doublecleffmod-blog - Tumblr blog

[doublecleffmod-blog]

Best States To Own A Bail Bonds Company

Within the country today there is a lot of hubbub about bail bonds and should the business be allowed. There are many different points of view regarding this subject and it remains to be seen how it will all end up. In today’s climate any discussion on this subject must include a quick detour to go over the current political climate and how it may affect this industry in the future.

For those within the bail bonds industry some states are better than others, and in some, not allowed at all. California has a new law going into effect October 1st 2019 which changes their legal system and eliminates cash bails entirely. Instead the judges will asses the risk of the defendant to both the community and as a flight risk. The judge can either release the person under supervision or have them detained in jail until the trial or hearing.

States Where Bail Bonds Companies Are Illegal

As of 2008 there were only 4 states currently where for profit bail bonds companies are not allowed. They are Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin. In these states the courts act as the bail bond company in effect by allowing deposits directly to the courts in order to be released. 

As of 2012 two more states were added to this list. Nebraska and Maine now prohibit private for profit bail bond companies, and have similar systems as described above for Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin.

This seemed to be the trend for a while that states were going in. Still having bail amounts but having the courts take partial deposits and act as the bail company. However as of 2018 the trends seems to be shifting to be more like the California law discussed above that eliminates cash bail amounts entirely. 

Since California is leading the way on this (and for full disclosure I have not read their law), and since California has such a corrupt government, I (please forgive my conspiracy theory side lol) am very suspicious of this new law that their may be other things it does to serve other motives that restrict defendants freedoms and do not serve them better as the law advocates purport. I will write an article on that in the future after I have had time to study the law and can speak from a basis of actual facts than my own personal suspicions. 

New Jersey and Alaska have passed laws that have almost eliminated cash bails being set in most cases. These states have laws very similar to California’s law in that the judge assess risk to the community and flight risk in deciding when and how to release from jail pending trial. Their laws are not as extreme as California’s, but still put for profit bail companies out of business.

There are two United States Senators, Rand Paul, R-KY., and Kamala Harris, D-CA are working on a bill to completely change the bail system in America. The bill is called the “Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act”. It is designed to encourage the states to pass laws similar to California’s laws, and similar to federal laws, where release is based on flight risk of the defendant or their potential danger to the community. The bill allows for grants to state governments if they will change their laws to reform in this way. 

Best State Laws For Bail Bonds

Okay obviously stay away from the states we talked about above that have passed laws against for profit bail bondsmen, as well as states like California, Alaska and New Jersey which have eliminated all or most cash bail amounts.

Texas is still a very good state for the bail bonds industry. In Texas very few restrictions have been placed on bail bondsmen. The state has not passed laws that allow the courts to accept deposits, or laws that restrict the ability of the bond company to make a living.

In Tennessee the laws of the state seem more designed to protect the bail bond agent than other states. Once the defendant appears in court, the bail bond company is released from the bond.

In Utah the laws are still mostly favorable to a bail bonds company. In Utah (as in many other states) the bail bond agent is responsible for enforcing the condition of the defendant’s bail including apprehending the defendant and bring them to court. It is still a good state for bail bondsmen to do business.

Both Virginia and West Virginia are still very good states that favor the bail bonds industry. Very few restrictions have been placed on bail bondsmen. The state has not passed laws that allow the courts to accept deposits, or laws that restrict the ability of the bond company to make a living.

Arkansas laws require a bail bonds company to charge a ten percent on all bonds. It also sets a $50 minimum for any bond of $500.00 or less. But the law also requires additional fees to be collected on every bond.

Arizona is very similar to Arkansas laws. The bail bond agents fees are set at 10% of the bond amount. It does allow for a minimum on bonds $500 or less. Overall Arizona is still a friendly state to the bail bonds industry.

Conclusion:

Most other states are similar to these states listed that still allow for bail bonds. For more details I would recommend a quick Google search to find out more specifics about the laws in each state. The best is to type in the state name along with words similar to “bail bonds laws”, like “Texas bail bonds laws”. A search like that should get you the information that you need.

