Bail Bondsmen Have a Dangerous Job

Bail bondsman David Dunn said he was a split second from kicking in an apartment door when his partner yelled.

"She's got a gun,” Carol Franklin said.

The woman inside the apartment turned and aimed at Franklin.

Franklin, who stood outside a window looking into the apartment, threw herself to the ground. Halfway down, she heard the gun's bang, she said. The rifle blast missed.

The bail bondsmen were at the Yukon apartment to detain Vicki Sanders, 45, who had skipped an Oklahoma County District Court appearance. Sanders had a signed bond through Abraham's Bail Bonds in Oklahoma City.

Sanders was shot and killed Monday night by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers after a nearly six-hour standoff.

Dangers of bounty hunting
The danger of the job is nothing new to Dunn, but the reality of how close he came to losing his life hit hard as he went home Monday night, he said.

"You can try and avoid death ... and I've had near misses,” Dunn said. "But to have one like that, it's nothing but good luck and the grace of God. It really does make you stop and think about everything you do out there.”

Grace of God and the help of a good friend such as Carol Franklin, Dunn said.

"The thing that scared me the most was when I looked through the window knowing that my partner was about to kick the door in and she's sitting there aiming a rifle at the door,” Franklin said. "At that point my fear wasn't for myself, my fear was that I was about to lose my partner if I didn't do something quick.”

Franklin said she normally doesn't go to the back window or door. She's usually the one kicking in the door. Had she not been at that window, Dunn likely would have been killed, she said.

Bail jumper
Sanders' mother, Patsy McFadden had co-signed the bond, Dunn said.

Although not needed lawfully to enter a residence where a known bail jumper lives, Dunn and Franklin obtained written permission from McFadden to kick the door in, Dunn said.

McFadden, who told the two bondsmen that Sanders was bipolar and off her medication, said there were no weapons in the home, Dunn said.

They first tried a ruse.

"Carol knocked on the door, said some kids were throwing rocks at Sanders' car,” Dunn said. "That didn't work. She wouldn't answer the door.”

Franklin walked around to the side of the downstairs apartment to a window that was open about 8 inches with the blinds pulled down, she said.

She peered in through the window and saw the armed woman on the couch. She yelled to David, and the woman spun and fired, Franklin said.

Franklin said and she and Dunn called Yukon police.

A short time later, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrived with its tactical team.

The two bondsmen watched from nearby as troopers sent in a robot, then fired tear gas and flash bangs.

Franklin said she thought the armed woman may have shot the robot. There was a hail of gunfire and the ordeal was over.

"It's sad because she may have been ill,” she said. "But she wasn't going to go to court, and she wasn't going to come out of the apartment.”

Colorado Bondman’s Website to Help Bail Professionals

A Denver bondsman and bounty hunter has a new way to track down fugitives. Ben Mares started a website called rewards4fugitives.com.

He said, "the website itself is just a posting avenue for bondsmen to put their people up there. the public can see who's wanted and can contact that bondsman."

Rewards range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, paid by the bondsmen.

They say if they turn fugitives into the court, they save money. And bondsmen say this website is already working. John Trujillo had a fugitive featured and within 24 hours, he had several tips.

He said, "you could knock me over with a feather. I was surprised. I didn't think I would get so many tips within a 24 hour period."

Bond Grrrl: Utah’s Reata Holt Could be TV’s Next Bounty Hunter

When you hear the knock at the door and through the peephole see a tall, friendly looking woman with light-brown, shoulder-length hair and gold hoop earrings, think twice about opening—that is, if you have any outstanding warrants.

The woman could be Reata Holt, Utah bounty hunter. Then again, Holt’s agents, with Tasers at the ready, would already have surrounded your home by the time she knocked.

Bondsmen Lament New Jail Policy on Misdemeanors

Local bondsmen say the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center's new policy to not accept most misdemeanor offenders is bad for business. At least one is considering layoffs.

"The phones aren't ringing and the people aren't coming in," Mac Guedry, president of Cajun Bail Bonds, said. Misdemeanors accounted for more than 60 percent of his business, and he doesn't know how he'll keep paying his 12 employees if business doesn't pick up.

Bail Agent: 'Rambo Wannabes' Hurt Image

Bounty hunters in Michigan are not licensed by the state, but some carry badges similar to police badges and, sometimes, loaded weapons.

And they don't need a search warrant to enter a residence to catch a bail jumper.

That's because when a bonding agency posts bail for someone charged with a crime, the defendant signs a document essentially waiving their constitutional rights, local bounty hunter Shaun Lewis said.

Muncie Bail Bondsman Tries To Halt Bail Skipping

Skipping out on bail is a big no-no. A local bail bond spot is doing all it can to stop the rise in felons jumping ship.

The statistics are staggering across the nation, according to the US department of Justice. Nearly one fourth of all defendants on bail fail to appear in court when they're supposed to. The owner of Bad Boys Bail Bonds in Muncie, Jeff Catron, says that it's simply bad business to let felons skip.

“We simply can’t afford it,” he said.

Catron, a bounty hunter, himself, added that building an information file on a criminal is the best way to keep those who break the law in check.

“Big files always help you keep track of criminals.”

Catron said his bail bond agency tries to live up to their slogan each day--that being, "Your freedom is our business."

The agency offers free bond advice in jails across east central Indiana.

Bail Bondsman Says Relationships And Location Are Secrets To Success

In a previous career, Frank Kopczynski was a hospital administrator who helped failing hospitals get on their feet. But 20 years ago, he found himself at a professional crossroads.

After his contract with a New Jersey hospital expired, he was faced with either relocating with his employer to northern Michigan or returning home to Florida. He chose the latter, and spurred by a casual suggestion by his daughter's boss, decided to take a chance on the bail bond industry.

Fortunately, the business know-how, marketing tactics and people skills he developed during his time in health care made the transition much smoother than he had imagined.

After passing the required two-week course and receiving his license, Kopczynski opened Action Plus Bail Bonds in April 1988. Soon after, he acquired some industry training at St. Petersburg College and fell in love with the trade.

Billboards On The Way To County Prison Show The Competitive Side Of Bail Industry

Bail USA Inc. wants you. If you can't post bond to get out of jail, that is.

Anyone traveling East King Street can read all about it, thanks to an advertisement prominently displayed on the side of a building two blocks away from the prison, at North Plum.

The positioning of the sign is deliberate, said Cheryl Burns, the president of Bail USA, Greenville, Mercer County.

The Lancaster County population is rising. The prison is jammed.

The bail-bond field also appears to be growing, according to Vincent Guarini, the prison warden.

"It's competitive," Guarini said. Inmates' families put up the bond money in most cases, he added. But if someone can't make bail "they can shop around."

A courthouse directory lists 23 company-affiliated bail bondsmen and seven bail surety services, several with distant headquarters in cities such as Baltimore, Md., Houston, Texas, and St. Petersburg, Fla.

To make matters more competitive, the Bail USA Web site says, judges are trying to combat prison overcrowding by setting "easy" 10 percent bail.

And so the word is going out.

"We're just doing a little more advertising in the Lancaster County area," Burns said. "We put up billboards in Allegheny County and Pittsburgh about a year ago and we found it's a good way to get our name recognized."

The reaching out is recent. But Bail USA is a national company founded in 1982 and operating in 42 states through independent contractors.

The Lancaster County Clerk of Courts office lists three agents with Bail USA's affiliate, the Seneca Insurance Company Inc., also of Greenville.

