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Just last night my daughter Samantha, a seventh grader, sang the National Anthem at the boys’ middle-school basketball game with just five minutes’ notice.  She volunteered after the scheduled singer cancelled.  She had never before sung the National Anthem in front of a crowd.  Kids are fearless. As we roll into another legislative season there will be times when someone representing the bail profession will testify at their state house in support of, or in opposition to, a piece of legislation.  I’ve had the opportunity on several occasions to testify before a legislative body about bail bonds.  I’ve found it to be exhilarating. In my experience, one must be prepared to articulate the purpose of a bail bond and the function of a bail agent as it relates to the…

Happy New Year! Wow!  It’s 2014.  Let’s not think about how long we’ve been working in this business and the fact bail agents never seem to retire.  Dan Gibbs of Knoxville, Tennessee recently told me he will breathe his last breath sitting at his desk at City Bonding Company writing a bond.  Dan loves to write bail and work with his clients. It’s fair to say a retail bail agent lives the equivalent of three years to just one of your typical professional. This is because bail agents are usually on duty at some point during the first shift, second shift and the graveyard shift while they’re on vacation, taking their kids to school and when their attending Sunday services.  It’s the all consuming nature of this business. Bail agents…

I travelled to Trenton, New Jersey last Thursday to attend a meeting of bail agents in that state.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss proposed changes to the law that would effectively put the taxpayers of The Garden State in the bail bond business while putting public safety at risk. New Jersey Assemblyman John Burzichelli has introduced a bill that would put court personnel in charge of monitoring defendants released on their own recognizance pending trial.  In other words place the cost of tracking defendants on the backs of taxpayers.  Costs currently shouldered by criminal defendants and private bonding companies. Bail professionals fill a critical role within the criminal justice system.   They get defendants to court at their own expense.   Without a defendant present in court the criminal…

Six months same as cash, twelve easy installments, you can buy just about anything on a payment plan.  Why should bail bonds be any different? Just last week I received my quarterly statement for my life insurance policy (being a surety rep has it’s risks).  I suppose I could pay my annual premium all at once.  From a cash management standpoint, quarterly payments are preferred.  The same goes for the payments on my car, house, homeowners insurance and cable TV.  So why do some judges, prosecutors and legislators have a problem with bail agents allowing criminal defendants or their family members to pay off the premium balance over time? Newspapers in Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina recently ran articles and editorials on the subject of bail agents extending credit…

Indianapolis, IN - I was watching another electrifying episode of American Pickers last night when my phone rang.  I hit pause just as Mike Wolf was about to make an offer on a rusty Harley-Davidson bicycle frame.  The call came in from Memphis.  A high value fugitive was spotted living in a low rent hotel within ten miles of the Shelby County Jail. I had received a number of similar, “I know where AC is located” calls since the time Austin Carter failed to appear for sentencing in June, 2011.   Carter was looking at a lengthy prison sentence for multiple counts of attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault and using a firearm with intent to commit a felony.  He allegedly attempted to kill his wife and kids. Austin Carter is a…

Washington State, the only state to be named after a United States president, is home to Microsoft, Starbucks and the Green Darner Dragonfly.  It’s also home to some of the best bail agents in the country. Becky Magnuson is one such bail agent.  She’s a married mother of two and the owner of Able Bail Bonds in Kennewick, Washington.  A licensed bail and recovery agent since 1997, Becky has been affiliated with American Surety Company since 2002.  Becky is not afraid of hard work and is overtly passionate about her chosen profession, bail.  Not only is she running her own business, Becky also volunteers her time as the Treasurer of the Washington State Bail Agents Association and as the Greater Northwest Director for the Professional Bail Agents of the United…

Bail agents are constantly being depicted in a poor light as shady and untrustworthy.  Typically, those casting aspersions are ignorant of exactly what a bail agent does, their function and purpose. Earlier this week a Denver area bail agent recounted on his Facebook page an experience he had in court.  He had arrived early to a court hearing in Adams County.  The judge and criminal attorney, unaware the bail agent was in the court room and believing he was a no-show, began making derogatory comments about bail agents in general.  This agent, stood up, approached the bench and said he had been in court since 8 a.m. and he didn’t appreciate the remarks being made in open court.  The courtroom fell silent. I read this post and it really set…

One of my favorite TV shows is the HBO mythological series Game of Thrones.  For those of you who watch this series you’re familiar with the oft stated ominous warning of dread, “winter is coming”.   In the Game of Thrones winter can last ten years.  Well, winter is coming to the commercial bail bond industry and that’s no myth. The Indiana Legislature’s Commission on Courts held its final hearing of this summer study committee earlier this week.   Senator Brent Steele, Chair of the Commission, proposed changes to the statue that would in part allow a criminal defendant to choose how they want to secure their bond. Indiana Supreme Court Justice Brent Dickson and members of the Commission spoke in opposition to the proposed bill expressing concern the proposed changes would…

San Antonio, Texas - This is the last 4th quarter meeting for Professional Bondsmen of Texas, at least for the foreseeable future.  Beginning next year this venerable Texas bondsmen association will move to just two meetings a year.   Meetings are expected to be held in the Spring and Fall. Scott Walstad of Dallas is the head of this association and has done a fine job guiding the PBT board through fiscal reform.  Reducing the number of meetings from four to two is one such example of cost control. Most associations receive financial support through membership dues and continuing education.  It’s in the best interest of Texas bondsmen to obtain their required CE hours through a PBT sponsored class, as their tuition goes towards efforts to protect and preserve their profession. The…

Mason, Ohio is but a two hour drive from Indianapolis.  So, no early flight, airport security or peanuts and pretzels for me, just five o'clock traffic on the north loop around Cincinnati. Eddie Miller, President of the Ohio Bail Agents Association, gathered his members at the Kings Island Conference Center for their annual conference.   The Dog and Beth Show was invited which accounted for a slightly greater attendance than usual, even beyond the film crew and producers. The meeting's engaging speaker was Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Frank E. Green who spoke on the issue of  bail agents  soliciting in the courtroom and professional dress, a cause I champion.  Judge Green emphasized his support of bail agents and noted bail agents must dress for success. I returned to Indy for two nights before…