Bail amounts being set lower, local bail bondsmen say

The bail amounts that magistrates and judges are setting these days are getting lower and lower, several local bail bondsmen say.

That makes it easier for defendants to get out of jail while awaiting trial, but has added to the industry's difficulties in making a buck. "They are absolutely getting lower," added Stephen L. Grobel, a Hampton bail bondsman.

"Because you have smaller bonds, you have to do more volume," said Jim Searcy, a local bondsman. "At the end of the day, it all balances out, but you find yourself doing a whole lot more work."

A second DUI offense that might have carried a $5,000 bond a few years back, Searcy said, now might be half that, or about $2,500. That cuts in half what the bondsmen makes on the deal, to $250 from the previous $500.

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Rodanthe Movie House Sold to Bail Bondsman

The beachfront house featured in the movie "Nights in Rodanthe" will soon have a new home itself, thanks to a bail bondsman who fell in love with the surf-threatened house after his wife bought the movie for him as a Christmas present last year.

Ben Huss of Newton said Monday he hopes to close Jan. 4 on the house and have it moved and ready to rent by Easter weekend. Huss described himself as someone who saves everything and said "this is just on a bigger scale. We can't let this house go down. It's not a piece of history and it's not an antique, but it's a nostalgia piece and I'm a nostalgic guy."

The current owners, Michael and Susan Creasy of Champion, Pa., bought the house in 2003 and intended to keep it, Michael Creasy said Monday. But financial reasons kept them from moving the house, which Dare County had declared a public nuisance, he said. The Creasys had appealed that decision.

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Charlie Sheen arrested on domestic charges; released on bail

It wasn't a very Merry Christmas for "Two and a Half Men" star and Emmy nominee, Charlie Sheen. The actor was arrested early Christmas morning after a domestic dispute in Aspen, Colorado. The charges filed against him included second degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief.

After spending nearly the whole holiday in Pitkin County Jail, Sheen was released on $8500 bond and is set up for a February 8th, 2010 court date.

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Randy Quaid & Wife Post Bail and Pay Debts

Randy Quaid and his wife Evi decided to right their wrongdoings in time for the holiday. The couple — who was arrested in Texas on an outstanding warrant for failing to pay hotel expenses in Santa Barbara — appeared in court today and pleaded not guilty to charges dashing a $10,000 tab at a local resort earlier this year, E! Online reports.

The couple waited days after their arrest in their native state of Texas, eventually posting their bail which was set $40,000 a piece, according to E!.

The Christmas Vacation star and his wife finally decided to return to Calif. and to pay their dues.

The Judge sentenced the couple with misdemeanor charges of burglary, conspiracy and defrauding an innkeeper. They were permitted to leave after posting an additional $20,000 bail each.

Randy and his misses promised to return March 1 for a hearing.

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'Dance Crew' judge charged

Shane Sparks, a judge on MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" and a choreographer for Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," was arrested in Los Angeles on Friday and booked on suspicion of child molestation, police said.

Sparks, 40, was charged with eight counts of molestation involving one underage girl. The molestation, according to TMZ.com, allegedly began in 1994 and continued for several years.

"We are going to fight this tooth and nail," Sparks' attorney Steve Meister, who claims his client is being extorted, said to E! News.

Sparks was being held on $590,000 bail, which was posted Saturday night.

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Judges must use more caution in giving bail to alleged rapists

First-degree murder triggers a presumption against bail. In the public’s mind, child rape follows closely in terms of heinousness and impact on victims and their families. Yet some judges treat accused child rapists more like drug dealers or extortionists when assessing bail. Their actions undermine confidence in the framework of the legal system.

Earlier this week, 26-year-old Joseph Gardner of Kingston was charged with raping a 3-year-old girl. At the time of the alleged attack, he was free on bail on an earlier charge of breaking into a Kingston house and raping a 5-year-old girl. The Plymouth district attorney requested $200,000 cash bail in the earlier case. But Judge Thomas Brownell saw fit to order just $10,000. And a Superior Court Judge upheld that choice. The judges put a cheap price tag on public safety. Gardner’s family put down the money, and he walked out the door.

The public needs to understand that bail is intended primarily to guarantee a court appearance, not to serve as a pre-trial form of punishment. There’s no price list for judges to consult when setting bail. The goal is simply to maximize the likelihood that the defendant, who is presumed innocent, will appear in court.

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Jessica Simpson Goes to Jail -- To Bail Out Pal

Jessica Simpson paid a late-night visit to ... jail!

