When people first hear of bail bondsman, they usually think of bounty hunters. In fact, many people think they have the same role – the person who provides the Larimer County bail bond to get them out of jail is the person who hunts them down if they fail to appear in court. This is a misconception. The media has added greatly to this myth – that a bounty hunter is a bail bondsman. So, if they aren’t the same person, what exactly is the role of a bounty hunter? Let’s take a moment to look.
Bounty Hunters: The Stereotype
Bounty hunters have an interesting reputation. We often think of the Wild West, when sheriffs put up “Wanted” posters of outlaws, offering any citizen willing to track them down a reward for their capture “Dead or Alive.” In some ways, this stereotype of the gruff, lawless bounty hunter is still what comes to mind when you think of the job title today. But, bounty hunters aren’t random citizens – they are trained professionals who must have a license to operate. They play an integral role in the bail system in the United States.
Why Bail Agents Hire Bounty Hunters
When a person is arrested for a crime, they are booked in jail. Bail is set by the judge or according to the bail schedule, and the defendant must pay this amount to be released from jail. Bail acts as a kind of insurance that the defendant will return to the courtroom to face justice. Many people can’t afford to pay bail, however, because it is often very high, and it must be paid in cash or by using property. In this situation, people often work with bail agents like the ones here at All Day All Night Bail. Bail agents have specialized insurance that allows them to take on the liability for the full bail amount in return for a small fee. Put simply – the defendant pays a small percentage of the bail amount to the bail agent as a fee. In return, the agent promises to pay the court if the defendant fails to show up in court. Thus, if the defendant skips bail, the agent now is required to pay a lot of money to the court, unless he can find and return the defendant. This is where bounty hunters come in.
What Bounty Hunters Do
Bounty hunters find and arrest defendants who have skipped bail, returning them to the court so that the bail agent isn’t responsible for the full bail amount. Now, while it might seem illegal for a person who isn’t a law enforcement officer to make an arrest, it’s important to understand that when the defendant signs the contract to get the bail bond, they waive their rights and agree they can be arrested by a bail bond agent. Bounty hunters are able to operate under a looser set of laws than even the police can, in some cases. For example, they don’t need warrants to enter the private home of a defendant if they have good reason to believe they are there (they are unable to enter the homes of family members for friends of the defendant, however). Colorado requires that bounty hunters must be licensed, while some states do not.
Learn More about Bail Bonds – Contact Us for Answers to Your Questions
Here at All Day All Night Bail Bonds, we are dedicated to helping our customers become more knowledgeable about bail bonds and how they can help people when they need it most – after an arrest. Contact us 24/7 to get help if you or a loved one is in jail!