One of the agents is a Mifflintown man who Burns said worked for Bail USA for 20 years. The other agents live in Quarryville and Lancaster, according to the courthouse directory.

While many companies handle bonds for business transactions, Burns said, Bail USA focuses solely on bail surety underwriting.

"It's a service we provide that brings down the prison population."

The state regulates all bail bondsmen, Guarini said.

"It's not like 'Dog the Bounty Hunter,' " he added, referring to the tumultuous TV reality show.

"They're pretty selective about who they take," Guarini said. Companies get back the money they've posted plus a service charge when their clients show up for trial.

"They play the risks. If the guy takes off, they lose the bond."

Bondsmen, Houston City, Frustrated with Maximus

City officials, at their wit's end with the company they hired to turn municipal courts into an electronic operation, this week threatened to sue unless the company fixes problems with the $10 million system.

Aside from causing headaches for city officials overseeing the transition, the flawed system has resulted in longer waits for the thousands of residents, lawyers and bail bondsmen who navigate the courts each day, and frustration for those who work there.

The city is giving Maximus Inc. until Thursday to provide a plan for making its work meet expectations.

"We said, 'It's really up to you Maximus. You tell us how you're going to keep Houston as a long-term client, how you're going to satisfy all your requirements, or we're going to declare you in default," said Richard Lewis, the city's director of information technology.

Repeated calls to Maximus for comment this week were not returned. In the past, spokeswoman Rachael Rowland has said the company was working to fix system bugs.

The computer upgrade, a goal of city officials since the late '90s, was supposed to be completed within a year and a half after the City Council approved the contract in April 2003. More than four years later, it still is not working properly.

"The computer system slows the operation down and kind of makes it unpleasant" to work there, said traffic lawyer Lawrence Rousseau. Since the system went live in April 2006, he has nicknamed municipal courts "the tar pit" because it is easy to get stuck there all day.

While some administrative tasks have been simplified with the transition to electronic from paper, the system is cumbersome and slow. It often takes longer than it should to complete simple tasks, such as processing bonds and setting cases for trial.

To process a bond, for example, clerks must work their way through 19 computer screens, and it takes 7-10 seconds for each new screen to appear, Lewis said. Loading a docket, a common task for judges, can take up to 10 minutes, he said.

"We believed the system was going to make our jobs simpler and in some cases it has made our job more complex," Presiding Judge Berta Mejia said.

'Enough already'
Because the city has warned Maximus before that its work has not met expectations, some city officials do not think they should get another chance.

"Enough already," said Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck. "This does not meet the basic terms of the contract, we've got taxpayer money on the line and it's time to cut our losses and move on."

Lewis said it is in the city's best interest to be patient. "But it's not going to last very much longer," he said.

The company, based in Reston, Va., is one of the largest providers of outsourced government services software, said Charles Strauzer, an analyst with CJS Securities, who covers those companies. The systems business is a small portion of Maximus' workload, he said, adding that it has not been profitable the past few years.

Group suggested changes
Since the city is unsatisfied with Maximus' work, officials hired an independent group, The Mitre Corp., a nonprofit organization that helps governments use information technology systems, to assess the project this summer. Mitre found that Maximus met most of the functional requirements defined in the contract, but did not meet technical requirements, which are essential for user reliability. In other words, the system is not capable of dealing with the 2.1 million cases the court sees each year.

The group recommended that Maximus replace its technical software and create a separate system for parking citations to reduce the load. Lewis said the company is considering those suggestions.

"They (Maximus) have been saying the right things, and they've deployed a bunch more resources down here in the last six months," Lewis said. "Whether or not that's enough is another whole matter."

School Boards Want Less Relief for Forfeited Jail Bonds

Fines and forfeitures of jail bonds account for more than $60 million in school funding across the state. But collecting that money was not always such a high priority.

In the criminal case of James Marvin Johnson, for example, his brother, Donald Johnson, put up his home and Lillington business, C&J Auto, to cover the $225,000 bond.

James Marvin Johnson remains on the run after skipping out on bond in the 1999 rape of a 12-year-old girl. By law, Donald Johnson was supposed to pay the full amount when his brother bolted.

A well-known businessman, Johnson pleaded with the court and school board for relief, saying he spent about $50,000 to track down his brother.

Court records show Johnson eventually paid $10,000 of the $225,000. He said he feels like he got off easy.

"They could have took everything I had. My business and all," he said.

Johnson's gain was the schools' loss. In 2006, Harnett County took in more than $549,663 from fines and forfeitures, while Wake County raked in close to $6 million. So far in 2007, Johnston County has gained approximately $600,000 from bail bonds.

Johnston County Board of Education attorney Jim Lawrence said school systems are working harder than ever to collect.

"That's $600,000 for classrooms. ... And why not follow them up and get whatever money we can?" he said.

Durham bondsman Tony Woods, president of the North Carolina Bail Agents Association, said a change in the law makes it much tougher now to get relief on forfeited bonds.

Still, Woods believes that many courts treat family and friends with far more leniency.

"The layperson is not held to the standard of the bail bondsman when it comes time to pay," Woods said. "No, that's not (fair)."

There have been signs that courts are toughening up on those kinds of forfeitures. Harnett County School Board Attorney Duncan McCormick, who approved the reduction in the Johnson bond, said he probably would not have allowed it today.

As for himself, Donald Johnson said he has learned his lesson about ponying up for bonds.

"I will never sign a bond again as long as I live," he said. "If you run, you're guilty. ... The Bible says to forgive, but I never forget."

Police Shoot Gunman in City Hostage Standoff

A gunman who held his girlfriend hostage for more than five hours Tuesday in a Lansing motel room was shot and injured after police stormed the room.

The gunman, who police did not identify, was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries. The woman, who police also did not identify, was not injured.

At about 2 p.m., a bounty hunter, who was looking for another woman, knocked on the door of the ground-floor room at the Super 8 Motel off South Cedar Street, but was not allowed in, said Janelle Hathaway, 22, of Lansing, who identified herself as the bounty hunter's sister. He then walked around to an outside window and saw the man with a gun, she said.

Muncie Bail Bondsman Fights Skipping

Skipping out on bail is a big no-no. A local bail bond spot is doing all it can to stop the rise in felons jumping ship.

The statistics are staggering across the nation, according to the US department of Justice. Nearly one fourth of all defendants on bail fail to appear in court when they're supposed to. The owner of Bad Boys Bail Bonds in Muncie, Jeff Catron, says that it's simply bad business to let felons skip.

“We simply can’t afford it,” he said.

Catron, a bounty hunter, himself, added that building an information file on a criminal is the best way to keep those who break the law in check.

MU Bail Bonds Gets Students Out

It’s 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and MU junior Josh Kayser is expecting to receive calls from people he’s never met.

Kayser is the sole owner and agent of MU Bail Bonds, a business he said can be stressful but is “pretty interesting.”

Bail Bondsmen Acquitted

A Mobile trial of a bail bondsman and his employee charged with kidnapping ended in an acquittal late Tuesday afternoon for both defendants.

Former Mobile County sheriff's candidate Clint Ulmer, 43, and an assistant, 25-year-old Bobby Crook, went on trial Monday before Circuit Judge Rick Stout, accused of kidnapping a woman from the downtown McDonald's fast-food restaurant on Government Street in January 2006.

However, even before jurors began deliberating late Tuesday afternoon, Stout told them that since the trial began, he found no elements in the case justifying a charge of second-degree kidnapping.

