Keep Bailing

A Sacramento law intended to reduce overcrowding by granting certain inmates at state prisons and county jails an early release is sparking anger throughout California. The law expands early release credits for state prisoners who complete educational and vocational programs by shaving months off their sentences.  Low-level offenders who leave prison will no longer be monitored by the state, making probation violations an unlikely reason for re-arrest.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill for this law last fall in an effort to ease the state’s crushing budget deficit.  As a result, around 6,500 state inmates are due to be freed this year, to save California $500 million.

At least 18 of California’s 58 counties have applied the law retroactively by giving their county jail inmates additional credits for time already served before it took effect.  This has lead to a huge increase of Read more »

Edwin Sunmin Lee, 39, retired from the Los Angeles Police Department in April 2005 after he confessed to a felony charge for filing a false police report.  (Not sure how he got his bail license, because you’re supposed to have a clean record.)

Surprise! – now he is allegedly in trouble once more.  The Hacienda Heights area has ex-cop-turned-bail-bondsman plead not guilty to charges that he illegally solicited bail from inmates in local jails.  County District Attorney’s officials have accused Lee of no less than six felony counts.  The incidents that led to his arrest supposedly took place at the Van Nuys jail on or about July 27, 2008 and Feb. 10, 2009.

Ironically, Lee does not have to be bailed out of jail himself (good thing, because Read more »

This week, we read about the effects of a downturned economy on bail bondsmen in Imperial Valley and in San Bernardino. There’s no doubt this tough economy has played some part in our bail bond industry. Like any other business, bail bond customers now have less money and their homes are worth less as collateral than a couple of years ago. The jails are becoming overcrowded and I hear clients say: “With the economy the way it is, we’re going to let him stay in jail.”

As bondsmen, we’ve already been fighting a singular economic battle for some time, because we can’t compete based on price — we’re regulated by the Department of Insurance and are rates are set with them. In addition, our customers may not be very particular:  They often just want to deal with whoever can help them the fastest.

It used to be that good, honest service was the benchmark of a successful bail bond business.  Call me old fashioned, but I still believe this to be true and I really get steamed when I find myself up against bondsmen who break the law to earn a buck – and who then use bad economic times as their excuse.  So I’d like to dispel the belief that their practices have anything to do with a lousy economy.  I want to Read more »

Alameda County — In what was originally slated to be a juvenile detention hall, the city of Dublin  has opted for a brand new courthouse to be completed by 2014.

Having a courthouse in Dublin will also make transporting prisoners from the Santa Rita jail much easier. And, talk of an underground tunnel from Santa Rita to Dublin could make the transfer of inmates virtually seamless. This should result in reduced transportation costs and increased safety.

Another plus is local residents could possibly have a better chance of completing jury duty in a courthouse much closer to their homes.

The group called ”Friends of Dublin” led by Kasie Hildenbrand and David Haubert (both members of the Dublin City Council) helped to lead the decision. 

Nearby Pleasanton offers a court facility, however Read more »

The LAPD may have launched the future of crime fighting when they recently cracked the case of alleged kidnapper, Daniel Merino, AKA the “spiky-hair suspect.”

By using the latest in high-tech policing methods, detectives on the case implemented the use of enhanced video from a security camera to determine the make, model, color and year of the suspects car. The new high-tech camera device  installed on a police car can detect and read every license plate it sees. This played Read more »

The downturn in our economy  has impacted so many industries, it’s almost impossible to identify how the ‘trickle down’ has effected one in relation to another. The Victor Valley Daily Press reported yesterday on one Hisperia bail bondsman forced to close the doors last week.

In the world of bail bonds, unemployment as well as lost credit and housing devaluation has made it increasingly difficult for people to bail out their family members Read more »

The scene was like something out of a Hollywood action movie.  Helicopters buzzed Riverside’s East neighborhood while officers in flak jackets and helmets served warrants.  This sweep has been dubbed Operation Promise, and it was the culmination of a sixteen month long investigation aimed at crippling gang hierarchy and cutting off its cash flow from drugs and weapons.

On the morning of January 27, 2010, six hundred and fifty officers from thirty-four local and federal agencies swarmed the Riva Gang’s territory and arrested fifty alleged gang members, including Riva leaders and members of their rival gang, the 1200 Blocc Crips.

For years, the East Side Riva gangs Read more »

The tragic earthquake in Haiti reminds us how fragile life is. But it has also reminded us of our ability as a people to band together and unite for a much needed cause.

The bondsmen at Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds have risen to just that cause. “Mom & pop” small business owners, Greg and Tonya Rynerson and their Los Angeles bondsmen have donated 42 pairs of shoes to assist the non-profit organization, Soles4Souls in their efforts to offer just a small measure of relief to the people in Haiti struck by this major catastrophe.

Soles4Souls distributes shoes free Read more »

In Philadelphia, large numbers of fugitives are skipping bail and fleeing justice, angry District Attorney Seth Williams told the Senate at a subcommittee hearing, and this “broken” bail system is like a second assault on crime victims.

Williams said Philadelphia defendants defeat the system by failing to show up for court, wearing down witnesses and causing cases to collapse in large numbers. So far, Philadelphia has let almost 47,000 fugitives escape. Between 2007 and 2008 over 19,000 defendants have failed to show up for at least one hearing.  This means one out of every three defendants, making it the nation’s highest tally for failure-to-appear.

Philadelphia courts took over the bail bond process about 40 years ago, citing widespread corruption within the bail bond industry as their reason. Under the city’s bail system, defendants pay 10 percent of their bail up front to the court, with the other 90 percent due if they skip their court dates. But the city has never backed up the consequences for skipping by collecting that money.  Now fugitives owe Philly a grand total of $1 billion in forfeited bail.

Contrast this to private bail such as the system in California. Bail agents Read more »

SAN FRANCISCO — The venerable Hall of Justice is a landmark, but its pre-earthquake code architecture has also made it a target for earthquake damage.  This news has prompted the local government to put a bond measure on the ballot that seeks funding for building upgrades, which voters have to approve. If the bond passes, design on a new Sixth Street jail could begin this year as part of a larger effort to replace the Hall.

As reported in the San Francisco Examiner, the measure will be on a June 8 ballot, and according to a draft of The City’s capital plan, will take 10 years to build. The remainder of the $435 million project would be funded with certificates of participation.

The two jails slated for replacement house Read more »