Thursday, April 05, 2007

Bail Bond Industry Facing Crackdown

courant.com | Bail Bond Industry Facing Crackdown: "Lawmakers are calling for more stringent oversight of the state's bail bond industry following last week's arrest of three prominent bail bondsmen accused of bribing a New Haven police officer.

One of those three people facing federal bribery charges, Paul Jacobs, 48, led a fierce lobbying campaign against the reforms when they were first proposed and ultimately rejected by state lawmakers three years ago.

The reforms would move oversight of the bail bond industry from the Department of Insurance to the Department of Public Safety. Critics have charged that the insurance department has not adequately enforced state bail bond laws.

A 2004 legislative review of the industry, prompted by a series of stories in The Courant, found the largely unregulated bail bond businesses rampant with illegal and unprofessional pricing and business practices. "

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