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Suspect Handcuffed To Stairs By Bail Bondsman

Perhaps filed under the category of “Why Choose A Bondsman Wisely” or “How Not Run a Bail Business” comes today’s Fun Friday in Bail story: A Missouri bail bondswoman decided to take matters into her own hands after police refused to accept an alleged fugitive suspect into custody. Instead of releasing him, the bondsman handcuffed him to the stairs in her home. She was later arrested and charged with false imprisonment for the her actions. Hmm… no kidding?

KY-3 TV has reported that Jean Marie Chartier brought Reynaldo Delarosa to a Webb City jail in an attempt to revoke his bond but was denied because she did not have a court order.  Instead of letting him go she apparently transported him to her home and handcuffed him to the banister of her staircase. Court documents indicate it was her intention to detain him until she was able to speak with a judge the following day. Reportedly the defendant was confined in her home for at least 24-hours and was released only after his friends co-signed a $7,500 bond. Interesting way to get clients to pay. I don’t think we’ll try it.

In the state of Missouri, like California, it is illegal for a bondsman and/or bail recovery agent to detain a person longer than it takes to get them to the jail. They are also prohibited from cuffing suspects unless they are being taken to a jail.

Chartier is currently Read more »

If you have never needed to secure bail, there are likely a number of points regarding the when, where, and how of bail bonds that remain fuzzy.   If you are actively seeking out the assistance of a California bail bondsman, you might wonder if the money you post to get your friend out of jail will be returned to you at the close of the case.  In this edition of Bail Bonds: Fact or Fiction, we address that question directly.

Fact or Fiction:  You get your money back from the bail bondsman when the case is over.

Fiction.  This misconception goes right to the heart of What Is A Bail Bond or How is Bail Different from Bail Bonds?

Simply put, bail is a security that’s paid to the court which allows a defendant to be released from jail while awaiting his or her trial date.  If a person’s bail has been set at $5,000 and a friend or family member chooses to post that amount in full with the jail or court using cash or cashier’s check, that’s certainly an option.  The court will then hold onto that money and, if a defendant fulfills all their legal and financial obligations pertaining to the case; the money will be returned to the individual who posted it when the case concludes. That process can, however, take several months or even years to resolve.  If the defendant “fails to appear” for any mandated court proceedings, the bail will be considered forfeited, meaning the court keeps the money, and a bench warrant will be issued for his or her immediate arrest.

This brings us to Bail Bonds: If you instead choose Read more »

Burbank Jail Water Damage

The finishing touches on the Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters may be completed early next year, according to a city official. Renovations began nearly three years ago on the facility.

Bonnie Teaford, Public Works Director, is optimistic that the final phase of the renovation will be wrapping up in March 2012, with a total estimated cost of $9.5 million.

Repairs to the facility took place in 2000, nearly two years after it opened, due to water damage. Water leaks were discovered in the firefighter locker area, as well as the parking garage, front stairs, and other areas. The floors in various areas were also found to be too thin and in need of repair. This necessitated removing and replacing the limestone flooring.

The original contractor for the facility, Kajima Construction Services, had a suit filed against it by the City of Burbank, which alleged that the company did substandard work. Kajima settled with the city in August 2008 for $3.16 million, along with $475,000 from WLC Architects.

Burbank Bail Bonds at Glendale Police Department

The current project also included removing the concrete from the floor of the Burbank Jail. This made it necessary for the Burbank police to take suspects to the Glendale jail for booking. Having to travel such a distance eats into officers’ call response times.

Additionally, Burbank jail staff work at the Glendale Police Department. When a bondsman arrives to post bail, the bondsman needs to inform staff if it is for Burbank bail bonds or Glendale bail bonds and the appropriate jailer accepts the bail bond. It seems this could be done more efficiently, but for whatever reason, this is the system in place.

Deputy Police Chief Tom Angel said Read more »

Pop culture oftentimes depicts bail bondsmen as being tough, rough-and-tumble, tattooed men with long ponytails.  Even now, you’re likely conjuring up a mental image of a big, beefy guy sitting behind a desk, browsing the Internet for tattoo parlors and pool halls. Let’s just say Hollywood isn’t exactly hitting the nail on the head with the hammer.

Fact or Fiction:  Bail bondsmen wear leather, carry guns, and chase down bad guys.

Fiction:   Bail bondsmen are everyday people, who are licensed by the California Department of Insurance and are able to assist a defendant get out of jail before their court date. There are fathers, daughters, wives, sons, and even soccer moms that are bail bondsmen.

They are not Read more »

…well, that’s the way most dreams begin around this office…

With the success of shows like “Dog the Bounty Hunter”, it’s only logical that the first mental image that people have when they think of bail bondsmen is that of big, burly tattooed guys with braided ponytails.  For people who work within the industry, however, that notion is, well, laughable.

On Oct. 23 ABC will be debuting “Once Upon a Time“, a show which will take things to a very far other end of that spectrum.