Instead, Stout said, the jury would have to decide whether Ulmer and Crook committed a lesser offense -- unlawful imprisonment in the second degree.

After about an hour of deliberations, the jurors decided that the men were not guilty of even the lesser charge.

According to testimony, the chain of events leading to this week's court case began with the arrest of Janai Napier, who was charged with receiving stolen property in late 2005 and for whom Bandit Bonding agreed to stand bail.

When she missed a court date in January 2006, Ulmer and Crook went to her mother's job at the Government Street McDonald's, placed Gwendolyn Napier in handcuffs and later drove her around a city block before returning her to the McDonald's parking lot, according to testimony.

The prosecution argued that this act was an illegal attempt to bully and intimidate Napier into leading the men to her daughter. The defense argued it was a matter of mistaken identify, with Ulmer and Crook believing the mother was the daughter.

Stout said that his decision on the original kidnapping charge hinged on whether Napier was held in "secret" during her brief encounter with Ulmer and Crook.

Since several McDonald's employees and even some police officers were aware that the men had taken Napier away, it could not have been secret, Stout said.

Assistant District Attorney Ella Byrd argued in the end that while Napier was confined inside Ulmer's vehicle she was being unlawfully imprisoned.

During cross-examination by Ulmer's defense attorney, Buzz Jordan, Gwendolyn Napier acknowledged that until recent years she had had an illegal drug problem, had accumulated her own string of arrests over the years and had used perhaps as many as 15 aliases.

She had been clear of both drugs and criminal behavior for years, Byrd later pointed out.

Jordan and Crook's defense attorney, John Wayne Boone, questioned the mother's veracity and her motives for waiting months before filing kidnapping charges against their clients.

The attorneys also pointed out that since the incident at McDonald's, Napier had initiated a civil suit that as of July was seeking $1.5 million in damages against the bail bondsmen.

For Clooney “Bounty Hunter” May be a Bad Word

George Clooney says paparazzi should respect the rules of the road.

A video clip posted on TMZ.com shows Clooney pulling off to the side of a street, then saying to photographers: "You can drive all you want, you can take my picture all you want, but what you cannot do is put people in danger."

"There are no rules now," he says, comparing paparazzi to "bounty hunters."

"What they're doing is illegal," the actor says. "It's high-speed chases."

Agency to Bail and Hire Accused

The Metro Manila Development Authority yesterday backed a proposal to give detainees a chance to bail out under the agency’s Trabaho, Trabaho program.

General manager Robert Nacianceno said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, represented by Director Serafin Baretto Jr., attended the meeting of the Metro Manila Council to work out a plan with Chairman Bayani Fernando to recruit inmates with bailable offenses for jobs as street sweepers, masons, painters, plumbers or camineros.

“The board of BJMP heard the chairman’s announcement that the authority is willing to accept applicants [who] have not yet been convicted by the court,” he told Standard Today.

Nacianceno said Baretto’s scheme would help decongest city jails, enable the detainee to post a bail, live a normal life and earn enough to pay back the bondsman.

The agency’s Public Safety chief Ramon Santiago said the “Bail Now, Work Now, Pay Later” plan would fit in the agency’s employment- generating drive.

“The payment of bond would be derived from the salary of the released person,” he told Standard Today, referring to the qualified inmate’s temporary liberty.

“Only indigent detainees would have the privilege. MMC has not yet resolved the proposal. But Chairman Fernando is considering its approval.”

At the council meeting were Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel Aguilar, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Parañaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe, Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian along with Metro Manila Councilors’ League president Serafin Bernardino, Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, and representatives of the other localities.

Bail Bondsman Claims Bonding Process Takes Too Long

The time it takes to bond an inmate out of the Benton County Jail varies substantially from Washington County, according to a bondsman who routinely writes bonds at both jails.

Curt Clark, a bonding agent with Action Bail Bonds, said on average it may take up to seven hours for the Benton County Jail to release someone after bondsmen give deputies the inmates' bonding paperwork.

Clark said at the Washington County Jail, he waits usually 15 to 30 minutes for an inmate to be released.

"I don't know what the problem is," Clark said of the Benton County Jail bonding process.

Capt. Hunter Petray, Benton County jail commander, said the time it takes to release inmates on bond depends how much paperwork they've accumulated. Court orders, property, jail records and bonding information are all checked before an inmate is released.

Deputies also verify the inmate doesn't have a warrant from another jurisdiction before release, Petray added.

One to two bonding deputies work each shift in Benton County.

Four detention deputies were recently assigned to work with Northwest Arkansas Immigration Criminal Apprehension Task Force, Petray said. Their loss means Petray's staff has fewer people to deal with matters such as bonds.

Petray asked to hire 10 deputies for the detention facility and was given two, he said.

The Benton County and Washington County sheriff's offices and the Rogers and Springdale police departments assigned officers to the task force. Officers received specialized training and have some immigration enforcement authority.

Deputies "do the best we can," Petray said. It's "not as simple" as walking someone out of the facility, he added.

Clark acknowledged Petray's explanation may impact the bonding process, but "it's just like any other business. It's hard to keep good employees."

Jana Brady of Bentonville took a friend to the Benton County Jail, who turned himself in at 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday on a misdemeanor charge.

Brady said she didn't expect the process to be quick but was entertaining her 1-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son while waiting on her friend.

At 2 p.m., she was given the bond paperwork to fill out and turned it back to the detention deputies, she said. The friend was officially released from the jail at 2:34 p.m.

Lt. Chris Reeser, who works in the Washington County Jail, said the time it takes to release an inmate from that facility varies depending on what's "going on."

Louann Eagle of Stilwell, Okla., bonded out a relative from the Washington County Jail on Saturday morning. The relative was arrested the night before on a misdemeanor charge.

Eagle said she arrived at the jail at approximately 10 a.m. A bondsman started the paperwork to release the relative at 10:15 a.m. and had it turned into detention deputies by 10:35 a.m.

The relative was released from the jail at 10:53 a.m.

The process of bonding out at Washington County Jail was quick, Eagle said. She added that she's never had to bond anyone out of the Benton County Jail.

Reeser said there are typically six booking deputies working on a shift with the release time averaging 15 to 20 minutes, Reeser said. Washington County detention deputies also verify property and paperwork before an inmate is released, he said.

Bill Browning Jr., an agent with First Arkansas Bail Bonds, said Washington County Jail has always been slow booking inmates into the jail but on average it takes 30 to 40 minutes "tops" to release them.

Browning agreed with Clark that the Benton County Jail can take "hours" to release an inmate.

"I honestly don't know what the holdup is," Browning said.

The Benton County Jail is overcrowded and needs a larger budget and staff, but Browning said "so much more plays into that" than staff shortage. He added it's the detention deputies' "attitude" which contributes to the timeliness of the bonding process.

AT A GLANCE

State Law On Bonding Timeliness

Tommy Reed, executive director with the Arkansas Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board, said there are no regulations or Arkansas statutes regarding the timeliness of releasing someone from a detention facility.

The issue of timeliness is an issue to be taken up with jail administration, Reed said.

Accountability and Bail Bonds

As an industry, private surety bail is severely misunderstood -- to the detriment of our public safety. In reality, bail bonds are appearance bonds. Bail agents track and monitor defendants to ensure they show up for court and receive their sentences. Surety bail has done so for generations at no cost to the taxpayer.

