Review how the bail system works in California, including own recognizance release, bail amounts and schedules, and when you can be held without bail. A controversial zerobail policy is now in effect in Los Angeles County, ending the yearslong standard of setting cash bail amounts for defendants.A bail hearing is a court proceeding where a judge decides whether to allow a defendant to post bail and be released from custody while awaiting trial. Held Without Bail - a defendant is refused bail and will remain in jail until their trial date. A judge has ruled the practice of demanding cash bail from people jailed in LA County before they are arraigned to be unconstitutional. Nearly six months in, none of the worst fears of zero bail's harshest critics have come true, court leaders say. And they have the data to show it. How Does Bail Work in California? If you're arrested in California and taken to jail, a judge in the county you were arrested in determines your bond amount. Los Angeles County will officially move to a zerobail system today, ending the yearslong standard of setting cash bail amounts for defendants.