The show’s heroine, Emma Swan; is a 28-year-old bail bondsman. But when Henry – the son she gave up 10 years ago – finds her, “everything changes.” She’s not exactly the soccer-mom bail bondsman you may find at our office.

Henry is desperate for his mom’s help and thinks that Emma is actually the long, lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.  Even stranger, he believes that Story Brooke, the sleepy New England town he calls home, is really part of a curse cast by the Evil Queen.  He also believes that his adopted mother, Regina, is none other than the Evil Queen herself!

There are any number of directions the show’s writers could go with this.  The show’s creators talk about using it as a platform to discuss things like “Why is Grumpy grumpy?” or “Why is Geppetto so lonely that he’s forced to create Pinocchio for companionship?”

But maybe, just maybe, they’ll get Read more »

The Fresno County Jail is “filling up fast” according to an Oct. 12 report by ABC30. Because of this, say local elected officials, concerns that with the newly mandated transfer of prisoners out of state facilities and into county jails, compounded by concerns of overcrowding, are urgent.

Fresno County law enforcement officers have indicated that the county jail could reach its peak capacity in “less than two weeks,” although Rick Hill, who works at the county sheriff’s department believes “we will probably get overcrowded in three or four days.”

Because of this, Hill furthered, the number of pre-trial inmates who might be eligible for early release on their own recognizance, may increase. One Fresno County bail bondsman indicated that allowing inmates to be released without them needing to make bail could lead to an increased Read more »

Cynthia Cheryl Shirey of Brea was charged with multiple felony counts on Friday, including violating bail license regulations by allowing an unlicensed individual to solicit and negotiate bail bonds on her behalf.

A total of eight co-defendants were charged with 148 counts. Six of those defendants were inmates at the time the alleged scheme occurred, in custody for other crimes they had committed.

Shirey is a licensed bail bond agent with Plotkin Bail Bonds located in Santa Ana. Reportedly, she worked there with Ernesto Perez, who is not a licensed bail bondsman. According to the Orange County District Attorney, Shirey and Perez worked together soliciting inmates in jail through other inmates.

If found guilty on all charges, Shirey will be looking at a maximum sentence of 23 years in state prison. She was being held on a $20,000 bail, which she was expected to post on Friday afternoon.

Each of the eight defendants were connected to this scheme while the Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted an 18-month investigation.

“The illegal soliciting of inmates by unscrupulous bail bond agents will not be tolerated in our facilities,” said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

During the time period from August 5, 2010 to March 15, Perez is believed to have plotted with the six incarcerated defendants at the Orange County Jail to solicit other inmates and have them contact him to post their bail.

According to prosecutors, the plan worked like this: Perez worked Read more »

Prosecutors are charging a man who has been acting as a bail bondman without a license for soliciting inmates at the Orange County Jail.

On Thursday, Ernesto Perez, 36, of Burbank, reportedly pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges of identity theft and 21 felony charges of negotiating bail without a proper license. If Perez is convicted, he will face a maximum sentence of 27 years in a state prison. His bail has been set at $150,000.

California Law strictly prohibits any bail negotiations unless Read more »

A Santa Ana bail bondsman who was convicted of soliciting to both attorney and jail inmate referrals was sentenced Thursday.

Ronald Lee Brockwayof Seal Beach, has been sentenced to a year in jail, three years of formal probation, and isn’t allowed to perform bail bonds services again for six months, according to prosecutors. Brockway had pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors of violating bail license regulations, which in the beginning were felonies.

According to California Law, it is illegal to ever solicit bail business — from inmates or their families. The law also includes soliciting of or recommending attorneys to bail bond clients, regardless of a money exchange.

Brockway sent numerous e-mails to attorneys suggesting that the attorneys should refer bail bond business to him while in exchange; he would offer his clients to those attorneys, which would “increase both of our earnings substantially.”

Along with trying to solicit to attorney, Brockway also solicited to inmates by mailing mass flyers to the Orange County Jail. The flyers, along with Brockway’s contact information included, “Get out of jail today by calling now!”

Furthermore, in 2005, Brockway testified to an Orange County Grand Jury that he had been receiving cash payments from then attorney, Joseph Cavallo, in exchange for referrals. Brockway was never prosecuted in that case, because his testimony was used to prosecute others.

Cavallo was convicted of engaging in “client capping,” which is paying for clients. Cavallo was sentenced on December 14, 2007 to serve six months in jail.

An anonymous phone call was made to the District Attorney’s office about receiving an odd e-mail; the one is which Brockway asked for attorney referrals, thus spawning the investigation into Brockway.

As honest bondsmen, we’re glad this guy is in jail. I find it appauling, however, that they would ever let him engage in bail services again. Hopefully, the Department of Insurance will get on top of that!

The national network, ExpertBail, named Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds an expert bail bonds company.

Located in Los Angeles, Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds is a family-owned and operated company consisting of licensed bail agents with many years of experience.

ExpertBail is a networking organization that acknowledges the best in this field. They distinguish their selection of bail bondsman by the companies who Read more »