We sometimes hear people with little experience in the criminal justice system describe their Adams County bail bonds agent as their “bounty hunter”. It’s understandable to a degree since the two terms sound vaguely alike and the two professions do tend to overlap. But the fact is a bounty hunter and an Adams County bonding agent are not the same. They provide distinct services, have different licenses, employ different methodologies and are involved in different aspects of a case. Below we’ll get into the difference between the two in an effort to clear up any misconceptions.

The Adams County Bail Bonds Agent

An Adams County bondsman is someone who is licensed to intervene on behalf of individuals who are unable to make bail. In most cases when a person is arrested they are provided the opportunity via bail to obtain temporary release from jail while they await their court date. In many cases however, the individual is not able to pay the entire amount on their own. They therefore call a loved one who typically calls an Adams County bondsman for help. The bonding agent then springs into action.

They obtain as much information about the arrest and the arrested individual as possible, including the charges being brought, the history of the accused, whether they have a prior criminal record, whether they are currently employed, whether they have ties to the community and more. After gathering as much relevant information as possible they then decide whether to help by providing a bail bond for the accused. If the bondsman agrees to help the loved one, then pays a fee - typically 10% of the total bail amount - puts up collateral and the Adams County bail bonds agent posts a bond which results in the accused being released.

If, after being released on bond, the accused then fails to appear in court on the predetermined date they are considered a fugitive. Their bail is then revoked and it is up to the bail bonds agent to try and recapture them and return them to custody. But an Adams County bondsman is not equipped or licensed to track down fugitives. For that, they turn to the bounty hunter.

The Adams County Bounty Hunter

While the title has some serious cultural resonance dating back to the days of the Old West the job of the bounty hunter is typically nowhere near as romantic as it sounds. Nor does it have anything to do with being an Adams County bondsman. The bounty hunter is called by the bondsman if one of their clients has failed to appear in court and cannot be located. The bounty hunter then uses their expertise to track the individual down, capture them and return them to the proper authorities. For this they are paid a fee (the “bounty”). If they are unable to locate and capture the fugitive they do not get paid.

Who Pays the Bounty Hunter?

If the bounty hunter is successful in tracking down and apprehending the fugitive from justice they will be paid by the bondsman. Payment typically amounts to anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of the bond. But the Adams County bail bonds agent does not simply pay the bounty hunter and call it a day. They then present a bill to the indemnitor of the fugitive who is bound by the bail bond contract to reimburse them for the cost of the bounty hunter and any other costs they incurred while tracking down the fugitive.

Essential Differences Between Bondsman and Bounty Hunter

The following is a list of characteristics that separate the Adams County bail bonds agent and the Adams County bounty hunter.

• The bail bondsman is an independent agent who works with clients to obtain the release of individuals from jail by posting a surety bond for the amount of bail in question.
• The bounty hunter plays no role in obtaining the release of individuals from jail.
• The bonding agent is not authorized to track down and apprehend fugitives.
• The bounty hunter’s purpose is to track down and apprehend fugitives and return them to custody.
• The Adams County bail bonds agent uses knowledge of the criminal justice system to obtain freedom for his clients.
• The Adams County bounty hunter uses handcuffs, tasers and even guns in order to apprehend the fugitive and return him or her to jail.
• The bonding agent works with those in custody for allegedly committing a crime.
• The bounty hunter searches for those at large who have committed the crime of jumping bail.
• The bondsman typically works behind a desk and rarely has physical confrontations.
• The bounty hunter often must engage in physical confrontations with the fugitives they are attempting to apprehend.

Conclusion

As you can see while both the Adams County bondsman and the Adams County bounty hunter play crucial roles in the criminal justice system those roles are very different. The bail bondsman is called when someone under arrest is unable to make bail on their own. The bounty hunter is only employed if one of the people the bonding agent has bailed out disappears. Conversely, if the bail bonds process goes according to plan and the accused shows up in court as scheduled there is no need to call a bounty hunter. If you or someone you love has been arrested and are unable to make bail call an Adams County bail bonds agent today. They’ll help your loved one gain their freedom as quickly as possible.