Keep Bailing

As last year, California bail agents met at Lake Tahoe for the 2009 Annual Convention of the California Bail Agents (CBAA). Day one was Monday and included the usual State of the Association and PBUS National Updates.

Pretrial Release

Continuing Education Credit was offered to bondsmen who attended all required sessions, the first of which was an attorney presentation regarding Pre Trial Release presented by Ash Pirayou of Rutan & Tucker and a panel on Credit Card Bail. Pirayou reviewed current happenings in Pretrial Release (commonly known as Release on Own Recognizance or “OR“) in Santa Clara County. Pirayou said that Santa Clara County jailsare attempting to use pretrial release to relieve jail overcrowding and save money, but the bottom line numbers show a significantly different picture. He called on bail agents to help paint an accurate public picture.

Orange County Sheriff Candidate

Bondsmen were also addressed by Bill Hunt, candidate for Orange County Sheriff.  Hunt, who spent 22 years in the Orange County Read more »

In the first address to Los Angeles bail bondsmen since his election to City Attorney, Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich told a group assembled Sunday evening that the office he inherrited was “broken“. He added, “I was elected to clean up the office and I will.”

Trutanich gave only a brief prelude to what bondsmen would hear more about in the days to come at the Annual Meeting of the California Bail Agents Association (CBAA): “We are arresting bail agents for capping,” Trutanich told us.

Interestingly, he gave no real details to something of great importance to the California bail industry. Unethical bail agents operating illegally is a serious problem to those of us who run a clean business. I, for one, was very interested in the details.

He went on to Read more »

Bill Hunt is a candidate for Orange County Sheriff, 2010. I met Bill initially at a California Bail Agents Association (CBAA) meeting two years ago. I believe I was introduced to him as a private investigator. He seemed like a nice honest person at the time. As you can see, Hunt has a passsion for Orange County and the law:

Since then, Bill Read more »

Day 2 of the California Bail Agents Association (CBAA) Annual Convention featured bail bondsman education. In addition to an extensive review of local bail issues throughout the state, on Tuesday California bondsmen heard from a Professional Bail Recovery Panel. The informative panel of four professional fugitive recovery persons (known to most as “bounty hunters“) provided an in-depth review of California Penal Code Section 1299, the panel shared industry trends, pitfalls and ways that bondsmen can help make the recovery person’s job easier.

The day concluded with luncheon speaker Jose Solario, Assemblyman from the 69th District (Santa Ana) and Chair of the Public Safety Commission. Chairing such a committee, Assemblyman Solario has considerable insight into the jail system and the purpose of bail. He told bondsmen, “What you do saves tax payers money and keeps the public safe.” Read more »

The California Bail Agents Association (CBAA) kicked off its 2008 Annual Convention last night in South Lake Tahoe at Harrah’s Casino Resort with an opening reception. The opening address was given by Curt Hagman, bondsman and Assemblyman-elect from the 60th District. Curt not only talked about introducing legislation necessary to protect the California consumers as related to bail, but implored bondsman to get involved in the political process. Mr. Hagman talked about bondsmen getting organized and united to make important donations to candidates and, importantly in my opinion, to educate legislators and other elected officials about the importance of the bail system in California and in the nation. Without bail, the important American tenant of innocence until guilt is proved simply does not exist.

Bail agents heard more along these lines on today when they heard from Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich, candidate for Los Angeles City Attorney who told bondsman that when he is in office, he will make it a priority to educate all attorneys on staff about the benefit of bail and the fact that bail agents provide an important service to the criminal justice system. Not only are bondsmen agents of the court, but quite literally Los Angeles cannot afford to house people during the pre-trial process. The cost, Trutanich indicated, to house an inmate in LA County jail is $200,000 a year. Read more »