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

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

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

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

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

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

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Suspect in Patrol Vehicle Heist is Denied Bail

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

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

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

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

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Okeechobee County Bail Bondsman Killed

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- An Okeechobee County bail bondsman was killed trying to take a parole violator into custody.

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

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

Lewis was arrested on a murder charge.

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U.S. Pilots Freed on Bail in Dominican Republic

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

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

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

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

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

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Los Angeles Bail Bonds Company Sponsors Uganda Education

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

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

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

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Bail Bond Companies are Worth the Costs for Most

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

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

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

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Minimum Payments Should be Required of Suspects for Bail Bonds

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

Most people — prosecutors and judges included — were under the mistaken assumption that a criminal defendant must post 10 percent of the bail amount before gaining his or her release.

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

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

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

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

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British Court Orders Leader of WikiLeaks Freed on Bail

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

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

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

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Washington Task Force Makes Bail System Recommendations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Women Making An Impact In The Bail Bonds World

The bail bonds business, like many others, is often thought of as an old boy's club because the industry is seemingly dominated by men. Bail agents are sometimes stereotyped as a rough and tumble community that must match the perceived decorum of the defendants they serve. However, women are making serious inroads into the bail bonds world and doing it on their own terms. In fact, over half of the licensed bail bondsmen in California aren't actually “bondsmen” at all. They are bail bondswomen.

As the female presence grows in the bail bonds industry, they are starting to get much deserved attention for their contributions. For example, Jillian Hughes maintains a blog devoted to female bail bond issues at bail bonds girl which regularly highlights the impact of women in the industry.


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Violent Crime Up, Says NY Times! NY Bondsmen Crucial, Says NYPBA; Bondsmen to Follow NYCPL and Contracts, Says NY DOI (OGC)

George Zouvelos, president and founder of the New York Professional Bondsmen and Agents ( The NYPBA ) Http://http://www.nypba.net (http://www.NYPBA.net NY Professional Bondsmen and Agents (The NYPBA ), a New York State Professional Bail Bondsman business owner and the representative from the State of New York for the “Counsel of Presidents” of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States, Http://http://www.PBUS.com, notes the New York Times reports (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/nyregion/26crime.html), what the NYPBA has asserted these past 24 months, violent crimes in New York City are up, the need for bail assistance has doubled, financial wherewithal of the citizenry to post bail has greatly diminished and private contractual matters are not within the Departments purview.

“Violent crime categories are up, in addition to the unimproved economic condition of the public-at-large, and the lack of ‘liquid cash’ on hand by the consumer, the increase request for bail assistance services provided by the New York professional bail bondsmen has been on the rise steadily. Professional bail bondsmen in New York and elsewhere have noted that the individual wherewithal to afford same has dramatically decreased even when seeking the low cost bail bond services as provided by the professional surety bail bondsmen in any state,” said George Zouvelos.

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Los Angeles Bail Bonds Company Named Expert Bail Bondsman

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease) November 19, 2010 - Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds, a family owned and operated bail bonds company, has been named to the elite bondsmen at Expert Bail.

ExpertBail is a nationwide network of trusted bail agents consisting of an elite group of bondsmen committed to doing business in a professional and ethical manner in order to eradicate the negative public image of the bail bondsman portrayed in the media.

The ExpertBail network is being developed by the oldest and largest family of bail bonds underwriting companies, AIA, headed by Los Angeles local Nairin family. With ExpertBail, communities around California now have a resource for information on and how to find the most professional and quality bail agents in their areas.

"As a bondsman, we've always struggled with the stereotype of the neon sign and cigar filled room. For the professionals amongst bail companies, nothing could be further from reality. I applaud AIA and Expert Bail for helping to shine a light on the stand-out bondsmen in our industry," says lifelong bondsman, Greg Rynerson. "I've been proud to be affiliated with the Nairin family, AIA and now with Expert Bail."


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Man Wanted for Shooting Bail Bondsmen Arrested in Michigan

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A man police said shot a bail bondsman in the foot on Nov. 5 while at an apartment has been arrested in Michigan, according to Winston-Salem Police. Shots were fired at three bail bondsmen Nov. 5 when the group attempted to locate a man who skipped his bail.

Police said the incident happened at an apartment at 104 Penner St. just after midnight. Police said Michael Todd Smith, a bondsman, and two of his colleagues were attempting to locate Lamont Develle King, 26, of 104 Penner St., for skipping bail.

As the three men forced their way into King's apartment, he fired several shots at the bondsmen. Smith and the two other bondsmen returned fire and Smith was struck in the foot during the exchange.

The bondsmen told police King then returned inside the apartment. Winston-Salem Police went to King's apartment but were unable to locate him.


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Bail Bondsman Shot in Winston-Salem

WINSTON-SALEM — A bail bondsman was shot in one foot while he was trying to take into custody a wanted suspect, who managed to get away.

Winston-Salem police said Michael Todd Smith and two colleagues with Surety Bonding went to 104 Penner St. earlier today to locate a wanted suspect. At 1:25 a.m., Smith and the two other bondmen forced open the door.

The suspect inside fired several shots from a handgun at the bondsmen. The bondsmen returned fire as the suspect went back into the apartment.

The 43-year-old Smith, who lives in Thomasville, suffered a gunshot wound to one of his feet. Police did not give Smith's condition.

The police department's Special Enforcement Team later entered the apartment but could not find the suspect.

