Bail Bonds Blog and Resources
A Bail Bondsman and Attorney are Your Friends
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- Written by Rapid Release
At some point, everyone needs a lawyer at one time or another. Sometimes, you’ve benefited from their services and didn’t even realize it. Remember when you closed on your mortgage? Well at some point an attorney on staff at the bank or title company reviewed the closing paperwork. And, unfortunately, if a loved one has passed away you may have benefited from an attorney who helped that person draw up a will, or papers to transfer assets to your name. Denver Bail Bonds work the same way for people who utilize them. If you get arrested, you may have to post bail at the Denver County jail. But you also may decide to use your phone call for an attorney, pleading to get you out. That’s not necessarily what a lawyer does, so he’ll say “Sit tight” and call a bondsman to do the rest.
A bail bondsman and attorney have a symbiotic relationship in many respects, needing each other for professional support. If you’re an attorney, what can a bondsman working with bail bonds in Aurora do for you? Here’s just a sample.
Roles of a Bail Bondsman
- A successful, reputable and well liked bail bondsman can boost your professional standing, because any referrals you make are a reflection on your skills and professional judgment. If an attorney recommends a bail bondsman who can’t do the job, doesn’t know the ins and outs of bail bonds in Boulder, or does a crappy job, that’s a direct and poor reflection on your judgment. Any defendant will question your judgment and choose someone else.
- An experienced bondsman can provide a number of extra services that you may not have the time or skills to handle: Being present for court appearances for bail and 1275 hearings, 24 hour emergency service like odd-hour phone calls, signature bonds that don’t require a signature, arranging payment plans for the defendant, and even providing transportation to and from home or other locations.
What is a Fugitive Recovery Agent?
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- Written by Rapid Release
While you may choose to become a bail bondsman in Denver, a related and equally important field is for a career known as a Fugitive Recovery Agent, also known more popularly as a Bounty Hunter. A Fugitive Recovery Agent has an arguably more exciting job than for someone who works directly in Colorado Bail Bonds industry.
If a defendant is released from the Denver County jail on bond but decides to not follow the rules of their bail and flees, a Fugitive Recovery Agent may be hired by the bail bondsman to recover the defendant. In some cases, the bounty hunter works independently.
A Basic Job Description of a Fugitive Recovery Agent
A bounty hunter is the guy or gal with the job of making sure a defendant out on bail or awaiting trial follows the conditions of his bail. This means not running away, staying away from certain people, places, or activities illegal in nature. The Fugitive Recovery Agent working on Adams County Bail Bonds is different from the police or judges who enforce laws, but are none the less responsible for some of the things a court or correctional facility would handle. Other parts of the job include making sure the person out on bail pays the bail in full, tracking down a defendant who has jumped bail, and re-arrest the defendant if necessary.
The Good and the Bad
Not every Fugitive Recovery Agent has a career as exciting as what you might see on some reality television shows on cable, but stressful, dangerous events do sometimes occur during the course of the job. There may indeed be an occasional physical confrontation, or there could be a time when a bounty hunter has to go into a residence or other building that isn’t safe.
There also can be some financial uncertainties, as the fugitive recovery agent only gets paid when a defendant has been recovered or goes to trial, and even then it’s a percentage of the bail amount that is normally shared with whoever is handling bail bonds in Aurora or another Colorado location, for example.
How to Become a Bail Bondsman in Colorado
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- Written by Rapid Release
The United States legal system depends on a vast number of components working together as one cohesive unit in order for justice to take its course. Part of that is bail and bail bonding, where finances are provided – if necessary – on the part of a defendant by assigning collateral. The bail bonding process results in the defendant being allowed out of custody, helps assure the person will appear for court appearances or forfeit the bond, and allows the bondsman to collect a percentage of the bond money for performing certain services for the defendant and the legal system. To become a bail bondsman in Denver:
Determine if you qualify to be a Colorado Bail Bondsman
If you want a career in Colorado Bail Bonds, there are certain qualifications you must meet. At the very least, you must be a Colorado resident 18 years-old or older, plus:
- You must be lawfully present in the U.S.