Hopefully this article was helpful. If you felt like it was please share it on your Facebook or other social media accounts. This helps us spread the word.  Thank you so much and God bless. Please see our links below for other helpful articles.

Please also see our articles “What To Look For In A Bail Bond Company” and “Biggest Challenge to Bail Bond Companies Today”.

[doublecleffmod-blog]

What To Look For In A Bail Bond Company

If you need the services of a bail bonds company, it is not one of your better days, lets face it. When customers call a bail agent they or a loved one have been arrested. This is a scary time. How do you know who to call or who you can trust? Hopefully I will help answer some of these questions as we get through this article.

Are They Local

Why would being local be important? If they are clear across the state then everything has to be done electronically. Now there is nothing wrong with doing things electronically. In fact that is a bonus if your local guy can do everything electronically. The problem is if there is an issue, sometimes a physical visit from an experienced bondsman to the court can solve a problem, or identify the actual problem so that it can be solved, much quicker. 

We all know how difficult and can be at times to get through government phone lines when things are busy. You may be able to wait for things to be solved by phone or electronically with other services. But when it comes to getting out of jail, not so much. So a good rule of thumb is hire the most reputable local bondsman.

How Long Have They Been In Business?

This is a very important issue. And if it is a big agency, how long has the bondsmen assigned to work with you been doing it? A large part of the value that a bond company brings to the table is how quickly can they get you through the bureaucracy out home with your family. Granted if you don’t have money for the bail yourself, you need a bail service. But not all bail services are the same. You want one that has been doing it for many years, knows the ropes, and can save you wasted time from lack of knowledge. An experienced caring bail bondsman will get you released with a lot less hassle than an inexperienced one.

Are They Members of PBUS?

What is PBUS? It stands for the “Professional Bail Agents Of The United States”. It is a national bail bonds association. Being a member of this organization typically means that your bond agency wants to be a leader in his industry and to do things right.

It means that they care about current events and legislation relating to the industry as well. This is important because they will be aware of legal problems some in the industry are facing and will naturally make them avoid practices that can get them in trouble. Knowledge is power and agencies that stay involved in this association will be a step ahead of those that do not.

Are They Members Of Their Local Chamber Of Commerce?

Now this one admittedly is not as important as being a member of PBUS. But however if your agency is a member this does show that they are pro-active in the community and with other business owners. Why is this important? Because it is additional evidence that they are an upstanding and reputable organization. It is hard to be a crook and stay a member of your local chamber of commerce for a long time. It can be done. But most likely not.

How Are Their Google Reviews?

Now notice I did not ask about their yelp reviews. The reason why yelp reviews are not as relevant in my opinion is because yelp is notorious for hiding a companies positive reviews unless they join their paid services. I have personally seen several local business owners complain about this. And then I searched online for reviews on yelp and found many many similar complaints like this by other business owners around the nation. Google is not perfect but their reviews are more trustworthy.

Now when you are looking at the Google review of an agency what you are looking for is 3 things. First, how many reviews do they have? The more reviews they have the more likely it is a fair sampling of their customer’s experiences. Second, What is the average star rating? Obviously the higher the better. And third, how recent are the most recent reviews? If you are looking at an agency and their most recent review was 5 years ago, I would go with one that has more recent information.

Do You Know Anyone Who Has Used Them Before?

This is the best way to know for sure you have a trustworthy agency, if you know someone personally who has used them before. A personal reference or referral is the best way to find a company to do business with in any industry. 

We have all heard horror stories of someone dealing with the company from hell where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and where the business did not seem to care. You do not want to deal with a company like that when your very freedom is hanging in the balance. Out of the many types of businesses we use in the course of our lives, choosing the right bail bonds service, should you need one, ranks among the most important.

Conclusion:

So basically it comes down to this. If you need the services of a bail bonds agency look for one that is local, that has been in business for a long time, that is a member of PBUS, (and if possible also their local chamber of commerce), and that has the best Google reviews (as described above). And most important of all if possible an agency that is referred to you by someone who has used them before and was happy with them. This is our recommendation.  I sincerely hope this article was helpful. If it was please share it on your social media accounts.

