By definition, a bail bondsman or bail bond agent may be a person or a company whose business is to stand as surety for the bail of criminal defendants in exchange for a fee. The bail bond agent obtains the temporary release of the defendant by posting a bail bond on the latter’s behalf and on condition that he will return to court and be present on all court dates.
By signing a bail bond contract, the suspect waives his constitutional rights and agrees that he can be arrested by the bail bond agent when he skips bail or fails to return to court for trial. Bail agents in Denver know this too well.
If a defendant fails to appear for trial, the court will forfeit the bail bond and orders the bail bond agent to pay the bail amount in full. This is the basic premise why a majority of United States courts allow bail bond agents to arrest or recover suspects who fail to attend their court hearings. Furthermore, a Colorado statute also gives bail bond agents the right to pursue fugitives in their homes to arrest and detain them without the need for a warrant.
What are Bounty Hunters?
In most cases, bounty hunters or bail enforcement agents are employed by bail bond agents to track and chase down suspects who have fled or failed to return to court. Their main line of work is to recover or bring the suspect back to court to save the bail bondsman from paying the total amount of the forfeited bail bond. Bounty hunters usually receive about 10% of the total bail amount as compensation for their job.
The legalization of bounty hunters emanates from the U.S. Supreme Court case, Taylor v. Taintor, which gives bounty hunters the authority to work as agents or representatives of bail bondsmen. The court ruling also grants bounty hunters lots of sweeping rights including the right to break into a fugitive’s dwelling if necessary and pursue a fugitive who flees to other states – without the need for a warrant.
Bounty hunters catch more than 30,000 bail jumpers yearly across the U.S. This constitutes about 90% of the total number of defendants who skip bail.
The Role of Bounty Hunters in the U.S. Judicial System
Bounty hunters serve as an extension of bail bond agents in bringing defendants who fail to adhere to their bail conditions back to court. This gives bounty hunters an important role in the present judicial system. To be able to perform their job efficiently, bounty hunters should be educated and trained in the field of law enforcement and criminal justice. Moreover, they should be skilled in investigating, interviewing, and obtaining information about the whereabouts of their subjects. Bounty hunting is ideal for intelligent, resourceful and persistent individuals who have experience, training or background in police work or private investigation
Skipping or jumping bail is an offense and a breach of promise that a suspect commits against the court of law. It is also a betrayal of the trust of the bail bondsman who agrees to act as the defendant’s surety for his release from jail. If you are a defendant who’s out on bail bond, you must by all means strive to adhere to your bail conditions to avoid consequences.
As a committed bonding agent Denver defendants prefer, we exist to help you obtain temporary freedom when you or someone you love are arrested for an alleged criminal offense. We are here to help – that’s our commitment.
This article is not intended to intimidate you, but to educate you about the reality of how this part of our justice system works. You just need to fulfill your promise to the court and you will have our all out support.
Call us at (303) 623-2245 anytime should anyone in your family need our help.