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Special Report: A Day in the Life of a Bail Bondsman

You hope you never need it but we all know there's a business out that there that thrives off people messing up and going to jail.

Bail bondsmen help get a lot of people out from behind bars but it doesn't stop there.

Pit Bull is a bail bondsman and a bounty hunter. He's a guy who loves his job and isn't afraid to play tough.

"It's not a 9 to 5 job," said Doug Graue "Pit Bull". "Never know what's going to happen."Graue says when someone is in jail looking to get out he can be their best friend.

"When they run, I'm their worst enemy," he said.

He left 20 years of police work behind for life as a bail bondsman.

"You're always a little nervous because you don't know what's going to happen," Graue said.

He is based out of Hayti in Pemiscot county and covers 30 counties.

His mission on the day we caught up with him was to find a man he bailed out of jail on 10 percent of $25,000 bond not long ago."The subject we bonded out hasn't met up with his obligations. He's moving from house to house every few weeks," Graue said.

Graue says the bail bondsman has a big responsibility.

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Paint this big square state purple. Again.

Joining the echoes heard across the country, Colorado voters on Tuesday began restoring some Republicans to power across Colorado. However, true to the independent streak that runs strong through this Western state, Democrats held their own.

Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, having benefitted from a fractured Republican Party, will be the state's 42nd governor.

The U.S. Senate race between Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck still was too close to call as of our deadline. The fact a Democrat could stay so close in an otherwise good year for Republicans speaks to Colorado's independence.

Voters also wisely turned down three tax-slashing measures, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, which would have devastated a state budget that already has a $1 billion shortfall while shortchanging schools and roads.

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Proposition 102 Opposed by Law Enforcement

While the battle rages politically on senate and governor campaigns, and political watchers wage their wars against tax measures on Tuesday's ballot, one measure has been residing under much of the public radar.

Proposition 102.

The measure may not be garnering attention like amendments 60 and 61, and Proposition 101, but it could be just another nail in local government's coffin, say some opponents. Opponents of 102 paint it as a moneymaking measure for the state's bail agents — the people who help bail people out of jail and ensure they get to their court dates.

The measure asks voters to require only first-time, nonviolent offenders be let out of jail to a program called pretrial services without having to put up their own money. So far, there are 10 pretrial services programs in counties throughout the state, including Weld and Larimer. It's a court-, or county-operated program, which researches defendants' backgrounds to determine their risk factors in the community, which in turn helps judges determine their amount of bail. It also serves to monitor defendants upon release by providing drug and alcohol testing, and monitoring whereabouts, for example, to keep defendants in line with protection orders.


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Officials Say Connecticut's Bail System in Need of Major Reforms

BRIDGEPORT -- Connecticut's bail bond system is out of control.

More than 17,000 accused felons in Connecticut have skipped out on their bail bonds. Rules that require bondsmen to collect a certain percentage of each bail bond are routinely ignored.

The list of dangerous felons who have been released on bail only to kill or harm someone else is like a who's who of criminal defendants in the state.

Selami Ozdemir, of West Haven, was bonded out on a Saturday in January and shot his wife to death the next day.

Darryl Crenshaw was bonded out while awaiting trial on kidnapping charges and then beat his girlfriend to death in July 2008.

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Houma Bail Bondsman and Wrestler Earns Spot in Louisana Hall of Fame

HOUMA — When Chad “Bronco Bob” Bonvillain of Houma was inducted into the newly established Louisiana Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame on Oct. 16, he said his emotions bubbled over inside the Amelia Recreation Center.

“I'm the first individual wrestler to be named to it,” the 38-year-old said. “They're going to start putting guys in it on a regular basis, and it should be a great thing in terms of getting some local guys in the sport recognized.”

The 6-foot-7, 400-pound bail bondsman and bounty hunter spent much of the past 17 years pursuing wrestling as a full-time career but recently shifted to part-time. Bonvillain has shared the ring with greats like the Junkyard Dog and Buff Bagwell, among others.

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Prop. 102 Would Force Defendants to Pay to Remain Free Before Trial

Colorado voters will decide this November whether to pass a proposal into law that would result in more criminal defendants having to put up cash to secure their pretrial release from jail.

Supporters say Proposition 102 will ensure defendants will be more likely to show up for court dates because their own money or their family's money will be at stake.

"They will have skin in the game, so to speak," said Mike Paul Donovan, a Douglas County resident who is pushing the proposal, and is a lobbyist for Seneca Insurance, which has a bail-bond division.

But a coalition of law enforcement officers, prosecutors and defense lawyers is urging voters to defeat the proposal.

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St. Louis Bail Bondsman Shot in Robbery Attempt

ST. LOUIS (KMOX)__ A St. Louis bail bondsman is in critical condition after being shot during a robbery Saturday night.

Police say the 52-year-old victim was struck in the chest, back and side shortly before eight p.m. at his home in the 700 block of Carr.

The bondsman fired back but police don’t know if either suspect was hit. The victim’s name has not been released.

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Police: Bail Bondsman Seen Buying Heroin

NEW BRITAIN - A Newington bail bondsman was arrested on a drug charge Monday after he allegedly bought heroin from a dealer Special Service Unit members had under surveillance, police said.

Stephen Angelillo, 37, of 84 Dowd St., Newington was tailed and stopped by officers after the transaction took place Monday on Trinity Street in New Britain. Police were originally watching Mitchell Lurry who would meet customers on Trinity Street so they wouldn’t know his actual address when they saw Angelillo show up to make a buy, Sgt. Jerry Chrostowski said.