Please also see our articles “Bail Bonds as an Industry”, “ Best States To Own A Bail Bonds Company” and “Biggest Challenge to Bail Bond Companies Today”.

[doublecleffmod-blog]

Bail Bonds as an Industry

History of Bail Bonds Industry

Early clay tablets from ca. 2750 BC describe actual bail bond surety agreements made in what is today modern Iraq, in the Akkadian city of Eshnunna. Back then they probably beheaded you or at least removed a limb if you didn’t show up for court. 

The first bail bonds service in the United States was founded by Peter P. McDonough in San Francisco California in 1898. His business kicked into high range during the chaos after the big earthquake in San Francisco in 1906. Back in those days there was not anyone regulating the industry and keeping companies honest. McDonough and his brother Tom who was his partner were accused of all kinds of corruption such as extortion, bribery, perjury, suborning witnesses, tampering with and buying judges, bootlegging, corrupting officials and controlling and the paying off of police. Peter and Tom were both wealthy and influential in San Francisco. They were Irish-Catholic by religion. 

What A Bail Bonds Service Does

In modern days bail bondsmen have security agreements with the local court systems they work with that allows them to post bonds on behalf of people who are arrested, and a bail is set by a court. If the person arrested does not show back up for court, the bail bonds company must pay the court the bail amount. 

This is done through what is called a irrevocable blanket bond, which pays the court if any of their clients do not appear for court. This usually includes an arrangement with an insurance company that pledges the security to cover the bonds if they need to be paid.

In some states anyone can become a bail bond agent. In others bail bond agents must have a special license to operate. Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin have outlawed bail bond agents altogether. 

What Makes The Best Bail Bond Agency

The best bail bonds company is a company that cares about his or her clients and views themselves as a servant of his clients. That sounds kind of preachy but it really is  true in any business. Companies that provide the best customer service are those companies that put the needs of their clients first and do their best to serve them.

This is why you will notice that the best bail bonds agencies typically have a lot of positive Google reviews. We live in a review society now days and people look at reviews when deciding which company to choose to use. But the best bail bond companies have many many past clients who are so thankful for and really appreciate their bail bond company because they were such an aid and a guide through their difficult time.

Characteristics Of A Quality Bail Bonds Company

Following are the 4 top things that a quality bail bonds company will do:

They are organized and on top of things.

They are experienced and know what they are doing. They don’t make mistakes resulting from inexperience

They make the decisions that lend to a speedy release from jail. They get their clients out of jail much faster than they would be able to on their own.

They set up a return and report procedure with their clients where the clients report in every so many days. This protects both the client and the bail bondsmen by keeping the client focused on the hearing date and on what they need to do to prepare for it.

If a bail bonds company does a great job in these 4 areas, they will have very happy customers loyal to them and leaving them positive Google reviews.

Conclusion:

In conclusion bail bondsmen are a valuable service, and people count on them very much during a scary time of need. Choosing a reputable bail bondsman makes all the difference in the world because they will have the experience and know how to get you or your loved one released from jail and home quickly, and will do so with a good bedside manner.

A good bail bond agent can be a great help as well as emotional support during this time of crises. This does not mean that your bondsman is your bartender or your therapist. What is means is they are that rock that has been through this process numerous times before and can ease tensions and provide that feeling that things are not as bad as they may seem. 

They cannot make your charges go away. But they can guide their client through the difficult process which will get them home to their family much faster than they could on their own.

Please also see our articles “Why Use A Bail Bonds Service”, “ What To Look For In A Bail Bond Company” and “Biggest Challenge to Bail Bond Companies Today”.

[doublecleffmod-blog]

Why Use A Bail Bonds Service

Well it goes without saying that if you didn’t get arrested you do not need our help! This article is directed at those who either have been rested, may get arrested, or who have a family member in either of those situations. 

Let’s get started. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. We have all heard that saying but it is really true. It is also true that good people do stupid things sometimes. And last of all sometimes good people are accused of things they did not do. 

If you ever find that yourself or a loved one has been arrested, if it is a serious enough issue, or a repeat offense, the bail amount may be more money that you have access to.