Last week, the Sentinel quoted Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary, who stated, "Criminals bail out of jail and return to the streets." This implies that issuing a bail bond creates additional crime. Keep in mind that the majority of criminals arrested in Orange County aren't released on surety bail bonds. In fact, approximately 65 percent of alleged criminals are released by unsecured means (e.g., simply promising to return to court for subsequent hearings). Surety bail isn't the issue. Unsecured pretrial-release practices are the problem.

Orange County has a multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-funded pretrial release program. As a division of the Orange County Jail, it's supposed to release only those inmates who meet strict criteria. But the jail is overcrowded; therefore, repeat offenders with multiple charges for theft and robbery, assault, drug-related crimes, arrest with violence, failures to appear and other serious crimes are being released without secured bail.

Judicial release is another form of pretrial release. In many instances, judges opt to release inmates on their own recognizance. In layman's terms, that means defendants simply have to agree to stay out of trouble and return to court for their trials. An administrative order written by the chief judge allows judicial release; however, such release should take into account a defendant's criminal history and his or her danger to the community, which isn't always happening. There is also the question of whether or not the administrative order complies with Florida Statute.

Not surprisingly, these alternatives are significantly less effective than private surety bail, according to a number of national studies. Why? The answer is simple: accountability. Commercial bail agents and the insurance company backing the bonds are monetarily responsible for defendants released on surety bail. If a defendant flees, the agent must return the defendant to jail or pay the court -- often large sums of money. Neither a judge nor pretrial services staff are held accountable when a defendant fails to appear in court.

The Orange County Corrections Department, which operates the jail, falls under the discretion of Mayor Rich Crotty and the Board of County Commissioners. Our elected leaders need to understand that emptying the jail as fast as possible in order to save money is bad public policy. So is spending millions of tax dollars on a pretrial release program that contributes to the soaring crime rate. Until accountability becomes the criminal-justice system's mantra, our quality of life in Central Florida will continue to deteriorate. Public policy affects public safety.

Suspect Arrested in Durham Man's Slaying

A suspect in the slaying of an 89-year-old Bragtown man surrendered on Monday evening, Durham County Sheriff Worth L. Hill announced.

Last Friday, the sheriff's office swore out warrants against Tory Jarel Nelson, 18, of 5121 Stanley Road, in the stabbing death of Charles Forest Davis. Davis was found dead in his home at 2913 Nellowood St. on Sept. 26.

Nelson surrendered to Barry Jones, of Barry Bail Bonds Inc., at 6 p.m. Monday. He was then taken to the Durham County magistrate's office, where detectives met him.

Bondsman Refuses To Leave Despite Condo Construction

A businessman is determined to remain where he is working regardless of who his new neighbors are.

Condominiums are going up throughout downtown Nashville.

But one bondsman refuses to leave despite the construction at the corner of Harrison Street and Third Avenue North.

"Yeah, it would be great to see a corner store there," said Adam Leibowitz of Double A Development, looking out a window at a bonding company.

"They are trying to make money and I'm just trying to make a living," said Hal Melton.

Judge Sides with Houston in Challenge to Red-Light Cameras

A Harris County judge has ruled that Houston's red-light cameras are legal and constitutional.

State District Judge Sharolyn Wood's ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by a red-light camera critic who sued the city after intentionally running a red light.

Bail bondsman Michael Kubosh ran a red light last year, then sued the city after he was caught on camera and fined. He and his brother, lawyer Paul Kubosh, argued that Houston's fines conflicted with state law.

But Wood ruled the city has the statutory authority to operate the red-light cameras.

In a letter to both sides, Wood agreed with the Kuboshes' complaint that the city has failed to present "properly authenticated evidence" in hearings over the tickets. City Attorney Arturo Michel says the city will revise the hearing process to address any problems.

Bounty Hunter Pays for Disadvantaged Kids to Ride Horses

As Vanessa Barron steps into the stirrups for the first time, the 13-year-old thinks about how to stay on the saddle, how to make her horse go, and how to stop. She's not thinking about her problems.

"The horses make you feel like you're someone else or something," said Barron. She lives in a homeless shelter with her family. "It's kinda hard for us to be living like that," she said.

But Saturday, Barron can focus on riding horses. She's taking part in the HACNM Ranch Program.

"It stands for Homeless, Abused Children – No More," said Shaun Lawrence.

Lawrence is a bounty hunter. He has owned horses ever since he was a child and just wants to help needy children and disabled ones experience the joy of riding a horse.

"Something they probably would never get to do in their lifetime, mainly because of the expense," said Lawrence.

The expense is something Lawrence is taking on himself. He pays more than $7,000 each month to maintain the 10 horses used in the program.

"I love seeing kids smile. I love seeing them being happy," said Lawrence. "A lot of them today came and when they first came, they were so sad and now they're all having a good time. They're laughing and to me that's worth more than money itself."

"It's kinda great for them to do that for us," said Barron.

Lawrence says you can't put a price on helping kids forget about their daily lives.

"Kind of all your worries just go away when you're on a horse and I think the kids feel that, too," said Lawrence. "A lot of them just forget about everything when they're out here. You know a lot of those kids come from homes where they haven't eaten in several days. They've never even owned an animal."

With his program, they get to look the horses in the eyes. They get to feed them and pet them. Lawrence says they get to experience the magic that has captivated people all around Colorado.

"For them to just even (experience) for them a brief moment," said Lawrence. "Yeah, we only come out here and do it for three hours, but that three hours is going to last them forever."

If you want to help the HACNM Ranch Program, Lawrence is looking for volunteers, hay donations or cash to help care for the horses. Donors can call him at 720-404-0250.

After experiencing horses for the first time, Barron is now looking forward to her next ride.

"I've been on that horse, I've been on that horse," she said. "I wanna ride another one."

Prominent OC Attorney Pleads Guilty in Bail Bonds Scheme

A prominent defense attorney pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring with bail bonds agents to solicit business for his law firm.

Joseph Gerard Cavallo, 52, of Irvine pleaded guilty to one felony count each of conspiring to engage in attorney capping, conspiring to solicit illegal bail bond referrals and receiving illegal bail bond referrals, said Susan Schroeder, a district attorney spokeswoman.

Bondsman Embroiled in Murder Plot

A St. Charles County bail bondsman was sentenced this morning to 10 years in federal prison for plotting the murder of a competitor.

Virgil Lee Jackson pleaded guilty to a murder-for-hire charge in August and admitted trying to arrange the murder of Gerald “Jerry” Cox. Cox, a former Democratic state representative from St. Charles, was not harmed.

Jackson wanted to kill Cox because he thought Cox was steering customers away from his business, prosecutors have said, and had threatened Cox before.

After Jackson's application for a general bail bond license was denied in September of 2005, he met with a confidential informer at a St. Charles restaurant and told him how to kill Cox, prosecutors said.

Jackson said he'd supply the gun and bullets and told the informer to shoot Cox outside his business and dump his body in the Missouri River near St. Charles.

Dog in the Doghouse

About 100 residents of mixed ethnicity expressed their anger, frustration and hope to end racism yesterday during an informal forum on race relations in response to Duane "Dog" Chapman's racist tirade caught on tape.

A motorcycle group, African-American organizations, a medical group and students were among those attending the talk at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church near the airport.

Sparked by Chapman's racist rant, the Hawaii chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People organized the event to discuss race issues in the media.

"What spearheaded this was obviously another in a series of incidents where a high-profile individual chose to use the N-word," said NAACP chapter President Alphonso Braggs. "The fact that it was in a private conversation is clearly secondary and almost irrelevant to the use of the word when you are referencing someone."

