Bail group touts job potential

By Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

June 18, 2011

Gov. Scott Walker promised he would create more jobs in Wisconsin.

The American Bail Coalition says it can help, with a privately run bail bonds system it says will create 1,500 jobs.

Last week, the budget the Senate handed Walker included a provision that would set up a system of bail bondsmen in Wisconsin. | Read More

The Reality of Bail Bonds Television

Author: Sandra Ryder

Through the proliferation of reality television, tens of millions of people have become voyeurs to society's previously unfamiliar segments.

The bail bonds industry, in particular, has been touched by this modern day phenomenon. A&E's smash hit, "Dog The Bounty Hunter", has made its protagonist, Duane "Dog" Chapman, a household name. The show put bail bonds and bounty hunting squarely in the collective living rooms, and conscience, of people around the world with its colorful characters and compelling story lines | Read more

Ledger-Enquirer.com | 06/20/2011 | Columbus police: Bondsmen lead police to drug bust involving high school student

Ledger-Enquirer.com 06/20/2011 Columbus police: Bondsmen lead police to drug bust involving high school student

Tips to Avoid Arrest

Anyone with any knowledge of the law knows that there are a variety of ways they can be arrested. It’s not too hard to stay away from arrest, though, if one simply avoids risky situations and uses good judgment.

Follow these simple tips, and you can avoid yourself the financial headaches of fees from the court, attorneys and bail bondsmen, as well as losing time on the job or possibly losing your job.

1. Simply Use Common Sense

When you find yourself in a compromising situation or something just doesn’t seem right, remove yourself from that situation. You never know how quickly things can go awry, so by avoiding situations that give you the wrong feeling, you can easily avoid the repercussions of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If things do go awry, treat police officers and other representatives of the law with respect.

2. Be a Good Driver

Put simply, be a good, lawful driver. Don’t drink and drive, get a designated driver or a cab. You can avoid DUIs, DWIs and car accidents this way. Also, don’t keep anything illegal in your car. Your car could be impounded if you’re pulled over and illegal items are discovered, and you could face multiple
charges.

3. Maintain Control When Drinking

When out drinking, maintain control of your situation. If you find yourself in a drunken argument or brawl, you could find yourself in the drunk tank or being charged with something you could have avoided.

4. Keep Your Presciption Drugs Labeled

Keep prescriptions drugs in the container they came in and do not mix medications in one container. That looks suspicious in the eyes of the law. Be aware of what substances are in your car at all times; you can be fined and face other prosecution even for what your passengers have in your vehicle.

5. Stay Home if Going Out is Risky

If you’re thinking of going somewhere that you know may present a compromising situation, don’t go. By hanging out at home, you can potentially avoid arrest.

6. Do Not Resist Arrest

Never accost a police officer. It will almost always result in additional offenses, and the police will not be on your side throughout the process. If you have issues with the way your arrest was handled, there may be a legal remedy.

7. Avoid Warrants

Obey the law. Pay all fines and show up to your court dates. Never ignore a ticket or a charge, take the appropriate steps immediately. If you don’t, a warrant for your arrest could be issued.

8. Don’t Steal

Businesses have a variety of security precautions in place to avoid theft. Stealing even a small item could cost you time and money that could have been spent on more constructive things. If you can’t afford something, wait until you can.

9. Know Weapons Laws

Make sure you know how to lawfully use and possess any weapons you may own. Register weapons and guns properly, and make sure you know what constitutes a weapon in the state where you live. Knowing the law can help you avoid legal trouble.

10. Follow Traffic Laws

A lot of crimes and punishments can be avoided if you don’t speed and you follow traffic laws. Oftentimes, multiple charges can result when a motorist is pulled over for breaking a traffic law.

Jail is a dangerous and unsafe place. Many innocent, non-dangerous defendants sit in jail every day that should be at home with their families. Often mistakes are made that will never be made again by individuals.
Allow us to help you through your time of need. Our staff is available 24 hours a day – 7 days a week to help you and your family even after we post bail. We will be by your side through the entire bail process and beyond.

How Bail Works in Arizona

Bail procedures are the same in all states across the United States. Bail works in Arizona in the same way that it works in every other state in the country.

Additionally, while many people have a loosely defined definition of what bail is, they might not understand exactly how it works. In order to understand how bail works, it is important to understand what bail is and why it is used.

Bail is used after a person has been arrested and booked. It is an amount of money that the courts will charge, as a refundable bond, in order to ensure that a defendant will complete his or her legal obligation to the courts by attending all trials and court appearances until the case is complete.

Bail is a monetary amount that is based on the crime that the defendant has been accused of committing. The amount of the bail varies based on the crime, but is generally the same across Arizona for all similar crimes. For example, bail for a DUI would be the same in Scottsdale as it is in Phoenix. However, additional factors, such as prior arrests, may increase an individual's bail amount.

It is important to note that bail is a refundable amount of money. The bail amount is held as a bond until the defendant completes the legal obligation to the courts. As soon as that obligation is complete, the amount of the bail is refunded to the payee of the bail.

When a defendant is unable to pay for bail on his or her own, the defendant may use the services of a bail bondsman with an Arizona bail bonds company such as 24/7 Get Bail or Better Bail Bonds.

A bail bondsman is responsible for paying for the total cost of the bail for the defendant. Bail bondsmen generally charge about ten percent of the total cost of the bail as a down payment for the services. This down payment is non-refundable, but can usually be paid by credit card, personal check, wire transfer, or a variety of other methods.

In order for the bail bonding company to get its money back after the defendant is released from jail, the defendant needs to complete the legal obligation to the courts. For this reason, bail bondsmen may track down fugitives if they fail to appear in court or if the bondsmen suspects that the fugitive may flee.

