The Bail Bonds Industry Should Learn From The Banking Industry

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

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

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County Approves Bail Bond Board

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

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

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

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

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In Defense of Bounty Hunting

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

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

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Bail Bonds Advocates Fined in Colo. for Campaign Finance Violation

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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