Chapman, a Honolulu bounty hunter, apologized after the National Enquirer posted a recording of him using the N-word to refer to his son's black girlfriend and telling him to break up with her so he could use the word freely. A&E network suspended production of the show and pulled it off the air indefinitely.

Braggs pointed out that blacks are not the only ethnicity subjected to derogatory remarks in the media, recalling a recent comment about the Philippines on the TV show "Desperate Housewives."

Brigham Young University Hawaii sophomore Kai Sanders, who is black, stood up and said she wanted to know how to stop racism.

Blacks should be sure "we aren't ourselves using the word," she said. "We have to figure out how to not like or appreciate the music that's being put out by our own community."

The Rev. Dwight Cook, minister of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, told the crowd that he felt Chapman ought to undergo sensitivity training.

"Everybody has to become a part of making this community a better place, and it does start with education," he said.

Jewel McDonald, president of the African American Association of Hawaii, said Chapman should be reduced from a "hero to a zero."

The consensus of the forum was that racism against blacks and other races persists in Hawaii, though it is not as blatant as on the mainland.

"They give you the impression everything is sweet here. 'It's the melting pot so everything is just lovely.' But it's not," she said.

Bounty Hunters Search for Madeleine

A troop of bounty hunters has joined the hunt for Madeleine McCann after it emerged a British businessman has reportedly offered a £1 million reward for her safe return.

Police officers, tourist guides and drug dealers are all among the opportunists hoping to profit from the four-year-old's disappearance.

The reward has apparently been put up by Brian Kennedy, a double glazing millionaire who has backed the McCanns bid to find their missing daughter - and to clear their names.

Despite already shelling out an undisclosed but substantial sum towards the campaign, it now appears he has gone one step forward.

Bounty hunters have apparently been operating across Morocco, the location of a spiralling number of sightings.

Tourist guide Ali El Bouazaout, who speaks seven languages, is just one of the men to become involved with the search and has travelled more than 1,000 scouring the country for the little girl.

"I have been all over Morocco looking for Madeleine - to Marrakesh, to Fez, even to the Sahara, showing her picture to people, hoping someone will recognise her," he said.

"And if I find her I will be rich. I have been promised I will never have to work again, maybe £1 million.

The tourist guide joined the hunt after Mr Kennedy went into Morocco after a suspected sighting in Zinat, in the Rif mountains.

"Brian flew into Morocco in his private jet looking for Madeleine," he said.

"I was waiting outside the Hertz rental car company office by the airport and that is where I met him.

"I worked as his guide and translator. I went with him to Zinat to look for Madeleine but it was not her.

"Then I went with him to Rabat to the British Embassy. I know him very well.

"I have been all over the country, more than 1,400 kilometres, showing Madeleine's pictures.

Speaking to the Daily Express last night, Mr Kennedy, 47, confirmed the Moroccan tour guide was involved with the hunt.

He said: "I know Ali. He is a sweet guy. Yes, I promised him a reward but that is not the reason he is doing this.

"He really want to help. He was the guy who was involved with the first sighting in Morocco.

"He was the man who went with us to find the girl in Zinat, who turned out to look like Madeleine but was actually a Moroccan girl."

Other bounty hunters are also on the trail, including low-level drug pushers, who ply their trade in the streets and souqs of Morocco, and even off duty policemen.

One officer said: "How much will you give me if I find her?

"I think she must be worth two or three million pounds, don't you think?"

Mr Kennedy is a double-glazing magnate, who made his money from Everest windows, and has a £250 million fortune.

Earlier this autumn, he pledged to meet all the growing costs of "Team McCann", the nickname given to the array of legal and media advisers supporting the family.

A senior source close to Mr and Mrs McCann said Mr Kennedy, 47, decided to act after being moved by the plight of the missing girl's parents when they were made formal suspects in her disappearance.

Mr Kennedy is believed to have had no previous contact with the McCanns.

He made his offer shortly after it was made clear the McCanns would not be drawing on the £1 million donated to the Find Madeleine Fund to pay for legal fees and media advice.

The couple had feared they would be forced to sell their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, as they struggled to rebut the leaks and allegations coming from the Portuguese authorities.

However, with Mr Kennedy's help, the McCanns have in recent weeks been able to take on former BBC reporter Clarence Mitchell and lawyers Kingsley Napley to fight their case. One of Britain's leading lawyers, Michael Caplan, QC, has also been employed.

The McCanns' benefactor – who shares his name with Kate's uncle, but to whom he is not related – is the son of an Edinburgh window cleaner, who was brought up a Jehovah's Witness.

He is one of Britain's richest businessmen. In 2003 he sold double-glazing firm Everest for £63million, three years after buying it for £47million.

Mr Kennedy's business empire includes about 20 firms spanning plastics, conservatory-roof manufacturer Ultraframe, glass processing, kitchens and other home improvement retailing. They have a combined annual turnover of £500million. He also owns Sale Sharks rugby club.

Reportedly described by friends as a rough diamond, the father of five plays rugby and regards himself as "one of the lads".

He lives in the village of Swettenham, in Congleton, Cheshire, with his wife Christine. The average house price in the area is close to £1million.

Illegal Immigrants Filling County Jails

Illegal immigrants are taking roost in three Panhandle jails and causing crowding issues.

Ochiltree County is making plans to deal with extra inmates in part because of illegal immigrants who have committed state crimes. Immigration and Custom Enforcement place holds on illegal immigrants, making it difficult for them to bond out of jail.

Ochiltree Sheriff Terry Bouchard said a proposed agreement between Ochiltree County Jail and the Dallam-Hartley County Jail will allow the county to ship inmates to the bi-county jail at $40 per day per inmate.

Moore and Carson County both ship inmates to other jails but would have their crowding issues relieved if illegal immigrants could bond out.

"We've managed to stay under (capacity) so far, but we want some kind of safety mechanism in case we run over," Bouchard said.

Ochiltree' 32-bed facility is 51 years old and typically runs an average of 26 inmates.

This week the county had nine inmates with ICE holds placed on them.

"When immigration places a hold on that person, the bondsmen don't want to bond them," Bouchard said. "If they do bond out, ICE will pick them up."

Ken Knowles, owner of Central Bail Bonds, which covers about 90 counties, said it ultimately depends on whether local jails will work with the bonding companies and the credibility of the inmate.

"I know some of these smaller jails due to the overcrowding and the overpopulation of immigrants, if these people have jobs and are somewhat stable, they will cut them loose on our bond," Knowles said. "We do post bonds on them if the credibility is there."

Ochiltree won't be stuck with illegal immigrants for inmates indefinitely. After they serve for the state crime, Bouchard said they are picked up by ICE.

Moore County Jail has six inmates at the Dallam-Hartley County Jail and still has 58 inmates in its 62-bed facility.

Corrections Officer Christie Rex said most of the 11 inmates with ICE holds have misdemeanor charges against them.

"If they were able to bond on those charges, my jail wouldn't nearly be as full. That would help us," Rex said.

Most of the jail officials did agree that ICE was punctual about picking up inmates once they had resolved their state issues.

Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry has two inmates staying with Armstrong County to help ease crowding at his 24-bed facility. Terry's nine inmates with ICE holds all face first-degree felonies.

"They are here and I can't get rid of them," Terry said. "If five of them were able to make a bond, that would help us out."

Sometimes 'Risky Business'

There was a time when Wayne Johnson did it all as a bail bondsman in Ellensburg.