- You must have not been convicted of a felony in the last 10 years, or must not have completed parole, probation, or deferred sentence within the last 10 years from being released from jail.
Finally, you must be trustworthy, competent, financially responsible, and have a good personal and business reputation.
Bail Bondsman in Colorado and a Bad Economy
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If you listen to the pundits or “talking heads” on cable television or radio call-in shows, a failing economy results in an increase in crimes. This means that when crime goes up, someone who profits from Denver Bail Bonds reaps even more benefit. But that’s not necessarily true in either case.
Each state sees peaks and valleys for different kinds of criminal activity, and people who earn a living off bail bonds in Denver Colorado are affected, too. Bail bondsmen are insurance producers, selling a product like any other, so if a person is cutting back on spending in certain areas so they can afford the basics, they probably can’t afford bail bonds either.
But Crime Rates are Rising, Right?
Americans are strange. Perhaps because of television, radio, the Internet, cell phones and other media sources, we naturally assume by default that crimes rates keep rising. We see and hear of mass murders taking place on military basis and movie theatres and assume things keep getting worse. But that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, according to the latest data from the United States Census Bureau, there were 46.7 million violent crimes committed nationwide in 2008, but only 43.9 million in 2009, which may not be statistically significant.
The Top 5 Questions to Ask a Bail Bonds Company
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- Written by Rapid Release
When a person hires a company or individual, they do so based on factors like trust, knowledge, experience, and reliability. Comfort level is a huge part of the equation, too. How often, for instance, have you gone shopping for furniture, made it just inside the store, then get deluged by a bee line of hungry sales associates looking for their next commission? If you’ve judged the situation correctly, you leave within minutes and go elsewhere. The same holds true if you’re ever in the need for a Denver Bail Bonds company. You want someone you can trust, but how do you know who’s experienced and trustworthy enough to lead you through the bail process at the Denver County jail?
Questions to Ask your Bondsman
You ask questions, lots of them. Here are five that we recommend clients ask of any bail bondsman in Denver they’re thinking of hiring.
- Are you listed with the local Better Business Bureau (BBB) office, and where can I see that information? Not all Arapahoe County Bail Bonds companies are listed with their local BBB office, and it makes you wonder why. The BBB is the sort of organization a company should want to belong to because membership engenders public trust and demonstrates that a company is willing to listen to complaints and get them resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner. It’s a sign of trust. This is where you do a bit of research. Check online with the BBB if possible and see if there have been complaints about the bail bondsman you’re interested in, how they were resolved, and how quickly. Also check on their rating. If a bail bondsman says he’s got a AAA rating with the BBB, but you find out it’s really a B, then you have reason to look elsewhere.
- What do you charge for a bail bond and why? In Colorado, the typical charge for a bail bond is up to 15 percent the value of bail. If your bail is set at $10,000, the bondsman would charge you $1,500. And don’t fall victim to a bondsman who offers to work with you for a considerably lesser fee or on a payment basis. Remember that you get what you pay for and, unfortunately, fraud exists within bail bonds in Denver Colorado just like with any industry anywhere else.
What to Expect When You Are Arrested
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For the homeless charged with petty theft to gate crashers at a Denver Nuggets game to a Hollywood starlet who’s drunk and disorderly, getting arrested and having to come up with Denver Bail Bonds is never a pleasant experience. Let’s face it, people get arrested for a reason, and spending a few restless nights in the Denver city jail isn’t something you’ll look back on with fond memories.
In many cases, the arrest, booking, and Jefferson County Bail Bonds process is easier to handle if you know what to expect.
Remain Calm Once You Are Arrested
The police may arrest you if they have probable cause that you committed a crime. If you are detained, you can expect to hear the phrase popularized in cop and lawyers shows on television for more than 50 years running: “You have the right to remain silent …” These are called your Miranda warnings, and if they aren’t read to you before you’re taken in, a lawyer may get you released nearly as quickly as you were taken to Denver County Jail. Here are some tips to follow if you’re arrested.
- Stay calm.
- Be respectful of the officers.
- Never argue with the arresting officers.
- Stay in one place, and keep your hands to yourself.