The singer, 29, stopped by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department in West Hollywood early Friday morning to try to bail out her friend, Usmagazine.com confirms.

Her pal and longtime makeup artist, Mary Phillips, was arrested at 1:40 a.m. for being drunk in public after police received a disturbing the peace call at the Sunset Tower Hotel, a law enforcement source tells Us.

Simpson, however, was turned away when she attempted to bail her friend, 30, out.

"She was arrested for being drunk in public, and she was not released to Jessica because you can't release someone who has not sobered up," Deputy Aura Sierra tells Us. "They're going to release her a little later when she's sobered up. I don't know what time that will be. It could be a minimum of 6 to probably 8 hours."

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CSI: Miami news: Jonathan Togo (Ryan Wolfe) arrested, released on bail

Jonathan Togo (CSI: Miami's Ryan Wolfe) was arrested at his home in Hollywood Hills at around 2 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, December 12, on suspicion of domestic violence, according to ET Online, Boston Celebrity Headlines Examiner Maria Parece and other sources. According to TMZ his girlfriend did not need immediate medical attention. Togo was released at 10:30 a.m. that day on $50,000 bail.

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Husband posts bail for ex-Scout leader charged in sex case; she's out of jail

The husband of former Boy Scout leader Wendy Rogers, who was charged with sexually assaulting a Scout in her troop, posted bail for her release Wednesday night.

Rogers was released from the St. Clair County Jail after her husband, Marcus Rogers, posted $10,000 cash -- 10 percent of her $100,000 bail -- at 5 p.m. Wednesday, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson.

Rogers, 39, of 1430 N. Smiley St. in O'Fallon, will remain free until her trial on charges of criminal sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in her Boy Scout troop. There are no special conditions of her bond at this time, Johnson said.

Sheriff's investigators arrested Rogers on Sunday night after they received a "rape in progess" call from the 15-year-old boy's parents who came home and found Rogers and their son in bed together. The victim's parents detained Rogers until police arrived.

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Bondsman shoots attacking pit bull

An aggravated assault charge is pending against a man who turned his pit bull dog onto a bondsman trying to serve warrants on the man’s brothers Monday on Old Woodbury Highway, a sheriff’s deputy reported.

Bondsman Edward Lee Parker Jr. of Cumberland Bail Bonds said he shot the dog in self-defense, Deputy Trent Givens reported. He shot the dog through the jowl with the round passing through the dog’s bottom jaw. The owner put the dog on its chain.

When Givens arrived, he called Animal Control officers to check on the dog’s welfare.

Parker said when he arrived to serve the warrants, the brother cursed Parker and threatened to release the dog on him. The dog was chained in the back yard. The brother unchained the dog and antagonized the animal, encouraging it to attack Parker who warned he would shoot the dog.

“At this point, the dog ran full speed towards Mr. Parker,” Givens reported. “As the dog was running toward him, he was braking and acting very aggressively.”

Parker fired two rounds from his Glock handgun, striking the dog.

The bondsman indicated he would obtain arrest warrants against the brother to charge him with aggravated assault.

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German Photographer on Bail After 2010 Bomb Scare

A 68-year-old German photographer was granted 5,000 rand (407 pounds) bail in a South African court on Monday after being arrested for making a hoax threat ahead of the draw for next year's soccer World Cup. Bernd Fischer, who said he worked as a freelance journalist for German news agencies, was one of two people arrested on Friday for separate false bomb threats ahead of the 2010 final draw in Cape Town.

Fischer, arrested after dropping a bag he said contained a bomb and fleeing, will have to report to police three times a week as part of the bail conditions. Police also kept his passport.

"Mr Fischer has paid his bail and was released," his lawyer Jan Hildebrand told Reuters. A 45-year-old South African man was also arrested on Friday after making two hoax calls about a bomb at Cape Town's international airport, but police were unable to say when he would appear in court.

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New Bail Bond Laws Keep Repeat Offenders Off the Streets

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Keeping our community safer by keeping repeat offenders off the streets. That's the goal of a new law that went into effect this week.
It requires people on probation and parole to see a district court judge before getting bond on new felony offenses.
Local prosecutors say it sends a tough message to repeat offenders.
There are more than 3,500 people on parole and probation in New Hanover County.
If one of them commits another crime, they'll have to stay in jail until they can get a court hearing to set their bail.

One bail bondsman tells us this will hurt his bottom line.