That included going to the Kittitas County jail at all hours of the day or night to write a bond that would allow someone charged with a crime to be released on bail to Johnson with the sincere promise — backed up with a contract — that he or she will, indeed, appear in court at the appointed time.

Johnson had to size up the defendant quickly and determine what kind of collateral he can write the bond on: what the defendant has to fork over if he or she skips court dates.

Teen In Sex Case Freed On Bail

Keith Armstrong, the 18-year-old charged with having unlawful sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend in the police chief's apartment, was released from custody Wednesday after spending nearly three weeks in jail.

Armstrong, who is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Hartford on Oct. 31, left the Hartford Correctional Center on Wednesday afternoon after a bonding company posted the necessary $60,000 bail. A representative of Budget Bail Bonds LLC declined to disclose who paid for the bond.

Secret Service Investigates Check Cashing Suspects

NewsChannel 15 has learned Secret Service agents are investigating to see if the 11 people busted in a check cashing scheme in the Pee Dee are connected to an organized crime ring, the MS 13 gang. That's an organized Hispanic crime ring.

This week, police arrested 11 people for a check scam they say duped two stores in Florence and Marion Counties out of $16,000

Police believe many of the suspects are in the country illegally.

Friday morning, all 11 suspects appeared in a Florence County courtroom for a bond hearing. An interpreter helped them understand what was happening. The suspects told court officials they didn't have Social Security numbers or addresses in the Pee Dee, but they did provide phone numbers for the court.

The judge set their bonds at $10,000 dollars each. NewsChannel 15 talked with a bondsman who said it's unlikely the suspects will find a bondsman to work with them. "When a bondsman interviews a potential bond, the first thing they want to know is how strong their community ties are. Without strong community ties, you're going to have a hard time convincing a bondsman to do a 10, 15, 20 thousand dollar bond," said John Ham with Quick Silver Bonds.

All of the suspects qualified for a public defender, because most of them don't make enough money to hire a private attorney. They're scheduled to appear in court again on December 20th.

Secret Service agents are expected to be in town next week to further investigate this case.

At this point, none of the suspects have made bond.

Bounty Hunter Upset by Charges

Behind the tattoos covering his arms and creeping up his neck, Roger Brooks of the Marble City area is awell-spoken 33-year-old who has found himself on the wrong side of the law after nearly 10 years of trying to overcome his criminal past.

A case of mistaken identity that led to a botched bond enforcement operation in June may cost the self-professed bounty hunter 15 years of his life - behind bars. Now Brooks is coming forward in the hopes of clearing his name.

"We worked really really hard to come as far as we have...not to be looked at as criminals," Brooks said of his and his wife, Lisa.

Brooks, along with another man, Rodney Swearingen, was charged this summer with burglary and malicious injury to property after an incident that occurred while the two were allegedly working as bond enforcement agents, known as bounty hunters.

Brooks and Swearingen entered a Muldrow man's home in June and broke down a bathroom door in an attempt to apprehend the man whom Brooks and Swearingen thought was the fugitive they were seeking. But the "Frank McConnell" they thought they had located turned out to be the wrong man - a man by a different first name.

That mistake led to charges of burglary and malicious injury to property against the former bounty hunters - charges that Brooks calls unfair. Brooks is most puzzled that he was charged with burglary, instead of trespassing or a lesser charge.

"I'm not a burglar," Brooks said.

But Kyle Waters, the assistant district attorney who is reportedly handling the case, said the charge of burglary is often misconceived and doesn't always refer to theft. He said burglary doesn't require intent to steal anything, but is defined as entering without permission a residence to commit a crime.

Waters said the crime in this case was that Brooks and Swearingen broke down a door and threatened someone.

"They left without a word when they realized they made a mistake," Waters said.

Waters noted that Brooks' contact with Swearingen, a known felon, was also in violation of his probation. He said Brooks has waived his preliminary hearing and Brooks was going to do community sentencing, but didn't qualify.

A hearing that was set Monday in Brooks' case was continued. Swearingen currently has an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Brooks said he had been a bounty hunter in the county for a long time - a job that he discovered he was good at doing after years of only being good at "rough housing."
Brooks said he had been working for Berglan Bail Bonds in Sallisaw for a year at the time of the incident. During that time, Brooks said he never made a mistake, until this year. He said now the owners of the bond company are denying he worked for them.

But Lance Berglan, the owner of Berglan Bail Bonds tells a different story.

BERGLAN'S STORY

Berglan on Thursday said Brooks was doing construction work for him at the time that Frank McConnell jumped bond. But Berglan denied that Brooks had been working for him as a bail bondsman for a year.

"That's not true," he said. "If he did, it wasn't for me."

He said Brooks offered to go get the man, a situation that he said "turned into a nightmare" and resulted in Berglan firing Brooks.

He claims that Brooks took it on himself to kick down a door and go into a home with his shirt off. Berglan noted that bounty hunters do not have to be licensed.

Berglan said when he needs someone caught, he tells anyone, even retired officers, that they are welcome to find the person. The bond retriever then gets a percentage from the bond.

He said he warns all bounty hunters not to go into anyone's home unless they see the person go into the home or public place. "It has to be the right guy," he emphasized.

Berglan said Brooks and Swearingen had no business going in the home. "They didn't know he was in there."

"What they did is against the law. He knew he was in the wrong," Berglan said.

He said he has been in the bond business for five years and he has never gone into anyone's home without seeing the wanted person go into the home. He added that he has never been brought up on charges either.

Berglan noted that he bonded both men out of jail after the incident, and would not divulge some information he said was between he and Brooks.

"They screwed up."

THE INCIDENT

In June, Brooks said he and Swearingen, who was his partner, went to an address in Muldrow that Frank McConnell, who had allegedly skipped bond, was supposedly staying.

Brooks said he had the Berglan Bail Bond file on McConnell with him and was even driving a Berglan vehicle at the time.

While the address he went to was a McConnell address, Brooks said, "Unfortunately it was the wrong McConnell."

But Brooks didn't discover that error until it was too late.

On that day, Brooks said he went through an open garage door and knocked on a door to the home, identifying himself as a bounty hunter. Brooks said he looked through the window of the door and saw what appeared to be an elderly person's home and saw that it looked like someone had been sleeping on a couch. He thought that person was Frank McConnell.

The two staked out the place for a while - waiting on someone to pull up to the home. After about 30 minutes the two went to get a snack and drink, came back and again approached the home, but no one was there, Brooks claims. Brooks said he wondered why the garage door was left open if no one was home.

"Something tells me this guy is in there," he said.

He went back to watching the home when he said he saw a person peek out from the window blinds.

A few minutes later, Brooks and Swearingen made their move. Brooks said he and Swearingen shed their shirts because they thought there could be trouble. But he claims the two were wearing fugitive recovery jackets the previous times that they knocked on the door to the home.

Brooks said he went up to the same door in the garage the third time and saw a man laying on the couch watching television. He said he could only see a knee and half the man's face.

Brooks said he beat on the door, identifying himself and calling out the name "Frank McConnell."

He then saw the man run to the back of the home.

"Everything is fitting together," Brooks said.

Brooks said he and Swearingen discovered the back sliding glass door was open and entered the home. Brooks claims he called out "Frank McConnell" before going into the home and identified himself as a bounty hunter.

"At no point did he send me away," he said.

Brooks admits to kicking the bathroom door open and told the man to put his hands behind his back.

"I never touched him," Brooks said.