Angelillo had 13 packets of heroin with him when his car was pulled over, police said. He was charged with possession of narcotics and released on bond. Lurry was found with more than $10,000 in heroin and $29,000 in cash after unit members searched his home and car Monday.


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Bail Bondsman Hit with Bank's Door in Des Moines

A wanted man got the better of a bail bondsman by smashing his hand in a revolving door and taking off on foot Friday. Police later caught up to the suspect at the bus station.

Lonnie Fentress of Iowa Bail Bonds picked up Garrett J. Jesmer, 18, at the Polk County Jail so he could post bond. Fentress drove Jesmer to the Wells Fargo Bank at 666 Walnut St. to withdraw $8,300 for his bond, police said.

Fentress removed Jesmer's handcuffs as a courtesy and to avoid causing alarm among bank patrons, police said.

Fentress, 46, told police Jesmer turned and used the bank's revolving door as a weapon by slamming it backwards onto Fentress' hand, then taking off on foot.


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Duane 'Dog' Chapman Rushed to Hospital in Los Angeles on Saturday After Blood Clot Scare: Report

It was a dog day afternoon for Duane Chapman on Saturday.

The "Dog the Bounty Hunter" star was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center after sustaining an injury while on a bounty hunt, his wife told TMZ.com.

Chapman felt pain and was sent to the ER "to avoid possible serious complications," according to RadarOnline.com.

His wife, Beth Smith, told TMZ.com that Chapman was treated for internal bleeding and tested for a possible blood clot.

"Duane is in very capable hands and and we thank everyone for their prayers,"she wrote in a statement on the 57-year-old reality star's official website.

He was released the same day following a thorough check-up.

"Yes dog is injured it is an occupational hazard that we deal with he is very strong and in excellent condition he will 4 sure survive," his wife tweeted on Sunday.

"Dog the Bounty Hunter" premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. on A&E.

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Bondsman Makes it his Mission to Catch One Particular Bail Jumper

CLEARWATER — If you watch the Tampa Bay Rays on television, you've probably seen him. Bald head. Olive skin. Downcast eyes. Wanted for beating up a woman, among other dirty deeds.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is looking for Brian Andrew Word, but perhaps not nearly as intensely as Al Estes Bail Bonds Inc. It's spending $1,400 a month on TV ads featuring Word during all Rays games and offering $7,500 for information leading to his arrest.

"He's a menace to society," said Al Estes Sr. He's dangerous, Estes said, especially to women. Still, he's not the worst the bail bondsman has run across.

So why is he so focused on this guy?

There's the money. Estes stands to lose nearly $100,000 if Word doesn't turn up, though it wouldn't be the first time he's lost money on a bail jumper.

He tells every customer who comes through his office: You might make mistakes, you might be addicted or dishonest, but you don't ignore your court date.

Don't make him come after you. Because he will.

"We're going to get him," said Estes, 77 years old and not afraid of a slick, 6-foot, 41-year-old "good-looking party guy" who apparently took the old man for a fool.

One day in October 2009, a lawyer called Estes' office seeking help for Word, arrested on charges of battery by strangulation, residential burglary and other charges connected to a dispute with Word's former girlfriend. It wasn't Word's first battery arrest.

Estes agreed to bail out Word if someone would vouch for him. Soon, Word's mother, Milene Johnson, showed up. Estes has good luck when mothers get involved. People rarely skip town and leave their mothers to deal with bail bondsmen.

The longer Word is a fugitive, the more Estes Sr. stands to lose. Estes had to pay almost $100,000 to the court since Word missed a February court date, but if he catches Word within two years, he'll get at least half of the amount back. After two years, Estes gets nothing.

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Bail-bond Measure Ignites Passions

The battle over Proposition 102, a measure on the November ballot that would affect how judges set bail in criminal cases, has focused on Larimer County in recent days.

On Monday, a vocal group of about 40 people gathered outside the administration building of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office to protest Sheriff Jim Alderden's opposition to Proposition 102.

Waving signs, American flags and chanting, the protesters called for the end to "criminal welfare," which is how they refer to county-administered pretrial services that allow defendants to stay out of jail through personal recognizance or cash-backed bonds.

Proposition 102 would prohibit judges from assigning defendants to pretrial services on unsecured bonds other than first-time offenders accused of nonviolent misdemeanor crimes. Other defendants could be assigned to pretrial-service supervision if they are released on surety bonds obtained through a bail-bond agency for a fee.

Ten counties across the state have pretrial services, with Larimer County having one of the largest programs. The county's program has taken decision-making about bail out of the hands of judges, said Robert Trucker, outreach director for Safe Streets Colorado, a campaign committee backing the proposal.

"I don't believe giving criminals a 'get out of jail free card' at taxpayer expense makes sense for anyone, including the criminal," he said.

Alderden and Sharon Winfree, who supervises the county's pretrial release program, were named in a complaint filed last week with the Secretary of State's Office claiming opponents of Proposition 102 violated state campaign finance law by not registering as a campaign committee.

Also named in the complaint by Sarah Millett of Centennial were Scott Storey, the district attorney in Jefferson County, state Attorney General John Suthers, and the Pretrial Justice Institute, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. All have publically spoken against Proposition 102.

Opponents have since registered as Citizens to Protect Colorado Communities. Spokesperson Stefanie Clarke - who was also named in the complaint - said the complaint is a "publicity stunt" aimed at distracting voters.