Anthony Newkirk hasn't been a bail bondsman very long, but he knows business is the slowest it's been in years.

This week, business got worse.

"Weekends and holidays, tremendously. It will tremendously affect our business," says Newkirk.
That's because under a new North Carolina law that went into effect December 1st, people who commit a felony while on probation or parole will have to go before a district court judge to get bail.
Prior to December 1st, they could just see a magistrate at the jail.

New Hanover and Pender Counties district attorney Ben David says, "This law makes it much tougher on career criminals in the criminal justice system to get out if they've committed another offense while they're on probation."

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Pierce County judges defend Clemmons bail decisions

The idea is presumed innocence.

It’s the guiding principle in criminal cases, and it applied to suspected cop-killer Maurice Clemmons this summer and fall. It’s the reason he was able to bail out of jail on multiple charges of third-degree assault, malicious mischief and second-degree child rape.

Pierce County Superior Court judges, under fire for their decisions regarding Clemmons, say the bail decisions and amounts set for his release have been misstated in some media accounts, and in some cases misunderstood. Outside of capital cases, criminal defendants have the right to bail. That’s the way the law works.

“People want judges to follow the law,” said Bryan Chushcoff, the county’s presiding judge. “The state constitution says we have to set bail and we can’t set all cash. We have to set reasonable bail. We have to allow bonds until there’s been a conviction.”

Chushcoff said the judges were considering a general statement on the issue, but remained wary of violating codes of judicial conduct regarding discussion of active cases. As of Tuesday evening, no statement had been released.

Records of Clemmons’ spin through the courts reveal that he posted bail three times, for a total of $420,000 – in cash terms, that meant $42,000.

The first bond – $40,000 – was posted Sunday, May 10, by Aladdin Bail Bonds, after Clemmons had been arrested on multiple charges of third-degree assault and malicious mischief. During that incident, he punched a county sheriff’s deputy in the face.

Clemmons used a process called “booking bail,” which allowed him to post a bond on a weekend, without appearing before a judge.

The second bond was more complicated.

Following the May arrest, subsequent investigation led to a charge of second-degree child rape against Clemmons. The victim was a 12-year-old relative. Charging papers say that Clemmons touched the victim with his hands and mouth, and tried to have sex, but the victim refused. It was a special assault case, relatively common – the court typically has 400 to 500 in its pipeline at any given time.

Parole officials in Arkansas had learned of Clemmons’ arrest and the charges, and issued a fugitive warrant for his arrest, tied to earlier convictions for aggravated robbery and burglary in that state. The Arkansas warrant, issued May 29, contained a no-bail provision, meaning Clemmons could be held without bail pending extradition.

On July 1, Clemmons was arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail. He was charged in three separate criminal cases: the assault case from May, the child rape case and the Arkansas fugitive case.

On July 2, Judge John McCarthy tackled all three matters. He ordered Clemmons held without bail on the fugitive warrant, and set new bail bond amounts for the other two cases: $40,000 for the assault and $150,000 for the child rape charge.

“The biggest misconception is that I set bail in the amount of $15,000, when in fact I ordered that he (Clemmons) be held without bail on the fugitive case,” McCarthy said Tuesday, citing erroneous accounts in the national media.

Prosecutors asked for $200,000 on the child rape case. McCarthy set bail at $150,000. The prosecutor’s office has since said that the bail amount was unusually high, given the underlying charges. McCarthy agrees.

“I think anybody who works in this court would tell you the bail that was set in this case based on the charges was high,” he said.

At that stage, the bail amounts were a moot point, because of the Arkansas warrant and the no-bail provision. The landscape changed later in July, when Arkansas parole officials decided to rescind their warrant. That nullified the no-bail provision. Prosecutors in Pierce County were forced to dismiss the fugitive case on July 23.

That meant Clemmons was eligible for bail. He posted it July 24, with the Seattle Bonding Co., and left the jail.

Clemmons was arrested again in August, this time on a warrant filed by the Washington Department of Corrections, which had inherited parole supervision from Arkansas. This time he stayed in jail for three months while prosecutors ordered a mental health examination related to his competency to stand trial.

His next bail hearing was Nov. 12, before Judge Thomas Felnagle. Again, prosecutors argued for a $200,000 bond. Felnagle’s decisions mirrored McCarthy’s. He set the same bail amounts: $40,000 for the assault case, and $150,000 for the child rape charge. (Felnagle did not respond to a request for comment.)

Read more here. 

