Below are some of the most common types of San Diego bail bonds that a judge can set for defendants:

Surety Bond.
In a surety bond, a bail agent guarantees the court that they will pay if an accused does not show up in court. A surety company or the agent’s property is used as a guarantee.

Cash Bail.
With cash bail, the accused must post bail in cash; not in assets. This type of bail is considered a strong incentive for the accused to show up in court, since the accused will forfeit the cash if they fail to show up for all of their court appearances.

Property Bond.
A property bond involves the court recording a lien on a property to secure the bail amount. If the defendant does not appear in court, the court may seize the property. This type of bail is not as common.

Personal Recognizance.
In this situation, the accused is released without any financial motive to secure their return. This sort of bail usually is through county or law enforcement administered pre-trial release programs.

Unsecured Bond.
This is similar to released on personal recognizance, except there is a cash penalty if the defendant fails to appear. For example, on a $10,000 unsecured personal bond, should the defendant fail to appear, he or she will owe the court $10,000.

Secured Bond.
The defendant is allowed to post his own bond directly to the court, with the hopes of a full refund upon completion of his trial. Oftentimes, this bond becomes a fine as a part of the defendants sentencing when the defendant is remanded to the court.