Brooks said at that time, the man told him he was not Frank McConnell and retrieved his driver's license to prove his identity.

Brooks said they immediately left the home and after calling his boss, they went to the police department and were arrested on the burglary charge.

He said that he thought he might face a charge of trespassing or other misdemeanors, but is instead facing felonies.

"I didn't go in the house with the intent to take anything," he said.

VICTIM'S ACCOUNT

The victim told police that about an hour prior to the break-in, two men, without shirts and covered in tattoos, knocked on his door and the victim chose not to answer it.

Shortly before the victim called police, the same two men came back to his home, which was owned by the victim's mother, and the victim heard the sliding door rattle and thought the men were breaking into his home. Police said after the incident that the victim fled to the bathroom, where he locked himself in. The men allegedly kicked in the bathroom door, got in the man's face and were calling him "Frank" McConnell.

The victim, who has a different first name than the wanted man, told police that he was afraid of the men, but thought if he could prove he wasn't Frank they wouldn't hurt him. He showed them his driver's license and the men left.

The victim, who was in his 50s, said the shirtless men had mace, flashlights and handcuffs on their belts.

While Brooks admits that he made a mistake, he said he doesn't think the charge against him is fair since he claims he was under the direction of his employer.

Brooks said he has been advised by his attorney, whom Berglan retained for him, not to go to trial because of the way he looks. But Brooks seems unwilling to end up in prison again.

He admits he has a criminal past and spent time in prison 10 years ago. But Brooks said he has been clean for 10 years and he has been trying to give back to the community.

Brooks, who is also a tattoo artist and has 154 tattoos himself, said that since the incident he and his wife have lost both their vehicles and they are behind on their bills.

"It's not right," he said about the charges and the possibilities he faces.

Two Bondsmen Serve as “Middlemen”

Caddo District Judge Michael Walker and Juvenile Court Judge Vernon Claville corrupted the judicial system by taking bribes in return for favorable rulings in cases before them, federal prosecutors said today in announcing a racketeering indictment against the two men.

Walker's alleged actions included reducing bonds for accused drug dealers to amounts the defendants could make in return for kickbacks, investigators said. Walker, who presides over drug cases, received both money and prescription drugs, investigators said. The bribery began in 2004, the year after Walker went to the drug court, the indictment charged.

Claville allegedly took kickbacks to lift holds so individuals could get out of jail, the indictment charged.

"They are indicted for selling justice," the FBI's Matt Chapman said at a news conference today at the United States Court House in Shreveport.

Walker, 57, took an indefinite leave from the bench today. The Louisiana Supreme Court has been forwarded a copy of the indictment and will decide whether to suspend him while the case is pending.

Claville, 56, also turned over his caseload to another judge and officials of Juvenile Court notified the Supreme Court of the 24-count indictment.

Both men will make their initial court appearances in two weeks.

Neither Walker's attorney, Richard King, nor Claville's lawyer, Ron Miciotto, returned repeated calls for comment.

The investigation, code-named Broken Gavel, centers in large part on whether Walker would take bribes if defendants posted bonds after their bails had been reduced to affordable amounts, prosecutors said. Two bondsmen -- one of whom was indicted -- acted as middlemen, the indictment said.

Walker, who received cash and "other things of value," would make himself available to quickly set bonds, reduce bonds, recall arrest warrants and remove probation holds on accused drug dealers and users, U.S. Attorney Donald Washington said.

Those "other things" were prescription pain killers, investigators said.

Claville, in return for cash, would remove "holds" on people so they could get out of jail, Washington said.

"The fox is out of the hen house," said Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, whose office initiated the investigation.

Agents obtained wiretaps of Walker's cell phone and agents conducted surveillance of the two judges during the nine-month investigation, sources said.

Also indicted was Shreveport bail bondsman Larry Williams, 41, the owner of A-Instant bail bonds.

The acts alleged in the indictment occurred this year, the grand jury said. The defendants each face up to 20 years in prison if convicted as charged.

Infant Hurt By Bounty Hunter Using a Taser

An infant was hit in the hand by a Taser fired by a bounty hunter, but apparently not shocked, when the child's mother used the infant as a shield, police said.

The mother, whose name was not released, was later arrested for child endangerment.

Preliminary police reports said the bounty hunter had tracked a man to a car at an apartment complex in northwest Oklahoma City Friday night.

"At some point the bounty hunter felt it was necessary to deploy the Taser, and a female in the car apparently held her infant up to shield herself from the Taser," said Sgt. Keith Vance.

One of the Taser probes lodged into the infant's hand, but the child was not shocked, since the other probe missed, Vance said.

Emergency responders were called to the scene about 6:30 p.m. Friday to treat a child with a bloody hand.

During the commotion of the child being hit by the Taser probe, the man, whom police identified as Joe Hawkins, tried to drive away and crashed his car at the complex, Vance said.

After wrecking the car, Hawkins, 28, escaped after he jumped out of the car and ran away, dropping a firearm in the process, police said.

Police also arrested a second, unidentified, woman, who they discovered was listed as an escapee, though it was not clear from where she escaped, Vance said.

The bounty hunter, who also was not identified, apparently did nothing wrong, according to Vance.

"He can certainly use a Taser if he feels there is a need to do so," Vance said.

Bounty Hunters Released

Two would-be bounty hunters roughed up by neighbors and arrested after trying to take a Ferndale woman to court against her will were released from jail Wednesday because they acted within the letter of the law, police said.

Christopher Hight, 52, of Bremen, Ga., was arraigned on a carrying a concealed weapons charge in the incident, but he and his 53-year-old brother from Blountville, Tenn., were both released. He must return for an Oct. 25 preliminary exam on the weapons charge.

Both men were arrested Tuesday after one lured the 48-year-old woman out of her Albany Street home on the pretext of having a cup of coffee and the other jumped from nearby bushes.

Police were called shortly after midnight on a report of the pair dragging the woman to their pickup truck. Neighbors armed with a golf club and baseball bat stopped them from placing her in the vehicle. Hight suffered a head wound in the resulting fracas.

"Everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do," said Lt. William J. Wilson. "The neighbors came to her defense. Someone called police. The police responded quickly and took them into custody.

"Only problem is, the two men were completely within their legal rights in grabbing her."

Inside the truck, police found two loaded .22-caliber handguns, duct tape and plastic "flex cuffs," which they planned to use to tie the woman up for the ride back to Georgia. She was scheduled to appear today in court on a drunken driving and drug possession charge, Wilson said.

This year, Hight, who is related to the woman's cousin, had put up $10,000 bond through a bail bondsman for her to be released and was concerned she did not plan to show up for court, forfeiting bond.

Under Michigan law, in all criminal cases in which people have provided bail and want to be relieved from the responsibility, they can -- with or without police assistance -- arrest or detain the accused and deliver him or her to any jail or to the sheriff of any county. "It's an outdated law, but it's on the books," said Wilson. "They decided to do it all themselves, which is also their right. But it could have had a tragic result."

Bondsman Faces Five Felony Charges

Five felony charges have been filed against a bondsman who attempted to apprehend a bail jumper.

David W. Vinson, of Versailles, was charged with assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, discharging/shooting a firearm at or from a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with a motor vehicle in the first degree after events unraveled Friday afternoon.

Czech Penal Code Will be Changed

Czech Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil (Civic Democrats, ODS) today presented a draft new Penal Code that aims at the improvement of the protection of people.

Pospisil said the government might discuss the bill this year and the Chamber of Deputies would thus be able to take a vote on it next year.