SOOFEM.com Donates Caller ID Spoofing Services to Bail Bondsmen

Ericka Holman, Interim President of SPOOFEM.COM, will be donating SPOOFEM cards to licensed law enforcement, private investigators, and bail bondmen professionals to give them a feel for the Spoofing service for the month of December. Applicants can register online at www.SPOOFEM.com by clicking on the investigator icon located on the homepage.

"We want to give these professionals the experience of using our products and services. It is important for them to know how it works, and is it going to fit into their organization," says Holman. "We hope to give them the feedback and response they need when searching for people, to see if this may be a quick way for them to get information without going through the normal channels."

The main service these professionals will be able to benefit from is the Caller ID Spoofing service. Caller ID Spoofing is a service that allows you to dial any phone number and have any number you choose show up in the recipient's caller ID. Users are also able to change their voice to sound like that of a man or a woman, record the conversation, and have it emailed to them within seconds of hanging up the call. SPOOFEM.COM even allows you to send text messages and emails that appear to have come from someone else.

In addition to providing consumers with a caller ID spoofing service, SPOOFEM.COM also supplies spy products such as voice changers, detection kits, GPS tracking systems, and computer security software.


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‘High Flight Risk’ Polankski Granted $4.5M Bail

“Dog” the Bounty Hunter may have to learn a little French and change his name to “Le Chien.”

Convicted sex with a child offender and bail-jumper, Roman Polanski, finally arrested in Zurich after 32 years and headed for extradition to Los Angeles, has cut a deal with a Swiss court to make bail there.

The international fugitive would make bail on a negotiated $4.5 million, though the Oscar-winning director (“The Pianist”) would perhaps skedaddle back to France, who has never considered extradition to the U.S. as they consider him an adopted cultural hero.

Polanski will have to pay cash for whatever percentage agreed on with his bailbondsman, in the U.S. about 10 percent. He would then move to a Swiss chalet under house arrest while the Swiss decides if it will appeal the bail decision to their Supreme Court. They have 10 days to do so.

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Bail company loses $50K over man deported from Morris

An insurance company that covered the bail on a man accused of molesting a child in Morris Township, and later deported to his native Honduras, has been ordered by a judge to forfeit the $50,000 bond.

Superior Court Judge John B. Dangler late Friday upheld a colleague's ruling in April that Texas-based Financial Casualty & Surety Co. had to forfeit the $50,000 bail it provided to TBA Bail Bonds in Woodstown when it wrote a bond for sexual assault suspect Carlos Ulloa Murillo, 21.

Murillo was charged in April 2008 with sexually abusing a young girl and posted $50,000 bail in August 2008.

While Murillo was in the Morris County jail, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency filed a detainer against him for being in this country illegally, and picked him up from the jail two days after he posted bail. An immigration judge in September authorized Murillo's removal to Honduras — leaving the criminal charge against him unresolved.

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Bail System Can Be Confusing For Many

Bail Amounts Tied To Factors Other Than Severity Of Charge

It is the one of the first hurdles suspects face when they get arrested in New Hampshire -- posting bail to get out of lockup. But in many cases, bail varies from tens of thousands of dollars to no money at all.

And sometimes, lesser offenses end up with higher bail amounts. It can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the system, but legal experts said it usually makes sense if you understand what bail is intended to accomplish.

The issue came to a head in one Hooksett neighborhood recently. Registered sex offender Joel Dutton was arrested and charged with assaulting a child, but then allowed to go home on personal recognizance bail -- basically, a promise that he will return to court and follow the rules.

Neighbors expressed outrage that Dutton was released.

Legal experts say understanding the bail system can be difficult. Recent cases show wide differences in bail amounts that don't seem to be related to the severity of the charges.

A college student accused of phone threats was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail. A man accused of assaulting a 2-year-old in West Stewartstown was released on personal recognizance bail. He was later sent to jail -- his bail revoked -- after police said he violated the terms of release.

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'Grandma, I'm in jail and need bail money' scam targets seniors

In recent weeks, Yavapai Sheriff's deputies took two reports of a telephone fraud targeting seniors. A caller contacts an older person claiming to be his or her grandson and shares a believable story of an involvement in an accident or criminal incident in Canada and subsequent arrest. The "grandson" asks for money to post bail and then puts a person on the line, supposedly a bail bondsman. The bondsman provides the bail amount, usually several thousand dollars, and requests that money be wired using a MoneyGram or Western Union service. In some cases the bogus "bondsman," even calls back to thank the victim.