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Hacienda Heights Bail Bondsman, Former Police Officer Killed in Crash Hours Before he was Due in Court on Criminal Charges

A Hacienda Heights man was killed early Monday in a hit-and-run crash just hours before he was due in court on charges of illegally soliciting bail from prisoners while working as a bail bond agent, officials said.

Bail bondsman and former Los Angeles police officer Edwin Sunmin Lee, 39, was due in court at 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to Shiara Davila Morales of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Lee never made it after he was involved in a fatal two-vehicle crash at 2:47 a.m. on Garfield Avenue and the 105 Freeway in Paramount, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said.

Three men were seen fleeing following the collision, said sheriff's Lt. Shane Robley.

"It was three male Hispanics, and two were helping the third," he said.

No arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon, and information regarding the crash was not immediately available, Robley said.

Lee was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Authorities alleged earlier this year that Lee - while working as a licensed bail agent for Creative Bail Bonds in Van Nuys - solicited two arrestees to enter into bail agreements while at the Los Angeles Police Department's jail in Van Nuys.

Prosecutors also allege he failed to keep complete records of the bail transactions. Lee pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this year.

Lee's attorney Grant Beuchel said his client wasn't guilty of the solicitation charges. Lee's only mistake was failing to keep proper records, Beuchel said.

"He had nothing to fear from this case at all," Beuchel said. "He was looking forward to going to trial."

Lee leaves behind a wife and young child, Beuchel said.

Lee resigned from the Los Angeles Police Department after pleading no contest in April 2005 to a felony count of filing a false police report.

That charge was subsequently reduced to a misdemeanor and dismissed in February 2007, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.


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Lindsay Lohan Bondsman Says Putting Her in Jail was Unfair

Washington, Sep 28 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan’s bail bondsman David Perez has said that the judge’s decision to put the star behind bars was unfair.

Perez, who posted the 300,000-dollar bail to spring LiLo from behind bar, said that Judge Elden Fox’s decision to remand the actress in custody, without bail, was unprecedented.

“I think what Judge Fox did to her, putting her behind bars was unfair. It was a misdemeanor, and she was entitled to bail. I have never seen a judge deny someone bail because of a misdemeanor, ever,” RadarOnline.com quoted him as saying.

Perez said Lohan had no trouble coming up the whopping bail.

“There was absolutely no problem whatsoever in securing her bail, period.

“Lindsay has never had financial problems securing bail,” he added.


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Huntsville Police Arrest Local Bail Bondsman For Murder

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Huntsville Police have arrested a local business owner and charged him with murder. He's a bail bondsman. James Adell Baugh, 47, is the owner of One Hour Bail Bond.

Police arrested Baugh in connection with the shooting death of 19-year-old Danny Moore. The incident happened at 3414 Deerfield Road in Huntsville on Thursday night. Police responded around 11:30 p.m. and found Moore dead.

Police say Baugh and others had gone to the home to look for Moore, because Moore had failed to appear in court. Because Moore missed his court date, Baugh, the bail bondsman, was responsible for Moore's $60,000 bond. Police haven't commented on what happened that resulted in Moore being shot.

Baugh is in the Madison County Jail, awaiting bond. Police continue their investigation. They did recover a shotgun from the scene, but it's not known if it was used in the incident.

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Dog the Bounty Hunter on Call in Case Lindsay Lohan Jumps Bail

Dog the Bounty Hunter, the bail bondsman from Hawaii and sometimes Colorado has been put on high alert that his services may be needed in Los Angeles in case Lindsay Lohan decides to jump bail. Lohan is scheduled to appear in court later this week for a hearing to decide her fate after recently failing two drug tests."

If Ms. Lohan stays in town this time and shows up as scheduled, there will be no need to call Dog in on the matter," claims a spokesperson for A&E, the channel which airs the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" reality series.

"Normally, we wouldn't allow Dog to get caught up in such high profile cases as the Lindsay Lohan matter, but ever since he brought in Randy and Evi Quaid earlier this year when the Quaids failed to show for a scheduled court date, Dog has become the bail bondsman to the stars."

"When asked what he was going to do if he is asked to bring Lindsay Lohan to justice, Dog had this to say, "You know me, I'm the Dog. I know law enforcement. I've been on both sides. I know drugs, I've taken them and I haven't taken them.

Ask Beth, she'll tell ya just who we're talking about. This little lady is going to hell in a hand basket unless she gets with the program. Ask Beth, she'll tell ya. She'll tell Lindsay. She's the go to person for this, just ask her. She'll tell ya."

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Bail Bondsman Says he Lost Job Over Aid to Slain Officer

A veteran law enforcement officer turned bail bond solicitor says his attempts to aid a fatally wounded Jackson policeman last month cost him his job.

But the local bond agency he worked for says the man quit after a series of problems and is now in violation of a contract because he works for a competing agency.

Resolution of that dispute is now before a Hinds County chancery judge.

Mike Ivy, who also is a volunteer firefighter in Terry, says he was giving CPR to officer Glen Agee on the night of Aug. 6 while one of his bosses at David Moore

Bonding repeatedly called his cell phone. Agee was fatally wounded when he chased after and then tussled with escaped prisoner Latwan Smith in a ravine less than a mile from the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond. Smith had escaped from the patrol car en route to the jail.

When Ivy finally returned the missed calls, he got into a heated discussion with the supervisor which Ivy says led to his immediate termination.

