Author: tkanger

Legacy on Lanier Golf Club located on scenic Lake Lanier near Buford, Georgia was the site of the 6th Annual Georgia Sheriffs’ Association Statewide Golf Tournament held June 22. Proceeds raised from the event go to the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes.   The Georgia Association of Professional Bondsmen made a contribution and placed a sponsor’s tent on the 11th hole where GAPB volunteers handed out cold bottles of water and goodie bags to golfers enduring the 90 degree heat.   It doesn’t take a lot of encouragement to help kids. I attended the event on behalf of American Surety Company, an event sponsor. American Surety Company has a number of agent partners in Georgia and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to support the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and their worthwhile efforts on…

After a three week lull in travel in early April, I was off and running again with trips to Texas, California, Georgia and Tennessee.  Amid my travels I tried to keep abreast of critical legislative events occurring in Alabama, California, Colorado, Louisiana and Missouri.   Alabama bondsmen tried in vain to defeat the implementation of an oppressive $35 bond fee while California bail groups make their opposition known on the Hancock bill (SB1180) that provides the first option of release to be on one’s own recognizance. We can trust them, right?   Over in Colorado there was a harmony of efforts to continue the authority of the Division of Insurance to regulate bail through 2017. It appears all interested parties walked away happy though not fully satisfied. That’s when you know it’s the best…

I love to go to movies. I’m looking forward to seeing The Avengers this weekend.  If ever I heard of a movie that had a bounty hunting priest hired to track down fugitives for Church’s Bail Bonds I would certainly go. The reason I like going to movies is to escape reality for a few hours.  In the case of a church writing bail, this could be the reality in Michigan if HB 5533 were to pass. HB 5533 would create “Charitable Bail Organizations” who could act as surety on a bail bond for no compensation.   If you’re a sinner charged with an ordinance violation, misdemeanor and yes, even a felony, under HB 5533 you could ask your local church to post your bond and you wouldn’t even be required to toss…

I got up early this morning to pick-up my folks, Jack and Annette, at their home to run them out to the airport. They were flying to Ft. Lauderdale where they will board a cruise ship that will take them south then west through the Panama Canal and ultimately to their final destination of San Diego. The trip will take about three weeks. Life after bail.   During the drive out to Indianapolis International we discussed bail, as usual. After working for him, with him, for 18 years, bail is still part of our regular conversations. I mentioned to him “I’m working with James Conrad, a recovery agent out of Memphis who asked me to pass along a hello.”  Jack said, “Hell, he’s as old as I am and he’s still going at it?” Dad…

Philly court taps the bail agent to help with appearance rate It has been three years since a series of articles ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer shining a spotlight on Philadelphia's broken bail system.  The expose cited one billion dollars of uncollected forfeited bail, nearly 50,000 long term bench warrants for failure to appear, witness intimidation and a criminal justice system bearing no teeth and largely ignored by criminal offenders.   Earlier this month, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Administrative Governing Board, released Administrative Order No. 01 of 2012. The Administrative Order acknowledged a historical failure to appear rate of 30% among criminal defendants with cases in the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court and more than 60,000 outstanding warrants for failure to appear overall.  These are just a few elements that underscore the ineffectiveness of a one-size-fits-all Ten Percent…

Columbia, SC – I travelled to Columbia this week to attend a continuing education class held by the South Carolina Bail Agents Association. American Surety Company sponsored this particular class and with our sponsorship I was granted the opportunity to teach a segment of the course. I elected to speak about professionalism and the importance of conducting oneself in an appropriate manner when dealing with customers, clerks, judges and law enforcement. There is a steady stream of new licensees entering commercial bail so it is very important each retail owner guide and instruct their staff on the proper way to conduct themselves when dealing with the public and the courts.   As is customary in SCBAA continuing education classes, a representative of the Department of Insurance is invited to go over laws and…

Las Vegas, NV - Georgia bondsman Scott Hall is the new President of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States. He won a close election over Connecticut’s Mary Casey. Scott brings many years of bail experience and extensive knowledge of running a business to the position and an impressive track record of legislative achievements as part of the legislative committee of the Georgia Association of Professional Bondsmen.   Also up for election were the Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Beth Chapman - that’s right, Mrs. Duane “Dog” Chapman – was elected Senior Vice President while Pam Jackson retained her position as Treasurer and Maggie Kreins was voted in as the new Secretary.   Guest speakers included Dennis Bartlett, Executive Director of the American Bail Coalition, and Chief Circuit Court Judge John…

The Professional Bail Agents of the United States will hold its Winter Conference at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas February 20 - 23.  This year's conference will include its staples Certified Bail Agents classes, Surety Council Meeting, Council of Bail Association Presidents, Welcome Reception and the Awards & Recognition Dinner.  Guest speakers will include American Bail Coalition Executive Director Dennis Bartlett and Chief Circuit Judge John G. McBain of Jackson County, Michigan. There will also be an election of select officers and board members including president, whose terms are expiring.  It is very important all PBUS voting members attending the conference participate and cast their vote for candidates who they feel will best represent the interest of all bail agents. I'm looking forward to attending this year's meeting and spending time with all the good people…

Austin, TX - New PBT President Scott Walstad of Dallas elected to spend his first months at the helm of one of the nation’s prominent bail agent associations getting their fiscal house in order.  The first hour or so of the Board of Directors meeting in the year's first quarterly meeting was spent talking about expense reports and meeting costs.  The objective, where can costs be reduced and processes streamlined to save costs.   The meeting, held at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Austin was not all about cost cutting.  There was still work to be done on the legislative front even though Texas Legislature is in hibernation.  Redistricting will bring a number of changes and new faces to the legislature in 2012-2013.  This will require a lot of work by the PBT Legislative Committee…

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in his recent State of the State address, called for no bail for repeat violent offenders. Christie said, “We can only improve our quality of life by keeping the most violent criminals off the streets”.   This is not a new direction for New Jersey. Last November, Governor Christie signed into law A 1491, which expanded the current list of criminal offenses carrying a bail restriction, to include crimes involving domestic violence. Anyone arrested for a charge of an aggravated nature like sexual assault, robbery, carjacking and now domestic violence must either post full cash, a bond secured by real estate or a fully insured bail bond. This class of offender cannot be released on their own recognizance or a ten percent cash bond.   The peoples’ representatives…