Both Yavapai County victims were suspicious and did not send any money.

This scam appeals to the emotions the elderly who feel an immediate need to help a desperate family member. Stories range from an accident to a situation in which the "grandson" picked up a couple of hitchhikers found with drugs during a traffic stop.

Many suspects use social networking sites, such as MySpace or Facebook, to identify family members through profiles and photos. A check of online phone directories provides a telephone number and the scam is under way. In some cases, suspects find travel plans and give specific family information that makes the scheme more plausible.

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Bail bondsman finds 'Most Wanted' suspect

A bail bondsman tracked down a man featured last week in "Guilford County's Most Wanted."

Greensboro police said officers arrested Jamaal Mauta Perry shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday at 208 E. Whittington St. Police said a bail bondsman found Perry and called police to help with the arrest.

Perry, 29, of 1619 Lincoln. St., is being held in the Guilford County jail on a $17,000 bond. He has been charged with assault by strangulation and a probation violation.

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"Balloon Boy's" Parents Full of Hot Air

A run-away UFO-shaped balloon. A 6 year-old boy trapped inside. On October 16, the world was captivated as this drama unfolded in front of them, only to find out that the boy was hiding at the house the entire time.

It turns out this was nothing but an elaborate scheme set up by Richard and Mayumi Heene to increase their exposure and be on television. The Heenes are expected to plead guilty to criminal charges on Friday stemming from the incident.

While it is possible that they could face jail time, the prosecutor will recommend probation.

What Happens When You DO Steal Something From a Baby...

Next time someone tells you something is "as easy as stealing candy from a baby," think twice about what the consequences might be. Two women in Pennsylvania who pled guilty to using two Wal-Mart gift cards they found at the store were sentenced to holding signs by the courtyard that said, "I stole from a 9-year-old on her birthday! Don't steal or this could happen to you!"

As it turns out, the gift cards the two women found and used were left on a box by a nine year-old child. Despite the child's name on the cards, the women told the cashier the gift cards belonged to them.

Don't believe us? Read the complete story (with pictures!) here.

World's Worst Disguise

What do you do when you realllllly want to rob a house but don't have time for those pesky details like buying a ski mask? Do what Matthew McNelly and Joey Miller of Iowa did - draw one on!

That's right, draw your disguise ON YOUR FACE with a SHARPIE. Foolproof, right? Well, foolproof until the cops pull you over and immediately recognize you as the two men with "the painted faces" that the witness saw attempt to break into a house.

Don't believe us? Read the complete story (including mugshots!) by clicking here.

Judge Revokes $1.6 Mil Bail, Releases Sex Offender on OR

Kim Palmer of Kim Palmer A1 Bail Bonds didn't like her odds when she heard that Doug Wilhite, a man she had earlier bailed out of jail on a $100,000 bond, had been charged with seven new sex offenses, and that the police had been tipped off that Wilhite was planning on fleeing. The bail for the new charges alone was $1.6 million. Circuit Judge John Doyle decided that Wilhite could be released, but Palmer did what she thought was best and revoked Wilhite's bond, bringing him back to jail.

Despite Palmer's best judgement in revoking the bail, Circuit Judge R. Michael Hutcheson at a separate hearing decided that Wilhite wasn't a danger to the community or a flight risk, and released him on his own recognizance.

Don't believe us? Read the complete story here.

DWI On a Motorized La-Z-Boy

Adults are constantly warned about the dangers of getting behind the wheel of a car after having one too many to drink. From getting a DUI to accidentally killing someone, it is safe to say that the perils of drinking alcohol then driving a car are well known. Drinking and driving a La-Z-Boy, however? That may be another story.

Dennis Anderson of Minnesota found out the hard way that the safest way to drink in a La-Z-Boy is parked in front of the television set. Instead, officers arrested Anderson after he crashed his motorized armchair into a parked car after having 8 or 9 drinks at a bar. Anderson was found guilty of a DWI and was placed on probation for two years.

Don't believe us? Read the rest of the story here.

Man Allegedly Tased in Rent Argument

A Shelbyville bail bondsman was charged with aggravated assault Wednesday night after allegedly tasing a man in a dispute over rent payments, Shelbyville police said.

The victim arrived at the Bedford County Sheriff's Department with a probe embedded in his lower abdomen and a "place" on his chest where another probe had been, Officer Sam Jacobs said. Jacobs was told the probes were from a Taser shot by "Carlos the bondsman."

Read the complete story here.

