Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Video: How Bail Bonds Work via AboutBail


How Bail Bonds Work by AboutBail AboutBail recently launched a video for the bail bond industry and bail bond agents that walks potential clients through the bail bond process. It covers the process in an easy to understand format from the arrest through exoneration. This video is free for bail agents to use on their websites or social media channels.
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Friday, April 08, 2011

How Local Search Puts Your Bail Business on the Map

You may have heard the term “local search” recently and wondered what it is and how it can help bail agents market their businesses. Local search basically ensures that people can find your business online when searching for local terms such as “Bail Bonds Denver” or wherever your business may be located. This is accomplished through optimizing your Google Places, Yahoo! Local and Bing Local profiles, and then submitting your business to Superpages, YellowPages, DexKnows, 411.com, WhitePages and more than 100 other sites. So when people search for your key terms, your business shows up.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how local search benefits your business and how the submission process works.

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Friday, March 18, 2011

Proposed ‘Alternative Bond Program’ Threatens to Eliminate Colorado Bail Industry

Although the private bail industry in Colorado suspected that trouble was brewing, most everyone was still blindsided by the swift introduction of Senate Bill 11-186, a bill that could potentially do major damage to the livelihood of Colorado bail agents.

Simply put, SB 11-186 would likely put around 485 Colorado bail agents out of business, as well as eliminate the need for the eight surety companies that insure the bail agents. Those numbers are according to a recent article in the Denver Post.

Read more here on how SB 11-186 could affect the Colorado bail industry.

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Friday, March 11, 2011

Florida Pretrial Release Legislation Advances for 2011 Session

According to recent statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, violent crime is down nationwide and fewer arrests by law enforcement are being made. A 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that local jail populations dropped by 2.3 percent from 2008 to 2009. This is the first decline in the U.S. jail population since the DOJ implemented the annual survey of jails in 1982. Large jails led the trend with Florida counties Miami-Dade and Orange leading the nation in overall decline of jail populations.


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Learn How to Grow Your Bail Agency in Challenging Times


If you weren’t able to make it to the PBUS 30th Anniversary Winter Conference, you can still benefit from the knowledge that was shared there. Adam Camras, AboutBail.com CEO, gave a presentation to a business-minded group of bail agents titled “Succeeding Where Others Fail: Growing Your Bail Agency in Challenging Times.” During the talk, Camras discussed important topics such as professionalism, intelligent marketing strategies and operational efficiency. As part of his focus on marketing for bail agents - an area of expertise for AboutBail.com - Camras covered the importance of building bail agency websites, submitting your agency to local search engines and marketing your bail business with Facebook and other social media sites.


To gain some valuable tips for how to market your business and improve your operations, click here
to read the full story on AboutBail.com.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Bail Bonds Industry Should Learn From The Banking Industry

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Many in the bail bonds industry are happy to start a new year after a difficult 2010. The average bail bondsman faced pressure from things such as a harsh economic climate, increased regulatory scrutiny and unpopular pretrial release programs.

The issues are only compounded when the public and regulators read stories that portray bail bonds in a negative light. In 2010, there were quite a few. Last year headlines included everything from bondsmen changing bail bonds records at the courthouse to multiple instances of bail agents being arrested for improper solicitation. In one of the more shocking stories, a federal judge was removed from the bench by the U.S. Senate because he allegedly increased bail amounts to help a bail bondsman. In return the judge accepted trips, gifts and meals from the bondsman. This past year has given the industry some tough PR challenges to say the least.


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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

County Approves Bail Bond Board

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Titus County Commissioners, after an hours' worth of discussion and deliberation Monday, unanimously voted to implement a county bail bonds board, effective Oct. 1, 2011.

A county bail bond board is responsible for licensing and regulating bail bond companies operating in a county, in accordance with Chapter 1704, Regulation of Bail Bond Sureties, of the Texas Occupations Code.

Bail bondsmen must be licensed in their county before they can secure bail for any person incarcerated in the county jail.Under current state legislation, bail bond boards are mandatory in counties with a population of over 110,000, but voluntary in smaller counties.

County Judge Brian Lee opened the item on Monday's agenda by noting the county had been presented with a petition signed by almost all county officials who are involved in the criminal justice system.

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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

In Defense of Bounty Hunting

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Bounty hunters and bail bondsmen have a bad rap: The American Bar Association calls their line of work "tawdry," and Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun declared it "odorous." But bounty hunters have an unlikely ally: Alex Tabarrok, an economist at George Mason University, who argues in The Wilson Quarterly that bounty hunters are "unsung" heroes of an overbooked justice system.

Bail and bounty hunters have a long history. In medieval England, suspected criminals often had to stew for months until a traveling judge arrived to conduct a trial; in the meantime, the court would release the defendant to a "surety," often a friend or brother, who would guarantee that he would show up in court. "If the accused failed to show," Tabarrok explains, "the surety would take his place and be judged as if he were the offender." Sureties were, unsurprisingly, given broad powers to chase down their charges; today's bounty hunters have inherited them (they can legally break into the houses of their targets, search their property without probable cause, and pursue them across state lines).

