San Benito County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search for him with San Benito County Inmate Search. If nothing shows, the court lists 831-636-4060 as the number to call to check custody. Very fresh arrests can lag on the list, and a person picked up on an out-of-county warrant may already have been transferred.

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San Benito's felony and misdemeanor schedule, signed by the Presiding Judge on January 16, 2025, lists DUI at $5,000 when the blood alcohol is under .15 and there are no other violations. It is $10,000 at .15 or higher, and $100,000 with three or more priors within ten years. The schedule also says people charged with DUI are eligible for supervised release on their own recognizance.

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From the same schedule: petty theft, $1,000, or $5,000 with a prior; drug possession under Health and Safety Code 11350 or 11377, $5,000 as a misdemeanor and $10,000 as a felony; simple battery, $5,000; battery on a spouse or partner, $10,000; battery causing serious bodily injury, $25,000; grand theft, $10,000.

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Corporal injury to a spouse or partner, $25,000, or $100,000 with a listed prior. Assault with a deadly weapon as a felony, $25,000. First-degree burglary, $50,000; second-degree, $10,000. First-degree robbery, $100,000; second-degree, $50,000. First- and second-degree murder are marked "No Bail" and the judge sets terms at arraignment. A judge can change any figure.

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The schedule has a formula. A felony not listed is set by the longest prison term it carries: $10,000 for three years, $25,000 for four, $30,000 for five, $50,000 for six, and $100,000 for seven or more. A life sentence means no bail. A misdemeanor not listed is $1,000. Check the charge on San Benito County Inmate Search, then ask the court clerk at 831-636-4057 which line it falls under.

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Bail is paid at the San Benito County Jail, 710 Flynn Road. San Benito takes four forms: money order, certified check, cashier's check, or a bondsman's bond. Cash is not on that list, so do not bring it without asking. The county gives no bail-window hours, so call 831-636-4060 before you drive over. Have his booking number and full name on hand, and hold on to the receipt; it should show the case number.

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For a person arrested without a warrant, yes. The schedule says its purpose is to fix the amount on which that person may be released before seeing a judge, and release at a different amount needs a hearing in open court first. Violent felonies as described in Penal Code 667.5(c) also need such a hearing before release.

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The schedule does not control a warrant. The judge who issued it picks the amount, using their own judgment. The court has a warrant-clearing line that is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call the criminal division at 831-636-4057, choose option 3, and ask for it.

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California law requires a first appearance within 48 hours of arrest, with Sundays and holidays left out (Penal Code 825). San Benito has one Superior Court building, at 450 Fourth Street, Hollister. The criminal and traffic window is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. The main number is 831-636-4057.

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The court runs a walk-in court for felony and misdemeanor matters on weekdays. Check-in is from 8 a.m. to noon, and court starts at 1:30 p.m. Bring the citation. The clerk may be able to move an arraignment earlier but cannot postpone it. A promise to appear in writing must be kept, or a warrant can follow.

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A Hollister bondsman usually charges 10 percent, state insurance regulators say, and the family keeps none of it, even if the case is thrown out. A partial refund may be possible if the person is surrendered, minus costs. Agents tied to one surety must use the same filed rates. Read every line about collateral before signing.

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Property bonds go through the court. Ask the criminal division at 831-636-4057, option 3, how much equity the court wants, whether every owner must sign, and whether land in another county counts. The jail cannot approve property. Do not sign a lien until the court says yes in writing.

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Murder carries no bail on the San Benito chart. Article I, section 12 of the state constitution also allows bail to be refused in certain violent or sexual felonies when danger is shown to be strong, and where he made serious threats. An out-of-county or probation hold keeps him on Flynn Road as well. Penal Code 1275 tells judges to weigh safety, the charge, the record, and the chance of return.

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His attorney can ask the Hollister court for a bail review. A judge can consider the person's ability to pay under the 2021 California Supreme Court case In re Humphrey, and can release a person on conditions that do not require money. Pay stubs, his Hollister address and family members willing to vouch help his lawyer. Court appointed lawyers are available if the person qualifies. San Benito's main contract defense office answers at 831-638-1900.

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The county Probation Department runs the San Benito County Youth Services Center, 708 Flynn Road, Hollister, next to the adult jail. It answers at 831-636-4050. Family visits are Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Juvenile delinquency hearings are on Mondays at 2 p.m. in Courtroom 3 at 450 Fourth Street. The court says juvenile case information is confidential and not given by phone, so bring identification to the clerk.

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The judge orders the bail forfeited. When the bond is more than $400, the clerk mails notice, and the person has 180 days, plus 5 more because the notice is mailed, to appear so the forfeiture can be undone (Penal Code 1305). The court also says a date covered by a bail bond generally cannot be changed. Call the lawyer and the agent immediately.

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Yes, in most cases. The 2026 Kowalczyk decision says courts must set bail a person can reasonably raise. In Hollister, the attorney can request a smaller amount after showing the family's income and expenses.

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San Benito's court is in Hollister:

• San Benito courthouse: 450 Fourth Street, Hollister, CA 95023 · 831-636-4057

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San Benito is in the San Jose division of the Northern District of California:

• He appears before a magistrate judge at San Jose federal courthouse, 280 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113.
• Pretrial Services reviews his record.
• Release terms or detention follow, with a possible delay (three days government, five defense).
• The Marshals hold detained defendants.

Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 280 South 1st Street, San Jose, 408-535-5496.

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SB 54 forbids that. Release happens on schedule; the timing can be sent to ICE only when there's a serious or violent conviction. The TRUTH Act notice must be given before ICE questions anyone.

San Francisco ICE field office, 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-365-8800 covers San Benito. Detainees go to:

• Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center: 425 Golden State Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
• Golden State Annex: 611 Frontage Road, McFarland, CA 93250
• California City detention site: 22844 Virginia Boulevard, California City, CA 93505

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• San Benito County Inmate Search: name; booking and bail.
• VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/): California; facility.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/): register number or name; pretrial: 408-535-5496.
• CDCR Inmate Locator (https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/): CDCR number or name.
• ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/): A-number or name and birth country; then 415-365-8800.

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The San Benito court at 831-636-4057 can read back the amount. Confirm it before calling a bondsman.

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