"He told me I wasn't a cop any longer and when he calls I should answer the phone,"

Ivy said. "I told him if he thought I'd stop doing CPR on anybody, much less a police officer, and answer the phone he was wrong."

Ivy then went to work for American National Bail Bonding in Raymond but soon found himself in court after his former employer sought a restraining order.

David Moore, owner of David Moore Bonding in Ridgeland, testified Wednesday in a Hinds County Chancery Court hearing that Ivy began working for his agency in March. And while Ivy's years of experience in law enforcement made him an attractive hire, Moore said he began to notice trouble.

"Mike was not answering his phone when we tried to call him. He seemed to have a lot of absenteeism," Moore said. "At one point, he had indicated wanting to get back in law enforcement."

Moore also said one of his partners told Ivy he was fired the night of Aug. 6, but

Moore vetoed the firing and tried to work with Ivy to find a solution so he could remain at the agency.

However, Ivy quit, said Moore.

Now Moore contends Ivy's work for American National Bonding is in violation of a "non-compete" contract he signed that stipulates he cannot compete for bonds in a 120-mile radius of Jackson for at least two years.

The case is before Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas.


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Man Accused of Duping Bondsman Arrested, Again

A New London man accused of kidnapping and stabbing his estranged wife in Bridgeport has been arrested after posting bail using a fake letter from a dead lawyer, police said.

Eric Stiggle, 39, was released from prison on Monday after convincing a bondsman to put up the more than $1.3 million bail on Monday based on a bogus letter from a dead lawyer, the Connecticut Post reports.

On Tuesday, Stiggle, who is awating trial on the alleged incident involving his wife, missed his court date.

Officers say Stiggle stabbed his ex-wife in Bridgeport on May 30 and forced her into a car. The chase ended the following day, when he crashed his car in New York during a chase that started in Holyoke, Mass. The woman survived.




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Neptune Man Facing Assault, Weapons Charges After Bail Bondsman Turns Him In

ASBURY PARK — A 26-year-old man is facing weapons charges in the city after he was arrested by Ocean Township police for allegedly failing to pay fines, police said.

Just before 5 p.m. last Thursday, Lawrence Brown, of Neptune, was turned in at the Ocean Township police headquarters by his bail bonds company after he failed to pay a loitering fine from Feb. 20, according to Ocean Township Lt. Steven Peters.


"Brown was arrested for hindering his own apprehension when he gave a false name during a motor vehicle stop, but a judge amended the charge to loitering," Peters said. "He never paid the fine."

The Ocean Township warrant for his arrest was issued Aug. 25, according to Peters. On Thursday, he was held on $1,078 bail, which he was unable to pay.


Asbury Park police also had a warrant out for Brown's arrest. When they learned Brown was arrested in Ocean Township, they charged him with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.


On Aug. 26, at about 1:23 a.m., Brown approached a Saturn parked near 400 Ridge Ave. in Asbury Park, which had a 17-year-old girl inside, and smacked a handgun against the window of the car, according to city Detective Lt. Mary Bulsiewicz.


The girl, whose name is not being released because she is a minor, got scared and reversed the car into a tree before shifting into drive and speeding past Brown, Bulsiewicz said.


The girl flagged down a police officer, who was around the corner at Ridge and Washington avenues, and reported the incident, according to Bulsiewicz. She identified Brown by photographs.


Brown was taken to Monmouth County Jail, Freehold Township, where he is being held on bail set at $100,000.


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International Fidelity Fined $442,000 for Bail Bond Violations; Other Bail Bond Insurers Put on Notice

DENVER, Sept. 7 -- The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Insurance issued the following news release:

Following an examination by the Division of Insurance, International Fidelity Insurance Company, a Colorado-regulated casualty company based in New Jersey, must pay a civil fine of $442,000 for numerous violations of insurance law related to Colorado bail bond business.

International Fidelity Insurance Company is licensed to provide a range of surety bonds in Colorado, but the recent market conduct examination focused solely on its bail bond business. Some issues addressed in the examination report include:

-Failure to handle funds in a fiduciary capacity,

-Failure to appropriately contract with all agents,

-Failure to require bail bond agents to complete required documentation,

-Failure to include all required information on documentation related to the issuance of bail bonds, and

-Failure to properly document deviations from filed rates.

"The Division's examination of International Fidelity Insurance Company is one of the first of several ongoing market conduct examinations we have conducted on bail bond insurers, but it will not be the last," said Insurance Commissioner Marcy Morrison. "The Division wants to send a clear message that the issues and the standards addressed in this exam will impact every bail bond insurer and its agents, as well as every cash and professional cash agent licensed in Colorado. There are other bail bond market conduct exams currently in progress and we expect to continue to call examinations on additional companies, both large and small."

Morrison pointed out that an agent accurately completing required bail bond paperwork is not optional; it is required in Colorado law. "The law's intent is to protect the consumer. Families and individuals who must use a bail bond agent can be in a vulnerable position and they depend on the bail bond agent to act appropriately to complete and file correct paperwork, which protects the consumer's interests," she said.

International Fidelity provided a remedial plan to correct the failures uncovered in the examination, which must now be implemented no later than December 31, 2010. The Division found that IFIC's remedial plan addressed the issues and violations set forth in the Final Agency Order. Morrison stated that over the next few months, the Division will expect and require all other bail bond insurers and agents in Colorado to reach the same level of compliance as seen in IFIC's plan .