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Thursday, January 06, 2011

Bail Bonds Advocates Fined in Colo. for Campaign Finance Violation

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DENVER (AP) — A political group that pushed unsuccessfully to require bail bonds in more criminal cases in Colorado has been fined for campaign finance violations.

Safe Streets Colorado was fined $12,200 for improper reporting before raising money to put the bonds question on ballots last year.

The proposal would have made it harder for people awaiting criminal trials to be released under supervision without having to post bail.

Critics called the measure a kickback to help the bail bonds industry. The measure failed by a wide margin.


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Wednesday, January 05, 2011

ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa Released on Bail; Says Ready for Talks

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ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa today walked free from jail on bail and declared his readiness for an "unconditional" peace dialogue with the Assam Government, which hinted that the ban on the outfit may be lifted ahead of the talks.

"We are committed to peace in Assam and take the peace process forward. We are ready for unconditional peace talks," the 54-year-old ULFA leader told his supporters outside the Gauhati Central Jail, where he was lodged for over a year.

He was released two days after a designated TADA court ordered his release on bail.

Rajkhowa asked ULFA cadres not to create divisions in the ranks and appealed to people not to be "restless" over the issue of peace talks.

He, however, appealed for the release of ULFA central council members Sasha Choudhury and Chitraban Hazarika as well to enable them to participate in a meeting to decide on the peace talks.


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Tuesday, January 04, 2011

New Year's Eve, Big For The Bail Bond Business

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Unfortunately many kick off their new year in trouble. Last night was no exception. And while some raked in the new year in jail, workers at Lederman Bail Bonds raked in the business.

For many Siouxlanders New Year's Eve just isn't complete without a little bubbly or a lot of it. And unfortunately getting a good buzz gets many arrested. Just ask the workers at Lederman Bail Bonds.

"The majority of the bonds that we do are DUI's or simple misdemeanor possession of drugs," said Justin Boyd, the manager of Lederman Bail Bonds.

After midnight phones were ringing off the hook. Eleven calls were made from people in the Siouxland area requesting bail–out loans for them or for someone else.

"There's two ways you can get out of jail in Iowa. You can either pay 10% to a bail bonds men or you can pay the courts the money directly cash," said Boyd.

Since bad weather conditions usually keep people close to home and off the roads, last night's 11 cases was more than expected. But still disappointing for New Year's eve.


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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Bail Hotline Bail Bonds Provides Christmas Day Feast and Brand new Library for the Los Angeles Youth Network

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California’s leader in Bail Bond services will be bringing holiday cheer to Los Angeles’ largest full-service youth shelter this Christmas: Bail Hotline Bail Bonds, servicing all of California with comprehensive bail bonds services and assistance, will bring and serve a three-course meal to over 30 homeless and at-risk youth at the L.A. Youth Network, in addition to donating a large selection of books to complete the shelter’s brand new library.

Ten Bail Hotline volunteers, from the company’s Southern California locations, will arrive at one of the LAYN’s three shelters (1550 N. Gower St.) at 2 p.m. on Christmas Day with a complete Christmas meal for more than 30 of the teens that are currently living at all three shelters.

The Los Angeles Youth Network is the largest non-lockdown, full-service homeless youth shelter in L.A. County, with three shelters throughout Hollywood, and provides young men and women, ages 12 to 17, with shelter, food, counseling and more.

“We know that the issue of homeless and at-risk youth is one that often goes unnoticed due to the heart-wrenching truth associated with it; which is why this project with the LAYN is especially important to us,” said Pablo Fonseca, Director of Marketing for Bail Hotline Bail Bonds.

“We really wanted to take these teens under our wing this holiday season by providing them not only with a wonderful Christmas Day dinner, but also with a generous contribution to the libraries; a gift that will keep on giving year after year.”



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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Suspect in Patrol Vehicle Heist is Denied Bail

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An itinerant man who allegedly tried to run over a Clark County sheriff’s deputy in a stolen patrol car on Sunday made his first appearance Monday in Clark County Superior Court.

Judge John Wulle set a no-bail hold for Raymond H. Hall, 30, after hearing from Deputy Prosecutor Alan Harvey that Hall has four pending felony criminal cases in Nevada and was wanted locally on identity theft and forgery charges.

He remains in the Clark County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree theft and a separate case alleging two counts of identity theft, 10 counts of forgery, two counts of criminal impersonation and four counts possession of stolen property.

“I want to know more about what’s going on in Nevada before addressing bail,” the judge said.


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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Okeechobee County Bail Bondsman Killed

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An Okeechobee County bail bondsman was killed trying to take a parole violator into custody.

According to the Glades County Sheriff's Office, Gordon Suleiman was trying to take Koty Lewis into custody when Lewis fatally shot the 45-year-old bondsman in the Lakeport area Sunday.

Authorities said Lewis fled the scene but was found about three miles away hiding under a mobile home.

Lewis was arrested on a murder charge.

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

U.S. Pilots Freed on Bail in Dominican Republic

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Two U.S. pilots suspected of drug smuggling have been freed from a jail in the Dominican Republic.