Cost of a Bail Bonds Service

In most states the out of pocket cost to the person getting bailed out of jail is 10% of the amount of bail when you use a bail bonds company. The percentage may vary from that depending on unique situations, low bail amounts or sometimes with higher flight risk clients. Below is a short video I found on youtube where the guy is talking about how much you might have to come up with initially to get a bail bonds agent to put up your bail.

So as you can see a bail bonds service makes coming up with the money to get our of jail as easy as they possible can. They will often even take payments on their fee. A bail bondsman is trying to help you, not take advantage of you, assuming you are using a reputable experienced agent.

What If I Don’t Make Bail?

Well the simple answer is you stay in jail at least until your court date. The whole idea behind bail is the court wants you to have a reason to come back to the actual court or hearing. The court wants you to have skin in the game.

Once in a while if a person is either unemployed, or have an understanding boss, they will elect to not post bail and just stay in jail and wait for the court date. Depending on the jail that you will be held in this may not be a very safe option. But even if your county jail is relatively safe, jail is extremely boring. And you are often around criminals which can purposely annoy you and possibly even bully you. Let’s face it jail is not supposed to be fun or it would not be a good crime deterrent.

The worse part about staying in jail while you are waiting for your court date (assuming you are not missing work), is that you often can’t as easily prepare your defense. Your phone calls from jail are very limited. You can’t just drive down to an attorney for a free consultation to discuss your options while sitting in the pokey. Even if you decide to go with a public defender your access is much more limited to them while in jail. Many people in this situation have lamented that the bail fee amount was so very worth it because had they been able to prepare a proper defense, they would have spent less time in jail and gotten a lesser charge and/or sentence. 

What If I am not as Responsible as I should be?

This sounds like a silly question. Be responsible! But for a large part of those finding themselves arrested, part of the problem was the chaos in their lives. If they have a substance abuse problem for example they can be very unreliable. But often even is substance addiction is not a problem, the person may be working more than one job, have children to care for, not have a reliable car and a host of other crazy things that make life challenging. 

Many arrested persons after using a bail service were most grateful for the accountability that checking in with the bail agent regularly gave them. It kept them thinking about the court date and all of the things that needed to be done to prepare. It made them better at following up on things they needed to for and with the attorney or public defender, and just made the over all process easier to handle.

Reassurance During A Scary Time

Now this is one of the most common things people thank bail bonds companies for. Getting arrested is a frightening experience, even if you have been through it before. People tell us that it really really helps to have someone who knows the ropes and can navigate a release from jail quickly. Often times we are a basket case because of the stress of the situation. It helps to have a constant steady aid to guide us through the process.

Believe it or not often the bail bonds agent can be a source of strength and emotional support as well. The bail agent agreed to take your case because they were willing to take a chance on you that you will keep your word and show up for court. As silly as that may sound to you now, when you have just been arrested you feel like the whole world no longer trusts you. Often bail agents become friends with the inmate or even the family members and can give needed reassurance that this really is not the end of the world.

Conclusion:

As long as you are dealing only with reputable bail bond services, the vast majority of people who have used a bail agent say that if they had to do it over again they would never want to go through that process alone. They found their bail bondsmen extremely valuable and helpful.

So again make a mental not of what we are talking about here. Hopefully you will never be in need of the services of a bail bondsman. But if you or a loved one ever find yourself arrested in the future, a good bail agent can feel like a saving grace.

Like with most businesses we recommend that you get a referral if you can from someone you trust as to a good company to use. If nobody you know has ever used a bail company then at least look for a company that has the most highest rated reviews on Google or other review site. Don’t just see the reviews on the bail companies own website.

I hop this article was helpful. If it was please share it with those that you love and on your social media.

See also our article “Biggest Challenge to Bail Bond Companies Today” and “Bail Bonds as an Industry”.

[doublecleffmod-blog]

Biggest Challenge to Bail Bond Companies Today

When I was a kid a bail bondsman was kind of a hero of sorts. He wasn’t quite a Colt Seavers bounty hunter type hero. He was the guy that took a chance on someone and got him out of jail so that the person could be with their family and have time to prepare the best possible defense. Today they are treated like they are praying on the week and the poor. But back then it was just the opposite. Bail bonds agents were helping the weak and the poor, giving them a better chance so to speak.