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Bondsmen Charged with False Imprisonment

Richard Wayne Angle, 51, and Terry Lee Henderson, 44, representatives of AAA Freedom Bail Bonds, stand charged with false imprisonment, a serious misdemeanor after they allegedly held an individual for over 24 hours, handcuffed to a bed in a one-room garage with two dogs.
The two were arrested at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, at the Clay County Jail.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's report, Angle and Henderson assisted an individual in bonding out of jail as representatives of AAA Freedom Bail Bonds.

After family members of the individual realized that their home had been used as collateral, the family representatives contacted the bonding company and advised them the bond would be revoked and asked the lien to be released immediately.

Upon receiving the information, the two bail bondsmen located the individual and brought him back to the Clay County Jail. Jail officials advised Triple AAA bondsmen that they could not take the individual as no paperwork was available and it would take several days to clear through the courthouse.

Upon leaving the courthouse, the two men allegedly took the individual to Everly and handcuffed him to a bed in a garage and placed two rottwieller dogs in the garage with him. They held him there for over 24 hours according to the sheriff's report, waiting the paperwork to clear, and then brought the individual to the jail.

The complaint, filed by Cindy Brokens of Scotch Grove, on Aug. 31, suggested the false imprisonment occurred over a four-day period of time. The complaint suggested that the individual should have been released on bond in accordance with state laws, and the individual had the right to be released.

According to the report, the bondsmen in the investigation admitted they would have to let him go, and didn't have a driver's license to drive around and locate him again.


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Vegas Police Defend Hilton's Quick Jail Release

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas police are defending Paris Hilton's quick release from jail after her Aug. 27 arrest on suspicion of cocaine possession, saying they wanted to avoid disruptions in the jail's operations.

Hilton was out of the jail in about three hours, roughly half the average time it takes to process people facing the same charge through the Clark County Detention Center, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief Jim Dixon, who runs the jail, acknowledged Hilton was pushed through the booking process to get her into a separate room and out of the jail as soon as possible.

He noted a crowd of about 100 people gathered outside the Wynn Las Vegas resort to snap photos and shoot video of Hilton while her boyfriend, Cy Waits, was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

"Yeah, she was treated differently so I don't have a disruption of my process here at the county jail," Dixon told the Review-Journal. "When you bring somebody in like that, everybody comes over and tries to look at them. I'd have officers attempting to keep inmates away from her. I'd have disruptions."

Because of overcrowding, Hilton presented a major problem for jailers, Dixon added.

"She was moved along out of the general area and put in isolation where nobody can actually get to her. ... As soon as (her release on her own recognizance) was pushed through, she was kicked out," he said.

Jessica Murray of Bob's Bail Bonds said she was bothered by Hilton's rapid release. Murray, whose clients are mostly "working girls" arrested for nonviolent soliciting or trespassing, said the average booking time on those charges is four to 12 hours, followed by another four to 12 hours until release.

"I could understand putting her in a separate room. But I don't understand putting her above everyone else," Murray said. "If you're alleged to commit a crime, you get treated like everybody else."

But Tony Collins of 911 Bail Bonds said he understood why Hilton was treated differently.

"If she had gotten out in 30 minutes, that would have been special treatment," he said.

Hilton, 29, was charged with one felony count of cocaine possession after authorities say she opened a purse in front of a police lieutenant and a small baggie of cocaine fell out. Hilton claims neither the purse nor the cocaine was hers.

She's scheduled to appear before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure on Oct. 27.



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No Charges Yet in Death of Bail Bondsman

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The results of a month-long investigation into the shooting death of a bail bondsman are expected to be submitted to the District Attorney's office by the end of September, authorities said.

The investigation, conducted by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, centers on whether an 51-year-old man was justified at firing at Dean Patrick Maldonado when the bail bondsman entered the home of a Rancho Santa Margarita woman in July.

Investigators are awaiting laboratory results, said Dan Salcedo, investigator with the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Officials said the shooting occurred after a loud encounter outside the21300 block of Stonetower Drive, where a woman that Maldonado was dating lived.

Maldonado and the owner of the home had an on-and-off relationship, and another man was visiting her at the house when Maldonado arrived, Salcedo said.

Officials did not say why Maldonado, of Newport Beach, drove to the Rancho Santa Margarita home just before midnight, but an argument broke out as soon as he arrived.
Maldonado began screaming outside the home, prompting at least one neighbor to call 911, Salcedo said.

A second neighbor also called police, stating that Maldonado was screaming and standing in the backyard of the house.

Maldonado allegedly walked into the house through an unlocked sliding door and into an upstairs bedroom.

The woman's friend took a handgun that was being kept in a locked box, officials said.

Officials did not identify who, but either the woman or her friend dialed 911 to report the disturbance.

Maldonado then walked into the upstairs bedroom, where the 51-year-old man fired several times into his chest.

Officials have made no arrests and have declined to release the man's name, citing an ongoing investigation.


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Lower Bail for Nonviolent Suspects Helps County, Hurts Businesses

Getting out of jail in Spokane County is getting cheaper.

After years of inmate overcrowding and a push by the county to streamline the judicial system, prosecutors, defense lawyers and bond companies are seeing judges impose lower bail amounts on nonviolent crime suspects, making it easier to get out of jail while awaiting trial.

That trend, while helping reduce county spending, has triggered a mild backlash among those who tend to benefit from crowded jails and stiff bail requirements.

