How Bail Is Set in Yuba County: A Plain-Language Guide for Families
Bail numbers can feel random when you're scrambling to help someone right after an arrest. In Yuba County, it all starts with a felony bail schedule—a preset list of amounts used at booking until a judge gets involved.
Yuba County Superior Court adopted its current felony bail schedule under Penal Code section 1269b, effective January 6, 2025. Trying to figure out where that initial bail number came from? This schedule is usually the answer.
For a warrantless arrest - meaning there wasn't already a warrant out - the schedule sets a presumptive bail amount. Think of it as the default: it's what applies at booking and stays in place until a judge takes a closer look.
Warrant arrests work differently. When someone is picked up on a warrant and only booked on that warrant, bail is set at whatever amount the warrant specifies - unless a judge orders something different.
Sometimes the exact charge - or an added enhancement - doesn't appear on the schedule. When that happens, Yuba County sets presumptive bail based on the offense's "top term," the maximum prison sentence it carries. Higher top term, higher bail tier.
- ✓ Top term 3 years - $15,000 presumptive bail
- ✓ Top term 9 years - $100,000 presumptive bail
"Wobbler" charges confuse a lot of families. These offenses can be treated as misdemeanors under Penal Code section 17(b) - but here's the catch: Yuba County applies felony-schedule bail to all wobblers at booking. So the initial bail amount may reflect felony numbers even if the case later gets filed or reduced as a misdemeanor.
County bail schedules don't exist in a vacuum. Under Penal Code section 1269b, judges who revise and adopt a countywide schedule must consider the Judicial Council's Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules. This keeps local schedules aligned with broader statewide guidance.
Note: Courts can get copies of the Judicial Council's Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules through Judicial Council Criminal Justice Services (TrafficAC@jud.ca.gov) or the Judicial Council webpage listed in the schedule materials.
Right after an arrest, what you're seeing is a starting point - not the final word. In Yuba County, the felony bail schedule (effective January 6, 2025) sets the presumptive amount for warrantless arrests until a judge reviews it. If the arrest is on an existing warrant and the person is only booked on that warrant, the warrant's bail amount applies unless a judge orders otherwise.
When the exact offense or enhancement isn't listed, Yuba County uses the state prison top-term potential to pick a bail tier - for example, a 3-year top term maps to $15,000, while a 9-year top term maps to $100,000. Dealing with a wobbler? Expect felony-schedule bail at booking, even though wobblers can sometimes be treated as misdemeanors later under Penal Code section 17(b).
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