In an NBC article entitled “Civil rights groups want to put bail bond industry on death row” groups funded by radical left billionaires calling themselves “civil rights groups” have declared war on the industry. In the actual civil rights days from the civil war to people like Martin Luther King Jr true civil rights groups were always Republican or viewed as from the right side of the political spectrum. 

In July of 2018 Google stopped allowing bail bond companies to advertise in Googe Adwords. Like pay day loan companies Google considers bail bond companies businesses that take advantage of the poor.

The 2 Different Arguments

Those For:

First, lets talk about the bail bond industry side. Bail bondsmen in the old days were looked at as those people protecting the poor from excessive bail amounts. They were the ones who evened the playing field and made it so the poor had the same ability as the rich.

They claim that what makes the bail amounts higher right now is the fact that many of their customers are repeat offenders and have a history of not showing up for court dates. By having a bail company step in it gives some added accountability to the charged person by having them check in regularly with the bail company or have to deal with a bounty hunter searching for them.

The idea here is that their are many non violent repeat offenders who because of dependence on drugs or alcohol, were they just to be let out by the court, they would not show up to their court dates, just like they have failed to do in the past. Their is also then an added cost by these people to the taxpayers because the government must spend time trying to hold court for people who do not show up. Not showing up for court is then another criminal issue and increases the charge and penalties on the person.

A bail bonds service takes this burden off of the tax payers by doing their own risk assessment and bailing out those repeat offenders with higher bail that they believe with a little supervision they can get them to show up for their court date which helps the one charged with the crime by helping them be more responsible. It also saves the time and costs of the government which translates into saving tax payers the extra costs.

Bail bondsmen contend that those with lesser charges, first time offenders or those who have shown up in the past for court dates, are given lower bail amounts already. So low in fact that it is often not necessary for them to hire a bail bonds service.

Those Against:

Okay now let’s talk about the argument from the side that do not like the bail bonds industry. The argument is that people charged with non violent crimes are treated the similar to those charged with violent crimes in that they have to put up bail when charged or stay in jail. The claim is that many people get charged with non violent crimes such as shop lifting or illegal drug use, and then can’t make bail because they do not have the money. Their only choice is to call a bail bonds company and have them put up the bail. But even their fees many cannot afford. 

When someone more well off is charged with a crime they just write a check and get out, and then get their money back when they show up to court. But a poorer person who had to use a bail bonds service still owes the 10% of the bail amount to the bail company. The claim is that this is unfair to the the poor.

Also what they say happens to many of these poor is because they cannot make bail they often lose their jobs, and sometimes their apartments. In some cases they say even their children were taken away and given to foster parents, all because the person could not afford bail.

What they say would be a more fair system would be to use history and risk assessment tools to help determine those that are most likely to show up for the court dates. Those that are high flight risks get bail but those who are not don’t. 

The other part of their plan would be to treat violent offenders differently as well. They would give high bails to those charged with violence and not to those charged with non violent crimes. The idea is violent people are a bigger risk to society as compared to non violent criminals. 

“The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”“ a quote from constitutioncenter.org. 

Conclusion:

In conclusion as with most issues with opposing opinions the answers are somewhere in the middle. Bail bonds companies are not the arch villains and do provide a valuable service to our community. Just because laws are written in such a way that sometimes non violent people are given too high of bail is not the bail bond industry’s fault. Correct those laws. The bail bond industry is fine with that. Give non violent and lower risk offenders lower bail amounts or no bail at all. But don’t destroy an industry that provides a useful service in the process. 

There are still those with violent (howbeit less violent) crimes, where a bail bondsman can help a person who made a stupid mistake get out so that they can prepare their defense. Likewise those who commit non violent crimes who repeatedly don’t show up can be benefited by the extra accountability provided by a bondsmen. Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater in other words.

Please also see our article “Why Use A Bail Bonds Service”.

Another blog article that might be of interest to you is “Becoming A Better Bail Bond Company”.