Once the defendant completes his or her legal obligation to the courts, the bondsman will receive a full refund of the bail amount, regardless of whether or not the defendant is innocent or guilty

5 Common Myths About Bail Bond Agents

The myths and urban legends surrounding bail agents go from those heart-pounding, action-packed tales that reality TV and movies of the week tell, to the simplistic, hum-drum “get ‘em danno” episodic television shows that seem real enough for the average person to believe.

The truth is, most of what you hear about bail bond agents is more fiction than fact. Here are a few popular myths about bail agents that have made impressions on Americans coast-to-coast.

Myth #1 – All Bail Agents are Bounty Hunters

Bounty hunters have become popular figures thanks to Dog the Bounty Hunter’s reality TV show. This show has also blurred the line between bail agents and bounty hunters, leading many to believe that the two are one and the same.

In truth, most bail agents are not bounty hunters. For most bail agents, there is no heart-pounding action, the chase is not on, and they don’t actively pursue fugitives like Dog the Bounty Hunter does on television.
For one thing, Dog is a fugitive recovery agent who catches criminals in exchange for monetary payment. Bail agents are responsible for writing bail bonds and ensuring that defendants show up in court, and they may hire bounty hunters to locate and apprehend fugitives.

Myth #2 – Bail Agents take a Defendant’s Money and Have No Responsibility

A bail agent is tasked with helping people post bail. When a person employs a bail agent to assist with their release, the premium paid (or fee for bail) works as insurance to the bail agent that the defendant will show up for court dates. The agreement is legal and binding, which means that there is no room for irresponsibility. In fact, if the defendant does not appear for court, the bail agent is liable for the entire bail amount, as set by the court system.

Myth #3 – All Bail Agents are Men

In the State of California alone, over half of the bail agents are women. There are at least 15,000 bail agents in the nation, half of whom are women.

Myth #4 – Bail Agents Operate Outside of the Law

This is probably the biggest myth of all. In order to be a fully functional bail agent, there is a plethora of ongoing training that the bail agent needs to be a part of. Additionally, there are a number of professional organizations that support and promote the bail profession. The Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS) association offers membership, information on the laws governing the profession and other tips on how to improve bail agents’ performance.

Myth #5 – All Bail Agents Operate Like they do in the Movies.

Films such as “The Hunter,” “Midnight Run,” “Pink Cadillac” and a host of others add that insatiable sense of adventure that moviegoers need in order to understand what may normally be seen as mundane dutie. Bail agents are actually entrepreneurs who have a passion for working within the boundaries of the law.

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Allow Better Bail Bonds and 24/7 Get Bail to help you through your time of need. Our staff is available 24 hours a day – 7 days a week to help you and your family even after we post bail. We will be by your side through the entire bail process and beyond.

Know Your Rights

Sometimes good people can get into bad situations, and being arrested is a stressful process for anyone.

You have to consider your legal rights, the need for obtaining a bail bond, and what to do if you are detained.

If you or someone you love is ever arrested, there are rights that every citizen has at the time of their arrest and after. These rights are provided by amendments to the Constitution of the United States, and cannot be waived by anyone other than you.

• You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say to or in the presence of your arresting officer can and will be used against you in court. If the officer asks you any questions, you have the right not to answer. It is always wise to provide identification and address information when requested.
  
• You have the right to legal counsel. You can request a lawyer the instant of your arrest, and there are laws which allow you the right to make a single phone call once you’ve arrived at a holding facility. These laws may vary by state. You can use this call to notify your family, request bail, or contact an attorney.
  
• You have the right to post bail. Under the law of the State of Arizona, bail can be posted by anyone on your behalf. Please note that laws regarding the posting of bail may vary from state to state. If you or your family cannot afford to post bail for you, a bail bonds agency can post bail on your behalf.

While you are free to exercise your rights in case of an arrest, make sure you avoid things you shouldn’t do. Cooperate with your arresting officer’s directions, do not challenge the officer, and contact your bail bondsman right away.

24/7 Get Bail and Better Bail Bonds can answer your questions about posting bail and can enable you to go home to your family.

Visit our website to see how we can help in the event that you or someone you know is arrested, or contact us at 1-800-GET-BAIL to exercise your rights.

What to look for in a Bail Bond Agent

When you, a loved one or a friend is placed under arrest, you may be given an opportunity to be released to wait at home until your trial begins. The court can decide to set bail; this amount of money can be paid to the court in exchange for temporary freedom. Once you or your loved one attends all of the mandatory court dates, the court will pay the bail amount back.

Bail is a system that benefits both the accused and the legal system. Instead of taking up space and money by spending time in jail until their trial dates, the accused are able to stay at home and prepare for their cases while the court saves taxpayer money by not having to keep the accused in jail.

Many people do not have the means to pay bail money completely on their own. Bail bondsmen are able to help these people by paying the majority of the bail amount in exchange for a small

percentage.

If you are in need of a bail bond agent, you should look for the following qualities:

• 24-hour, seven day a week service. Arrests can happen at anytime of the day or night, so it is important to find a bail bonds company that is available 24-hours a day, every day. This ensures that you or your loved ones will be able to leave jail as soon as possible.
• Great reputation. Word-of-mouth is important in the bail bonds business. This makes friends, family members, and neighbors all good resources. Ask your loved ones if they’ve used a bail bond services, or have known anyone that has used a bail bond service, and what services that bail bond agency offered.
• Mobile services. Many bail bond companies offer mobile services, letting you exchange information through fax and telephone conversations. This helps take some of the stress away from a very stressful situation. Bail bond agencies can also conduct all necessary paperwork in the field to be able to get your loved one out of jail as quickly as possible.

At 24/7 Get Bail and BetterBailbonds, we provide reliable, professional services to help you and your family during this difficult and overwhelming time. Let our family help your family today!