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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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