Bail bondsmen (and women) bust bonding myths

Have you ever watched an episode of “Dog: The Bounty Hunter,” and thought to yourself, ‘I can do that’? Many people do.

But unlike characters such as Duane “Dog” Chapman from the A&E reality series, the real lives of bail bonds issuers involve more careful calculations and reading between the lines than most think. David Valentine agrees.

Valentine is a bail bonds issuer who has been in the business for more than 20 years. He has an office Downtown on Washington Street and one in the St. Nicholas area on Atlantic Boulevard. Valentine says Chapman’s portrayal is seen by most bondsman as mere “entertainment.”

The popular TV character depicts a person who claims to be a bondsman/bounty hunter going out and doing “pick-ups,” said Valentine, “but most of our lives are nowhere near as exciting or as flamboyant as what they’re depicting on a weekly basis.”

Valentine said bond issuers may be able to relate to some small anecdotal pieces of what Chapman and his family are doing. Overall, though, that’s not the way things work.

“You certainly couldn’t make any money if you were constantly out looking for people,” he said.

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