The new legislation lowers the age of criminal responsibility from the current 15 to 14 years and toughens the punishment for grievous bodily harm from the current 8 to 12 years. It also toughens the conditions for the convicts' release from prison on bail.

The Justice Ministry has embedded people's proposals in the new version of the bill. Out of the 330 proposals the ministry received 27 found reflection in the legislation, Pospisil said.

The new Penal Code does not address euthanasia. It was mainly the junior governing Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) who emphatically protested against including a law in the new Penal Code that would legalise the practice of ending the life of a person who is terminally ill on his or her own request.

The new legislation will strengthen the position of state attorneys who will no longer be obliged to submit to a court all cases of suspected crimes or offences, but will be able to assess by themselves the extent of their threat to the public.

The current Penal Code was adopted in the 1960s and has been amended many times.

In the past, the Chamber of Deputies discussed the ministry's draft new Penal Code. However, it always rejected the bill and sent it back to the Justice Ministry for reworking.

Two Ex-Bondsmen Charged

Two former bail bondsmen have been sentenced to four months in prison as part of a plea deal in which they admitted to conspiring with a prominent Orange County defense attorney to illegally solicit jail inmates for his law firm.

Alejandro de Jesus Cruz, 35, of Florida, and Jorge Andres Castro, 31, of Aliso Viejo were also sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $9,000 restitution by Superior Court Judge Carla Singer on Friday.

In February, they pleaded guilty to a pair of felonies, saying that they were paid by Irvine attorney Joseph Cavallo to solicit clients on his behalf. Cruz and Castro operated Xtreme Bail Bonds in Santa Ana between June 2003 and August 2005. They have since lost their licenses because of the case.

Castro's attorney Peter Scalisi called the sentence "a fair and just way to resolve the charges."

Cavallo is scheduled for trial on October 22 on similar felony counts, including conspiracy to commit attorney capping, conspiracy to commit attorney recommendation by a bail licensee and violating a bail license regulation. He has pleaded not guilty.

Cavallo defended the son of a former Orange County assistant sheriff in two high-profile sexual assault cases.

Cruz and Castro may be subpoenaed to testify against Cavallo, said Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh said after Friday's sentencing. Scalisi said Castro would rather not testify against Cavallo, but will if he has to.

Prosecutors allege that Cruz and Castro kept stacks of Cavallo's business cards at Xtreme Bail Bonds and that Castro instructed employees to refer clients to Cavallo in exchange for kickbacks.

State law prohibits bail bond workers from recommending any attorney to a client, even if no money changes hands. The law also prohibits attorneys from paying non-lawyers for client referrals.

New Laws Could Affect Bail, Sentencing for Terror Suspects in Canada

Hassan Almrei is considered a threat to Canada's national security, but the main reason he will now begin his seventh year in custody without trial is that he doesn't have a wife or relative to serve as his warden.

The 33-year-old Syrian and former Toronto resident was denied bail yesterday, making him the only terrorism suspect held on the national security certificate law that the Supreme Court struck down earlier this year.

Four other non-citizens accused of links to al Qaeda and like-minded groups have been released under strict conditions into the care of their spouses and relatives.

But Almrei, who will remain at a Kingston jail dubbed "Guantanamo North" by its critics, is not married and has no family in Canada.

A federal court justice found that the supervision he offered – living in the home of a Toronto supporter with a 75-hour work week – and his willingness to wear a GPS tracking bracelet, were insufficient safeguards to ensure that Almrei would not disappear if released on bail.

"The length of his detention he has now incurred and indeterminate future length of his detention in the future favour his release," Justice François Lemieux wrote in a 49-page ruling released yesterday.

"(But) the proposed conditions of his release will not, on a balance of probabilities, contain or diminish the risk he represents. Therefore, he cannot be released."

Lemieux also said the GPS bracelet could only indicate when Almrei was no longer in his residence but, "before the authorities could apprehend Mr. Almrei, he could and may be long gone."

The government alleges Almrei supports an "al Qaeda ideology," and operated a forgery ring for the terrorist network. Lemieux upheld former court findings that Almrei continued to be a national security risk even though he has been in custody since October 2001.

"Mr. Almrei only revealed his true activities when he felt trapped. He economized the truth," Lemieux wrote.

"A comparison of the confidential information with his testimony demonstrates he continues to hide truth."

The government wants him deported to Syria – but Almrei says he will be tortured or killed if returned.

In a prison interview with the Toronto Star last month, Almrei said he spends most of his days in his cell watching Canada's parliamentary channel CPAC. While he hopes the Canadian public will demand one day that he be brought to trial, he said he still feels great affinity for his adopted country.

"I'm being held under an unconstitutional law.

"I'm not going to say it's really depressing because I'm not depressed. ... Am I happy? No, I'm not happy, but I deal in reality. I come from Syria, I come from Saudi Arabia, I come from dictatorship countries," Almrei said.

Six months ago the Supreme Court stuck down key provisions of the immigration law known as national security certificates, ruling it was unconstitutional because it allowed the government to rely on secret evidence from Canada's spy service, without giving defendants a chance to refute the allegations. Parliament was given one year to amend the law before it's declared invalid. Last weekend Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day told a security conference in Calgary he plans to introduce the new legislation in the fall. Almrei could again be charged under the new system.

Bondsman Must Establish Fugitive Is Dead

A bail bonding company has 60 days to prove a murder suspect is dead or risk losing $350,000 put up to promise the fugitive's appearance in court.

David Coffman, 46, skipped town in September 2006 while facing a first-degree murder charge accusing him of fatally shooting his 47-year-old girlfriend Julie Hall in the back.

In January, police and ABC Bail Bonding received photos of a dead body in the mail that the sender claimed was Coffman's. The photo allegedly was shot during an autopsy conducted in Mexico and the package included copies of Coffman's bank card, credit cards, Social Security card and a photo of his girlfriend said to have been found on the dead man's badly beaten body. It also included fingerprints, which the FBI confirmed were Coffman's.

But Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Russell Clawges and Prosecutor Marcia Ashdown say that's not good enough.

At a court hearing Tuesday on whether ABC Bail Bonding should forfeit the $350,000 put up for Coffman's bond, Clawges gave the company 60 days to provide dental records or DNA tests that match Coffman to the body.

Ashdown said Wednesday that the body in the photograph "may very well be'' that of Coffman, but it also could be part of "an elaborate hoax.''

Attempts to obtain copies of any police or autopsy reports to validate Coffman's death or have the body returned to West Virginia for testing have been unsuccessful, she said.

"We were told it's not like here, where police document everything,'' she said.

Though ABC Bail Bonding is fully responsible for the bond, Coffman's mother, Gloria Linger, was originally led to believe that she could lose her home if her son skipped out on his bail, Linger's attorney, Lynne Crane of Morgantown, said Wednesday.

Linger has since gone through bankruptcy, but maintains possession of her home, according to bankruptcy records filed in the Northern District of U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The $350,000 bond "was an unsecured debt. There was no lien on her property,'' Crane said.

Police said Coffman shot Hall over the Memorial Day weekend in 2006 after she told him she was leaving him.

Coffman was last seen at a Mount Morris, Pa., truck stop, where his Jeep was found in late September 2006. Police think he likely caught a ride south with a truck driver.

Their attention turned to Mexico after Coffman's bank account was tapped in Mexico City.

A call to the bonding company's attorney, David Jividen of Wheeling, was not immediately returned.