Kevin Kuranz, 31, and Christopher Schmidt, 28, were detained on December 2 in Santo Domingo, the Caribbean country's capital, after officials from the Dominican anti-narcotics agency found approximately 4 pounds of heroin and 321 pounds of cocaine in their cargo plane, according to the Associated Press.

A three-judge panel granted each pilot $12,160 bail. However, Kuranz and Schmidt must return to the Dominican Republic on the request of local authorities. After the trial, Schmidt said he planned to return to his home state of Tennessee.

Supporters of the two pilots are adamant that Kuranz and Schmidt are not involved in the drug smuggling operation, though Dominican agents said the drugs were found hidden in ceiling and floor panels of their airplane.

Miguel Valerio, their lawyer, said no evidence linking the pilots to the drugs has been found.
Charges have yet to be filed, but the pilots were held under a Dominican law that allows for preventative detention, the Associated Press reported.

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Los Angeles Bail Bonds Company Sponsors Uganda Education

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Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds, a Los Angeles based company, is pleased to announce the support of education in Uganda.Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA - During this Christmas giving season, Greg and Tonya Rynerson of Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds is pleased to make a gift in the name of their employees and clients to support the education, uniforms and meals for four Ugandan children for a year.

"This is a time of year when we typically give and send gifts to those have helped make our year successful," says Greg Rynerson, bail bondsman and company owner. "This year, we wanted to give something that would really matter. The work of Uganda Development Initiative is not only moving, but truly outstanding.

We decided to support the education of children in need rather than give the standard mug or desk calendar." Uganda Development Initiative (UDI) has been involved in the building and support of not only of several primary schools in the remote west side of Uganda, but also a kindergarten, a high school and a college as well. Their goal is to break the cycle of poverty in that area.

Read more here.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Bail Bond Companies are Worth the Costs for Most

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The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees individuals the right to fair and reasonable bail. Most importantly, it protects individuals from excessive bail.

The purpose of bail bonds are twofold. First, it allows people to be free from incarceration while the criminal process is proceeding. Second, it acts as a guarantee that a defendant will show up to court or they forfeit their money.

Bond amounts are set by the judge who bases the decision on the severity of the crime, a person's criminal history, the individual's flight risk potential, among other considerations. A judge may place a no bond hold on a person if the defendant is found to be a flight risk. In the absence of flight risk, the judge should set a reasonable bail based upon the entirety of the circumstances.

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Minimum Payments Should be Required of Suspects for Bail Bonds

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It came as a complete surprise when, in the wake of the slaying of four Lakewood police officers, it was revealed that their murderer was released from jail three times that year without ever paying more than 4 percent of his bail amount up front.

Voters in November closed one bail loophole when they approved House Joint Resolution 4220, a constitutional amendment allowing judges to deny bail in certain circumstances such as when the defendant is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole or there is convincing evidence of a propensity for violence that would likely endanger the public.

A whopping 84.6 percent of the voters approved the amendment setting the tougher bail standards.

The Legislature recognized that there were other loopholes in the law and appointed a task force to look into the matter.

Snohomish County prosecutor Mark Roe said some of his fellow task force members were “disillusioned” they didn’t know bail bondsmen required less than 10 percent to bail a client out of jail. “To be honest, I was embarrassed,” he told the Seattle Times.

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

British Court Orders Leader of WikiLeaks Freed on Bail

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LONDON — After a week in detention facing possible extradition, Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks antisecrecy group, was ordered released on $310,000 bail by a court on Tuesday as he challenges a Swedish prosecutor’s demand that he return to Stockholm for questioning about alleged sex offenses.

However, it remained unclear whether Mr. Assange would be freed this evening, or whether he would be taken back to detention pending a probable appeal by the prosecutor. One of his lawyers, Mark Stephens, said he was likely to spend another night in custody.

Judge Howard Riddle ordered that Mr. Assange appear again in court on Jan. 11. He also said that between then and now he must reside at Ellingham Hall, a Georgian mansion in Bungay, in eastern England, owned by Vaughan Smith, the founder of a club for journalists. Mr. Assange must spend every night at the mansion and will be electronically tagged so the police can track his movements, the judge said.


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Thursday, December 02, 2010

Washington Task Force Makes Bail System Recommendations

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OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A Washington state task force formed after the shooting deaths of four police officers recommended on Wednesday tighter regulation of bail bondsmen and more information-sharing with judges who set bail.

The suspect in the police deaths, Maurice Clemmons, bailed out of jail three times in 2009 without ever paying more than 4 percent up front, including just days before the Lakewood police shootings, the Seattle Times reported.

Unlike some states, Washington does not require people getting a bail bond to pay 10 percent of its value.

The 20-person task force, which was created to study the bail system following the police deaths, did not suggest minimum payment rates for those who get a bail bond.

Judges, prosecutors and victims' advocates have argued for a fixed bail bond premium. But defense attorneys and others have worried that a minimum payment could hurt the poor, the Times reported.

Task force member and Snohomish County prosecutor Mark Roe said some officials were "disillusioned" they didn't know bail bondsmen required less than 10 percent.


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