“It’s driving us out of the bonding business in this town,” said Rodger Betschart Jr., owner of Ace’s Bail Bonds.

Bail bond companies make their money by charging crime suspects a fee, usually about 10 percent of the total bail amount, in exchange for posting their bail. The higher the bail amount, the higher the fee.

One factor in reducing the jail population could be the expansion of a pretrial release program that analyzes a defendant’s criminal record, history of court appearances and ties to the community and makes a recommendation on whether they should be released. If a defendant has a history of compliance with court orders, for example, or no indications of violent behavior, judges are more likely to impose little or no bail, enabling suspects to return to their lives rather than sit in jail while awaiting trial.

“We’re trying different things instead of just locking them up and holding them with a high bond,” said Superior Court Judge Annette Plese, who monitors bond companies for the court.


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Thomas Porteous' Defense Says Four Judges Took Money From Corrupt Bond Agents

As Thomas Porteous, the impeached federal judge from Metairie, prepares his defense before the U.S. Senate, he is alleging that 10 other judges received money from the bail bonds company at the center of the expansive federal investigation into the Jefferson Parish Courthouse corruption.

In a "proposed stipulation of facts," Porteous' attorneys allege that these judges received money from Louis and Lori Marcotte, siblings who pleaded guilty in 2006 in a racketeering and mail fraud conspiracy connected to their business, Bail Bonds Unlimited. His attorneys don't describe the intent of the payments nor do they mention Porteous ever receiving money from the Marcottes.

Share But by suggesting that other judges were more susceptible than Porteous to the wiles of the Marcottes, the defense hopes to keep Porteous on the bench of the U.S. District Court in New Orleans. The House of Representatives impeached Porteous in March, setting up his trial in the Senate. If convicted by the Senate, Porteous would lose his lifetime job, which currently pays $174,000 a year. He's close to the end of a two-year paid suspension.

Porteous fell under suspicion after the FBI, in what the agency called Operation Wrinkled Robe, began examining allegations of corruption at the Gretna courthouse in 1999. He was a state judge there for 10 years until President Clinton appointed him to the federal bench in 1994.

The investigation sent two Gretna judges to prison, and a third was removed from office by the Louisiana Supreme Court. But the U.S. Justice Department decided not to charge Porteous with a crime, instead referring him to his federal court superiors for impeachment.

Of the 10 judges who reportedly received money from the Marcottes, Porteous' defense names only four: Patrick McCabe and Stephen Windhorst of the 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna, George Giacobbe of Jefferson's 1st Parish Court in Metairie and Roy Cascio of the 2nd Parish Court in Gretna. This is the first time these specific accusations, attributed to the Marcottes' depositions, have surfaced publicly in the aftermath of the Wrinkled Robe investigation.

Porteous' attorneys did not release the Marcottes' original testimony this week.


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Bail Bondsman Arrested For Forced Labor, Blackmail

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. - Lexington County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a bondsman on charges that he forced a woman to perform manual labor and sexual acts for him as a condition of posting her bail.

Curtis Jackson Maroney, 51, was arrested on charges of blackmail and trafficking in persons for forced labor or services.

He is being held without bond at the Lexington County Detention Center.

Maroney works as a licensed bondsman with a Lexington-based bonding company, Affordable Bonding Company.

Arrest warrants allege that on August 12, Maroney posted bail for the 39-year-old Lexington woman and obtained the woman’s release from the Lexington County Detention Center.

He posted her bail on the condition that the woman act as his girlfriend which included cleaning, cooking, as well as performing manual labor and sexual acts.

Maroney remained with the woman at all times and told the woman that he would revoke her bond and arrest her if she did not obey all of his commands.

Maroney extorted services from the woman in lieu of payment for bail.

The woman was arrested on July 31 on charges of driving under the influence. She was released August 12 after Maroney posted bail in cash that totaled $16,122.50.

On August 17, the woman reported the blackmail and forced labor allegations to the Sheriff’s Department after she convinced Maroney to drive her to her father’s home near Lexington to visit her two children.

Maroney waited in his vehicle outside the home of the woman’s father. After she telephoned the Sheriff’s Department, the woman refused to leave her father’s residence until she spoke with deputies.

Under South Carolina law, trafficking in persons for forced labor or services is a felony that carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. Blackmail carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.


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Bondsman Jailed After Targeting Wrong Home

A pair of Florida bail bondsmen found themselves in custody after entering the wrong house, according to Laurinburg police.

Ellis Fernandez Danley, 43, of Orlando, and Adrion John Webb, 28, of Ocoee, entered a Laurinburg home on Beech Street with guns at their sides while looking for a person who had skipped bail in Florida, according to a Laurinburg police report.

After interviewing the homeowner, they realized they had come to the wrong house, police said.

The homeowner told officers that one of the bondsman had his gun drawn, though he did not point the gun at anyone, Capt. Kim Monroe said. The other bondsman had his gun holstered.

Monroe said the person they were looking for had missed court on a misdemeanor charge.

Danley and Webb were charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering and placed in Scotland County jail under a $500 bond.

"Better preparation could and should have taken place before making that entry," Monroe said.

The pair work for All-Star Bail Bonds, according to the report.

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Final Charge Against Naples Bail Bondsman Dismissed

NAPLES — Living up to his nickname, Teflon Joe, Naples bail bondsman Joe Houston walked out of the Collier County Courthouse a free man on Monday, after a judge dismissed the last felony charge remaining against him.

