time to prepare your case when you’re due to appear in court, and you won’t need to worry about being stuck in jail in a different county.