Caregiver Suspected of Poisoning Elderly Patient Denied Bail

A caregiver of an elderly Florida lady was denied bail after allegedly stealing from then poisoning the 78-year-old woman in her care. A toxicology report showing ten times the prescribed amount of painkillers in the victim's body confirmed that she had not died of natural causes, like the caregiver claimed.

Read the complete story here.

Bail Agents Fight Back Against Pre-Trial Release

The bail-bond industry sent a glossy four-page flier to 50,000 mailboxes this month, warning Orange County taxpayers that elected officials are allowing drunken drivers, drug dealers and violent criminals out of jail by using a costly but flawed pretrial-release program.

That flier, urging residents to tell commissioners to end the "wasteful" program, lists people arrested and released for crimes ranging from drug possession and child neglect to concealing a firearm and lewd behavior. But various judicial and county officials say themaileris misleading on a number of fronts and leaves out a crucial fact: All the arrested people cited in the mailer could bail out of jail and be on the street — even if the release program was not in place.

What the mailer really shows, county officials say, is a struggling bail-bond industry that fears the spread of successful pretrial-release programs nationwide could cost them serious business.

"Our interest is public safety," said Michael Tidwell, Orange's jail chief. "The interest of the bail-bond industry is their livelihood; it's their profit margin."

The mailer prompted County Mayor Rich Crotty to hastily include a public briefing about it for commissioners on today's regular meeting agenda.

The fight centers around certain minimal-risk jail inmates who are offered a low-cost release from jail while awaiting a court hearing.


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No Bail for "Dangerous" Cigarette Dealer

A New York store owner selling untaxed cigarettes on the black market has been denied bail by Judge Denis Hurley. Hurley claims that the store owner is "dangerous," despite being acquitted of arson, murder and other charges.

Read the complete story here.

Inmate population surges as bail bond debate swirles

Changes in the amount of bail that offenders must post to get out of jail have sparked a controversy among county officials and residents.

Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena says the county jail is near capacity and that the county risks being placed under federal oversight and ordered to build a new jail wing if the inmate population doesn’t decrease.

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10 Great Cars for 10 Different Jobs

Job: Bounty hunter
Do you think of Labor Day more as the ceremonial end of summer or the official beginning of football season? As the start of yet another school year or just a welcome three-day weekend? Well, the U.S. Department of Labor sees it as a "yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." So, in the spirit of putting some of the labor back into Labor Day, we put together a list of 10 cars for 10 jobs.

Car: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Whether the chase takes you over rocks, across a desert or just up and down a few curbs, the all-new 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor's standout suspension will help you get your man (or woman). The menacing looks won't hurt, either.

 Read more here.

CT Insurance Commissioner Cracks Down on Bail Bond Agents

State Insurance Commissioner Thomas Sullivan is cracking down on improper business practices by the surety bail bond industry in Connecticut, which includes agents discounting bond premiums in order to gain business.

That allows defendants to get out of jail for a reduced price.

Recent enforcement actions against surety bail bond agents have resulted in two license revocations, two license suspensions, one year-long probation, and fines totaling $7,500, the state insurance department said.

"There is no reason why this industry can't operate within the letter of the law," Sullivan said in a written statement.

Surety bail bond agents are regulated by the insurance department because they are appointed agents of an insurance company. The department licenses 516 surety bail bond agents, 136 bail bond agencies, and 19 surety companies in the state.

Read  more here.

$33 Million Dollar Bail Bond Set for New York Doctor Accused of Sexually Abusing Patients

An allegedly phony Brooklyn doctor accused of sexually abusing patients while they were under anesthesia has the dubious distinction of having the highest bail in the land: either $11 million cash or a virtually impossible $33 million bail bond.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Sorodsky, 62, was practicing without a license since at least 1995, administering "treatments" out of his Emmons Avenue office in Sheepshead Bay that may have been harmful, and sexually abusing at least eight female patients.

Then, last month, prosecutors, having found additional victims, brought a new slew of charges and opened a separate case.

No exact records exist, but several experts say Michail Sorodsky's bond is the highest they have ever heard of.

Read more here.

Judge Rules Anthony's Bail Agents Can Testify

A Florida judge has denied attorney Jose Baez’s, Casey Anthony’s defense lawyer, motion to seal interviews of Bounty Hunter, Leonard Padilla and his team. Hours of audio taped interviews as they talk about what they heard and saw from Casey Anthony during the time they spent with her after Padilla had he bailed out of jail.

