When someone is suspected of committing a crime, the arrest and booking experience is virtually identical. The suspect is taken to the Santa Clarita Sheriff Station where they have their photograph taken, fingerprints recorded, and a comprehensive national background check is conducted to look for any outstanding warrants. However, the final step is where the arrest and booking process may differ from one arrestee to another.

Typically, a suspect can expect to be held in custody and have bail set as the final step in the arrest and booking process. They are then held in custody until they are bailed out or go before a judge. However, some suspects will not have bail set because they are ineligible. Ineligibility for bail can stem from a variety of reasons, including: the violent nature of the crime, perceived flight risk, the suspect may be a danger to the community, and a few other reasons. Last, some folks are given O.R. release after the arrest and booking procedure.

So, what is O.R. release? For starters, O.R. stands for “own recognizance” and is sometimes also referred to as being “cited out.” Basically, when a person is suspected of committing a crime that either is not serious enough to warrant being held in custody and/or falls under Prop 47’s zero-bail initiative. When someone is eligible for O.R. release, they’ll be given a citation with a date and time to return to court. In some cases a person will have to sign a letter promising to return to court at the appointed date(s) and time(s).

If a person released on O.R. doesn’t show up for court, it’s treated as a failure to appear similar to if someone were to skip bail. If they are arrested again, they’ll either be forced to pay bail to get out again or have to remain in custody until their next court date. They’ll also have to answer for the failure to appear in the future, too.

Robin Sandoval

Robin Sandoval

Robin Sandoval is a California Licensed Bail Bondsman and owner of SCV Bail Bonds. Robin writes blogs and articles to help increase community awareness of the bail industry. If you have questions or want to suggest a topic, email robin@scvbailbonds.com, visit www.scvbailbonds.com or call 661-299-2245.
Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval

Latest posts by Robin Sandoval (see all)