How Long Does a Criminal Case Take — and How Long Is the Co-signer Tied In?

Two questions arrive together about a week in: how long will this take, and how long am I on the hook. Nobody can give you a date — but the shape is knowable, and the second question has a precise answer.

The stages

1. Arrest and booking — hours, not minutes. See the booking process.
2. Filing decision. The prosecutor decides independently and may file something different from the booking charge, or nothing — see what is a wobbler.
3. Arraignment — generally within 48 hours of arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays, under Penal Code 825. See arraignment.
4. Pre-trial hearings, which is where most of the time goes, and where continuances under Penal Code 1050 move dates repeatedly.
5. Preliminary hearing in a felony — see preliminary hearing, where the court may also revisit bail under Penal Code 1289.
6. Resolution or trial.

Why nobody will give you a date

Because the honest answer depends on things nobody controls: the filing decision, discovery, the court calendar, counsel’s availability, and whether the case is contested. A matter resolved early can finish in weeks. A contested felony can run far longer. Anyone promising a timeline is guessing.

The part that is precise: the co-signer

The indemnity obligation runs until the bond is exonerated — generally when the case concludes or the defendant is otherwise discharged by the court. It does not expire on a date and it is not annual. A case that runs a year means an obligation that runs a year. See co-signer responsibilities and bail exoneration.

Two consequences worth planning for:

• Collateral stays pledged for the duration. For real property you will need a recorded release once exonerated — see collateral.
• Every court date is a risk point. A missed date forfeits the bond and starts the Penal Code 1305 clock — see failure to appear.

If confidence in the defendant’s appearance drops at any point, raise it with the agent before a date is missed — see removing a co-signer and bond surrender.

What can shorten it

Charges may not be filed at all. A case may be dismissed. A diversion route may apply. Those are lawyer questions, and they are the reason getting counsel early matters more than almost anything else — see how to get a public defender.

Related

Local guides: Anaheim, Brea, La Habra, Fullerton, Buena Park, Yorba Linda and Tustin.

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Please note: American Freedom Bail Bonds is a licensed bail bond agency, not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice and we cannot predict how any case will proceed. California bail license 1841014.