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Bailbondsmen Interviewed in Casey Anthony Trial

What was Casey Anthony like when she was out of jail last summer?Self-absorbed was the impression left by a WESH-Channel 2 report tonight. The station offered a "Today" interview with bail bondsman Tony Padilla, whose uncle is bounty hunter Leonard Padilla.

Padilla's team "spent nine days guarding Casey and their $500,000 investment," WESH's Bob Kealing said. "Their testimony could help the state argue that Casey was already emotionally detached from her still-missing daughter."

Anthony is charged with the first-degree murder of her daughter, Caylee. 

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Jail Bail Scam

On August 17, 2009, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a fraud report at Camp Verde Detention Center jail lobby. Deputies met with the employee of a restaurant in Cottonwood regarding the incident.

The employee explained she received a phone call at work from a person claiming he was an “Officer of the Court.” He told her there was someone in jail she knew but he could only release the name of the employee if she identified the person first. She thought briefly and mentioned the name of an employee not currently at work. The man told her she was correct and claimed this person was in-custody for a DUI. She was also told that the arrestee had enough money for bail, but Arizona law did not permit arrestees to bail themselves out. The “Court Officer” requested the employee to post a bond and the arrestee would pay her back upon release

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Catholic Diocese Bails Out Priest; Archdiocese Does Not Approve

An Australian priest was arrested on charges of grooming a child for sex after sexually explicit online chats with a police officer posing as a 13 year old girl. The bishop of the Western Sydney diocese, Father Terry Bell, offered $25,000 towards Robert Fuller's bail, as well as offering accommodation at a church-owned property.

Despite Father Bell's offer, the Archdiocese of Sydney has released a statement stating that Father Fuller is responsible for his own legal costs. "The Archdiocese does not contribute to these costs or provide sureties for bail, and Father Fuller's case is no exception," the Archdiocese said.

Read more here.

Bail Bondsmen Accused of Thugish Behavior

Bail bondsmen dressed in "police SWAT gear" terrorized patrons of a swinger's club by holding them at gunpoint while they beat a man they thought had skipped bail, then threatened a newspaper editor who wrote about it, four people and the business claim in Clark County Court.

Read more here.

Bounty Hunters Are Not Above the Law

Two Mississippi bounty hunters blamed for a awakening a Sikeston couple in the middle of the night pleaded not guilty to felony charges against them in a Scott County court Wednesday.

Investigators say they were operating without a Missouri license.

Read more here.

Lawyer Has Tantrum After Client's Bail Not Lowered

A defense lawyer went ballistic at the Criminal Justice Center yesterday after a judge initially refused to lower his client's bail or change his sentence in a contempt case.

According to observers, the attorney, Adam J. Rodgers, threw a pen and his leather bag, pushed or hurled a chair, and raised a chair over his head, then slammed it down.

Read more here.

One judge's thoughts on setting bonds - TX

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Bail Jumper Jumps Out of 3-Story Window to Escape Police

A robbery suspect who eluded police by jumping bail managed to escape again by jumping — this time from a third-floor hospital window and running three blocks on a broken ankle before being recaptured.

Damien Bell, suspected by police to be the Craigslist robber, had been arrested about 6:30 p.m. Sunday and was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland for injuries suffered during the arrest and for shrapnel in his arm stemming from a May 5 struggle over a gun during a robbery, police said.

After being taken to an X-ray room, he bolted and ran, police said. Bell then jumped from a third-floor window and broke his ankle, but kept running for three blocks until police captured him, officials said.

Read more here.

Peterson Held on $20 Million Bail

Peterson, an ex-cop, became a target of police scrutiny after the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. He was arrested yesterday after a lengthy police investigation. He is being held in the Will County, Ill., jail on $20 million bond.

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British Banker Released on Record High Bail of 100 Million Euros

Julius Meinl V, the head of Austria’s largest private bank, was detained over an alleged fraud and released, without charge, only after a world record bail of €100 million (£90 million) was paid.

He spent two nights in a cell after police raided his home and offices in Vienna following the collapse in value of Meinl European Land, an investment fund managed by his Meinl Bank.

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Wesley Snipes Might Have Bail Revoked

Wesley Snipes happily posed for photographers as he mingled with guests including the Duchess of York and Sir Richard Branson at the “party of the decade”.

But four months later the pictures have come back to haunt the Hollywood actor, as American prosecutors claim they are evidence he breached the terms of an international travel ban.