The ruling by Circuit Judge Frank Baker came six months after the judge dismissed a majority of charges against Houston, 38, who owns Liberty Bail Bonds and Express Bail Bonds in Naples, Immokalee and Fort Myers.

It’s been nearly three years since Houston’s arrest on charges that he permitted a felon to act as a bail bond agent, allowed someone to act as a bail bond agent without a license and solicited business inside the county jail by making deposits into inmates’ commissary accounts. He faced up to five years in state prison on each felony.

The charge dismissed Monday, employing a convicted felon, involved Arrie Denise Robinson, 47, who is employed by Houston as a secretary at Express Bail Bonds in Immokalee. She was convicted of welfare fraud in 1986 and ordered to return $786.33 she’d illegally obtained.

Baker agreed with defense attorneys Michael Levin and Donald Day that the charge applies to bond agents, not office employees.

After Baker granted the motion to dismiss, Meike Moss, who works for Houston, hugged her boss as they walked out of court. Both declined comment, as did Levin, but Day hoped it would send a message to those who believe Houston acts illegally.


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Bail Bondsmen Face Tough Times

Although many people assume that the bail bonds industry would shine during difficult economic times, it now faces multiple challenges that are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on bail agents. Bail bonds are far from recession proof and bail bondsmen are faced with an unprecedented business environment.

Bail bondsmen make their money by posting bonds to courts on behalf of defendants, thus securing their release. However, a number of states are pushing pretrial release programs that would allow defendants to be freed from jail without having to use a bail bondsman. Essentially, the court steps in to selectively release defendants it feels are suitable to be freed without paying bail.

Pretrial release program advocates point to the positive effects of counseling and rehabilitation that usually accompany these programs. While bail bond trade groups are quick to cite the increased taxpayer costs of pretrial release programs when the state facilitates the release rather than a bail bondsman. Not coincidentally, those selected for pretrial release programs are often the most attractive bail bonds customers. They are those perceived to be low flight risks and having a high likelihood of appearing in court as ordered. In the end, the more pretrial release programs take hold, the more pressure bondsmen will face from shrinking markets and competing with government programs.

Not only are bail bondsmen feeling pressure from a fundamental shift in the bail and release paradigm, but the economy has also hampered the industry. While crime usually increases during difficult economies, it doesn’t necessarily translate to more robust business for bondsmen. Bail bondsmen are in essence lenders and the credit of potential borrowers isn’t great.




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Bail Bonds Now Available by Phone and Online From Almost Anywhere in the Country

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) August 14, 2010

While not at all like a get-out-of-jail-free card, BailZoom.com does provide a potentially valuable service to those who are in trouble with the law. When a bail bond is required to spring someone from the city jail, it often involves the frustrating task of sitting with a phone book trying to find a bail bondsman who answers the phone and who can help quickly.

With BailZoom.com, only one phone number is needed. The BailZoom network includes bail bond agents who can provide service in all 46 states where bail bonding is allowed. Because those who work in the bail bond industry are typically only licensed in one state due to the variation in laws and requirements from state to state, utilizing the information on the BailZoom Web site can save those in need of an agent a lot of time and trouble.

Some have found the process of finding a bail bond agent to be time consuming and frustrating, particularly on a weekend or holiday. BailZoom.com is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Someone is always available to answer questions and help locate an agent that can get the bail bond process started.

Because BailZoom.com has bail bond agents in all 46 states that allow bail bonding, the services are available nationwide. The process has been simplified, but the procedures are the same as with a traditional bail bond agent. The agent that works on each case is licensed in the state where the offense occurred and has a full understanding of local laws and procedures.

The fee is the same as it would be if the bail bond agent were located using any other method. Typically, the fee is between 8% and 15% of the total bond amount. In some cases collateral may be required, but in most cases BailZoom.com can provide a bond with no need for collateral.


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Panel Eyes Ways to Collect Bail Bucks in Philadelphia

Members of a state Senate panel yesterday heard a host of ideas to improve the city's bail-collection system - including using private bondsmen to chase after the money, and providing alternatives to cash bail.

About $1 billion in bail is owed to the city, and 47,000 bench warrants are outstanding for fugitives who failed to come to court.

Common Pleas President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe yesterday told the Judiciary Committee at a public hearing in Center City that the $1 billion figure is "mythical" because it is, for the most part, uncollectible.

She testified that the Clerk of Quarter Sessions office - which before April operated independently from the courts - failed to aggressively pursue bail collection.

Most of the money is uncollectible because the defendants have died, the clerk's office did not keep accurate records of addresses or the statute of limitations to collect the debt has passed.

The oldest bail debt was determined to date from 1943.

When asked by state Sen. Michael Stack, D-Northeast Philadelphia, how much of the $1 billion could be collected if the court system had all the resources it needed, Dave Wasson, chief deputy court administrator, estimated 2 to 3 percent, or $20 million to $30 million.

Dembe, Jodi Lobel, chief of the district attorney's charging unit, and Stuart Schuman, chief of the Municipal Court unit in the public defenders' office, told the senators that they did not think it would be a good idea to have private bail bondsmen operating extensively in the city again.

Dembe said the city had moved away from that system because of "corruption [and] physical abuse."

Brian J. Frank, president of Lexington National Insurance Corp., the only insurance company now underwriting bail bonds in criminal cases after the city placed high barriers to do such business here, testified that the business is different today from the 1960s - when corruption was the norm.


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