We offer 24 hour bail bonds services for Vehicular Manslaughter in California. This article will discuss frequently asked questions regarding Vehicular Manslaughter related bail bonds.
When someone you love has been charged with a serious crime such as vehicular manslaughter it can feel as if your whole life is being turned upside down. Indeed, there are a multitude of consequences to consider, not least your loved one having to spend time in jail.
The good news is that even for serious offenses such as vehicular manslaughter it is still very often possible to post bail and allow your loved one to come home, and properly prepare for their trial. To find out all about the bail bond process for vehicular manslaughter keep reading the information below.
Murder vs vehicular manslaughter
In California, the crime of Homicide is defined as the act of killing another person. Homicide can fall into one of two categories. The first is murder, while the second is manslaughter. Murder differs from manslaughter when it comes to intent and to be convicted of murder intent to kill must be proven.
What this means is not all homicide cases are murder cases. Indeed, some fall under the category of manslaughter, and when a vehicle is involved this is known as vehicular manslaughter. However, it is important to note that although vehicular manslaughter does not sound as serious as a murder charge, it can still incur a life sentence and high penalties.
Defining vehicular manslaughter
California Penal Code 192 PC defines vehicular manslaughter as the act of killing a person while operating a motor vehicle with criminal or reckless negligence. Indeed, the level of negligence involved is a very important factor that will be discussed in detail later on.
To be convicted on a charge of vehicular manslaughter, there are several things that a prosecutor has to prove. The first is that you were indeed operating the vehicle in question at the time of the incident. The second is that you were operating it in a way that was likely to cause the death of another person. Thirdly, you were negligent in operating the vehicle in either a gross or ordinary way. Lastly, the prosecution must show that your actions caused the death of the other person.
When can a vehicular manslaughter charge be elevated?
California Penal Code 191.5 PC states that a vehicular manslaughter charge can be elevated and so have much more serious penalties if the defendant is also charged with a DUI.
What happens to a person convicted of vehicular manslaughter?
The consequences of being convicted of vehicular manslaughter will differ based on some important factors.
The first of these factors is whether gross or ordinary negligence was involved. Gross negligence is the more serious of the two and applies to situations where the accused was driving recklessly. Examples of actions that are counted as reckless under the California Penal Code include street racing and running a red light.
Gross negligence associated with vehicular manslaughter is what in California is known as a ‘wobbler’ charge. This means that the defendant could be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor charge. Although, if it's the former they could be looking at either/or a fine of $10,000, and 2-6 years in a state jail.
Ordinary negligence on the other hand is less serious than its counterpart. Ordinary negligence in vehicular manslaughter cases describes actions that could cause death or injury to someone else such as making a dangerous turn into oncoming traffic. Defendants that are charged with ordinary negligence in cases of vehicular manslaughter could face a fine of up to $1000 and up to a year in county jail.
If alcohol is involved, this will also affect sentencing. This is because while vehicular manslaughter under the influence can be a felony or misdemeanor if alcohol, drugs, or gross negligence is involved the punishment can increase to 15 years to life in prison.
Unfortunately, as the cost and seriousness of the penalties involved in a vehicular manslaughter case increase, so do the cost of bail amounts. A topic that will be discussed in more detail in the section below.
What is the cost of bail for vehicular manslaughter?
The bad news is the cost of vehicular manslaughter or any bail that concerts homicide will be expensive. This is the case for a range of reasons including the fact that a defendant’s flight risk is always higher in such cases because they face more serious consequences. Therefore bail is set higher to encourage defendants to stay in the local area and attend their court cases.
Another factor that will impact the cost of bail for vehicular manslaughter is the whereabouts of the charge is brought. This is because even within the state of California each county can choose to set bail at its discretion. This can lead to a massive difference in bail (sometimes tens of thousands of dollars) for the same crime of vehicular manslaughter, with those left having to pay the higher charge at a significant disadvantage.
The good news is that even if your loved one is charged with vehicular manslaughter in a county where the bail bond is set high, you can work with a dedicated bail bond agent to get them released.
Choose Alana’s Bail Bonds for all your vehicular manslaughter bail bond needs.
That is where a female military veteran-owned and managed business, Alana’s Bail Bonds come in. We offer 24/7 service to all of California by phone and online with local bail agents available to meet at the jails or courts as well.
Our bail bonds are guaranteed to have the lowest prices! We provide fast easy payment plans with 0% interest financing and no collateral needed in most cases. Our agents are friendly, nonjudgmental, licensed, and bilingual in English and Spanish, and all bail bond services are confidential.
While Bail Bond costs in California are typically set at 10% of the bail amount, we never charge interest or hidden fees. Alana’s Bail Bonds is also proud to offer military discount bail bond services with discounts of up to 30% off available for: military members, homeowners, qualified union members, first responders, government employees, and teachers.
Finally, while we offer in-person services, our Bail Bonds can be processed online using DocuSign or by phone from anywhere, meaning we can get your loved one out of jail and back home, fast.