Keep Bailing

OAKLAND — On Tuesday, approximately 140 health care workers, who are members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, held a one day strike at the Santa Rita Jail and the North County jail in Oakland.

They were protesting against stagnant contract negotiations which stated that management wants its employees to pay for 30% of their own health care costs.

On Wednesday, the employees were locked out. 

Their fight pushed forward after Read more »

All across America, states are running out of ways to combat prison overcrowding. Prisons are like dams that threaten to break, with an inmate overflow that will be impossible to contain. Many people feel the last two decades of the 20th century were the point at which prison overcrowding began to accelerate faster than states could keep up.

During those times, states tried to fight rising crime rates by meting out stiffer sentences. This tactic did reduce criminal activity, but it also sent jail populations skyrocketing . Recent early release programs that were intended to combat the financially devastating inmate-influx have been sharply criticized by police and the public.

In California, where the state’s 33 prisons are designed to hold 85,000 inmates, these detention centers are packed to the gills with 160,000 men and women — almost double the amount! But at last, there may be a solution to this situation, born from what some might see as an unlikely source: 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 ex-cop-turned-bail-bondsman has 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 »

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 »

Mark you calendars to tune in to Jeff & Virginia’s show on KSGV Radio.com, January 28th, 9am to 10am!

Greg and Tonya Rynerson, owners of Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds, will be the featured guests on Jeff and Virginia’s morning show. This dynamic husband and wife team have a long, interesting history in the bail industry and are often called upon as experts in their field.

The Voice of the Valley, otherwise known as KSGV Radio.com features “Jeff and Virginia in the Morning” on the most host-friendly Internet Radio station anywhere.  The pair discuss new trends and hot topics from business to wellness, therapy to pets.

Take a  listen on Jan. 28th at 9:00 a.m. It’s sure to be an interesting reveal on the complexities of the bail industry and much more!

OAKLAND, CA — 126 people have been issued felony arrest warrants which have lead to the recovery of over 12 pounds of cocaine, two pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of marijuana and seven firearms. The drug sweep began early Monday.

The goal was to clean up the street-level drug dealers and keep the narcotics off the streets. Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts said ultimately, officials will aim for the “big fish,” but first have to identify any key players. Batts  also stated, “I’ve asked the Oakland PD to focus on drugs, guns and gangs in order to save lives.”

On Monday, 120 police officers went in search for 101 known and wanted dealers. The results Read more »

Brian Malone touted himself as being a licensed bail bondsman with “20 years of experience.”  But he was not. He then so boldly created a big ad with a photo of himself and posted it directly inside of the Sacramento County Jail to lure unknowing customers… the inmates themselves.  And at least 5 of them took his bait and paid him for bail that did not get posted.

Besides the fact that he’s been operating as a bondsman without a license, this “bogus bail bondsman” is allegedly a criminal himself; having previously been charged with numerous felonies which include, altering or falsifying government documents.  (A bail bondsman in California must be licensed by the California Department of Insurance. Additionally, convicted felons are not eligible to be bail bondsmen.)

Malone perpetrated this right in the jail, directly under the watch of Read more »

Ms. Partin must have been moved by the Thanksgiving spirit, when she told reporters she just wanted to help him after initially voting him “guilty.” Mary Partin, ‘pardoned’ a man she helped put in a San Luis Obispo jail, by personally putting up his $5,000 bail on Tuesday.

Seems she regretting having been part of the jury that convicted San Luis Obispo rancher, Dan De Vaul, 66, of two misdemeanor violations. He was given 90 days in jail for housing tenants on his property illegally.

In September, Read more »

In order to get released from jail, one would customarily use the services of a traditional bail bondsman or post the full cash bail with the jail.  At the Ventura County jail, which is just a few miles from my office, they have a new way to post bail.  It’s called credit card bail.

How Credit Card Bail Works

The Ventura jail phone has a toll free 800 phone number posted near the phone.  An inmate or family member can call this phone number to bail out of jail.   Here is how it works:  Let’s say you have a bail for $20,000.    This credit card bail system allows the inmate to have the full bail charged (plus a 7% processing fee for Ventura County) to a credit card.  For example, on a $20,000 bail bond, an inmate would be charged a total of $21,400 for release from jail.  Once the defendant has appeared in court, they would be refunded $20,000.  The net effect of this transaction is that the inmate would be charged 7% to be bailed out of jail.   Who gets to keep the 7%?  It seems that the county takes a cut and the “third party” unlicensed processing entity makes a nice profit.

Ventura County is not the only county in California that enables inmates to bail out using a credit card.  In fact, several states now utilize some form of this process.  Over the past several years, credit card bail seems to be spreading like wildfire.

Why is this bad for California?

1. No accountability.  What happens when the defendant Read more »