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!

You may have heard the term Bail Agent, or have seen the bright neon signs across the street from any city jail. Perhaps you’ve heard of a Fugitive Recovery Person like “Dog the Bounty Hunter” on television? Before I explain what they do, it’s important to know that these two job titles encompass very different duties.

Pictured: Bondsman Tonya Rynerson with Bounty Hunter Zeke Unger

Although Bail Agents, more commonly called a Bondsmen, and Fugitive Recovery Agents work very closely together at times, and are often confused as being one and the same. But by definition, they are very different indeed. In California, you must be licensed and trained specifically for the job of Bail Agent and as such, you can pick up your own “skips” or those who fail to appear in court. So let’s talk a about their big differences in their jobs:

Fugitive Recovery Agents, also known as, “Bounty Hunters” or “Skip Tracers” typically track down criminal defendants who have otherwise “skipped bail.” These defendants have failed to appear in front of a judge for their court dates and must be located. A Fugitive Recovery Agent is provided written authorization pursuant to the laws in their state. They are hired specifically to locate, arrest and detain defendants and are tactically trained in techniques to do so. In many situations, Bounty Hunters must use surprise entry to gain access to a home or dwelling to make an arrest. This can sometimes lead to physical resistance by the defendant, so at times violence may be associated with being a Fugitive Recovery Agent. This is why Fugitive Recovery Agents are asked to train and test with firearms, handcuffs, tasers, mace and other powerful weapons. They may wear ballistic/Kevlar vests for protection during actual arrests. Some Bounty Hunters may have a previous background in law enforcement. It definitely takes “the right stuff” to do this job safely and correctly.

The job of a Licensed Bail Agent also known as, “Bail Bondsman” or “Bail Bond Agent” includes writing contracts, “posting bail” for the release of a defendant from jail and the administration of other important forms. A Bail Bond Agent by definition transacts bail for a fee (in California its 10%) and must be licensed by the state’s department of insurance. They may be familiar with the workings of the local criminal courts and other legal regulations. Upon authorization of the bail bond by a co-signer, (indemnitor), family member or the defendant him/herself, the defendant is released and the bail bond is accepted from the court, in lieu of the entire bail amount. The licensed Bail Agent guarantees to indemnify the surety company (insurance company) for any forfeiture or related costs for the bond should the defendant fail to make their scheduled court appearance. A Licensed Bail Bondsman may go to a jail with bail bond paperwork to release a defendant. However, they typically don’t go out “searching for” and “arresting” a defendant for not showing up for their court appearances. Bail Agents don’t typically have to carry weapons or wear Kevlar vests while administrating bail bonds from their offices. And for some Bail Agents, that may be a huge relief.

The significant difference between the two professions are: Bail Agents are called and work to help things “go smoothly” by insuring the defendant is released from jail when bail is made. Fugitive Recovery Agents are called in when things “don’t go smoothly” and move in to make the arrest and bring the defendant back to jail. Simply put, the bail bondsman gets people out of jail; a bounty hunter puts them back in jail.

Learn more about Los Angeles Bounty Hunting.

Bail bondsmen have not often come together to support political candidates. So, why are we supporting Carmen Trutanich in his bid?

Photo: Greg & Tonya Rynerson, “Nuch” & Noreen Trutanich

Carmen Trutanich is running for Los Angeles City Attorney on the platform of crime fighter – something we can all easily support. Trutanich was Deputy District Attorney and comes with a fabulous background on being hard on criminals, add to that a good record in environmental crime.

The grandson of immigrants, a hard working family man, supportive father, with a lovely wife. “Nuch” as he’s known to family and friends, has been a soccer coach, a life-long runner (which is how he met his wife). And, the clincher – he’s a genuinely nice person, with the emphasis duly put on geniune.

His endorsements are impressive: first, and perhaps foremost, having been asked to run by the well-respected District Attorney, Steve Cooley. Most recently, Trutanich was endorsed by The Los Angeles Times.

But endorsements for a nice guy are not why the bail indsutry in California is supporting Carmen Trutanich for Los Angeles City Attorney.

For more fundraiser photos, visit our flickr set: Bail Agent Fundraiser for Carmen Nuch Trutanich.

Sherry paid me some high compliments when she wrote:

One of the life lessons that has certainly come home to me personally this year is “You’ve got to take the bad with the good.” There simply can’t be good times unless there are bad ones too and both make up a life. How we handle and embrace those bad times is the stuff of personal growth. Also, “This too shall pass” comes to mind because nothing lasts and that is how it should be.

These thoughts kept going through my mind in this very insightful and informative interview with Tonya Rynerson of Greg Rynerson Bail. She shares quite a bit of information about an industry which I personally didn’t know much about, but more than that she showed me that this area really does help people at a time when they are probably at about their lowest point.

In this season and during these tough times in our economy think about who you have in your life that “watches your back” and helps you embrace both the good and the bad. What is it that they do for you? What qualities do they posses that they share? Tonya strikes me as such a person you would want to help if someone in your life was in trouble.

Find the complete transcript on our website. I have to thank Sherry; she really made it a good and easy experience.

Find more on women in bail: What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Job Like This?

Sherry Borzo, owner of dsmBuzz, recently interviewed me for BlogTalkRadio. That’s a first for me and I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I talk with people everyday, but I don’t think I’m usually recorded!

Sherry spotlights entrepreneur people with the tag-line: Real Stories about real people that teach lessons in business and in life. Wow, that sounds impressive and she wanted to talk to me! I was so excited when she contacted me to ask if I would do an interview that I marked the wrong day in my calendar and was surprised by her call two days early. Oh, well, I think it still went fine. We’ll see…

Mark your calendar for December 23 at 1:30pm and tune in with me to hear about Bail Bonds on BlogTalk.

It used to be when you Googled “bail out” you’d find your local bondsman. Now, that search gives you the same Google Ads for bail bonds, but all of the search results refer to the economic situation.

Today’s Los Angeles Daily News, however, managed to combine the two with Tony Castro’s story: Bondsmen Are Starting to Bail Out. Don’t let the newspaper’s picture and the headline fool you. The only bailing out that Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds is doing is bailing people out of jail.

While it hadn’t occurred to me, I was recently asked if our business was recession proof. Honestly, I don’t think any business is immune to the effects of the economy. Yes, in bail bonds, people continue to have a need regardless of the economy, but the ability to pay, and more over, the willingness to pay is impacted. We offer payment plans where it’s appropriate and perhaps more people this year have needed them.

Photocredit: John McCoy /Daily News Staff Photographer/Dec. 03, 2008