They are now seeking to revoke his bail, and want to prevent the actor travelling abroad ahead of his appeal against a three-year jail sentence for tax evasion.

Read more here.

Bondsman Arrested for Kicking in Wrong Door

Police say a bail bondsman in Colorado Springs kicked in the wrong door looking for two suspects.

It happened at the Pinion Apartments on the east side of the Springs; police were called after the door was kicked in. Allegedly, the bondsman, Larry Myles, an agent with It's A Bond Thing, entered the apartment to arrest two people.

Read more here.

Agents Bring Fugitives to Justice

Dale Kress never goes hunting without the necessary equipment: a gun, a flashlight, pepper spray and a bulletproof vest.
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Kress, 56, of Port Huron is what’s known as a fugitive-recovery specialist or a bail-enforcement officer. He said those names tend to give a more professional image than the popular term does.

“A lot of us don’t like to be called bounty hunters,” Kress said.

People familiar with A&E’s hit reality TV show “Dog the Bounty Hunter” understand the basic concept of the job: When someone skips bail, the bail bondsman stands to lose a large amount of money to the court and has the option of hiring somebody to find the fugitive. The bounty hunter gets an arrest warrant, a photo of the fugitive and some relevant information with which to start their search.

Read more at TheTimesHerald.com

Bondsman on Hunt for Truth about Haggard

Boxes labeled "New Life Church" occupy a prominent spot in Bobby Brown's downtown office, a testament to his mission to get to the bottom of allegations against Ted Haggard and the megachurch Haggard once headed.

For two years, the Colorado Springs bail bondsman, investigator and sometime bounty hunter has been casually digging into Haggard's alleged sexual indiscretions while he was senior pastor at New Life Church - the result, he says, of tips that came from several sources within New Life.

But he had other work to do, and no compelling reason to devote a lot of time to the case.

That changed last Friday, after New Life senior pastor Brady Boyd e-mailed church members to say that after Haggard's resignation in 2006, the church "received reports of a number of incidents of inappropriate behavior" that occurred when Haggard was pastor.

Read more at The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO).

Keanu to Play Futuristic Anime Bounty Hunter

After recently becoming an alien in The Day the Earth Stood Still, Keanu Reeves signed on for another sci-fi remake: this time, he will become a space-traveling bounty hunter in the live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime series Cowboy Bebop.

Read more at BuddyTV.com.

Bail Agent Fighting City of Los Angeles to Buy Used Books

Collector Richard Hopp of Van Nuys, California, is battling the city of Los Angeles and its police department over their definitions of "dealers." In November 2008 Hopp filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city and sought "Declaratory Relief to Determine Validity of Ordinances and Injunction."

Richard Hopp is a bail bondsman by profession and "an avid collector of books, documents, and ephemera as a hobby," to quote from his suit. Hopp stated that he sets up at "exhibitions, festivals, meetings, flea markets, swap meets, trade shows, garage sales, and collector meetings" and wishes to have an "exhibitor table" or "buying booth" at the events listed above. He claims that he's just a collector, though, and not a dealer or seller.

The city of Los Angeles has two ordinances relating to the regulation of secondhand book dealers and secondhand dealers in general. Those ordinances are enforced by the police department. That department has decided that Richard Hopp is "a secondhand book dealer" and must comply with the city's rules regulating those individuals.

Read the rest of the story at Maine Antique Digest.

Bail Agent Sentence to Three Years Probation

A bail agent who pleaded guilty in 2004 to charges stemming from the county's bail bond investigation was sentenced Friday to three years felony probation.

Gerald Lee Brandt, who was one of several defendants who accepted plea bargains early in the case, was sentenced before Judge Colin Bilash in San Bernardino Superior Court.

Brandt, 40, had to give up his bail license as part of the agreement. He also agreed to testify at any upcoming trials for remaining defendants in the case.

Read more at Redlands Daily Facts.

Attorney General Drops Charges Against Jersey Bounty Hunter

Charges of witness tampering and terroristic threats against bounty hunter Adel Mikhaeil were dismissed late yesterday afternoon, his lawyer said this morning.

The state Attorney General's Office dismissed without prejudice two charges against Mikhaeil, 43, which means the state can recharge the Jersey City man in the future. A state spokesperson could not be immediately reached for the reason why the charges were dismissed.

"It's safe to say that Mr. Mikhaeil is happy about it," Robert Gold, Mikhaeil's attorney, said of the dismissal.

Read the rest of the story at NJ.com.