My office got a call last night from a man who had 3 charges of Sexual assault on a child. Each charge was set at $500,000 for a total bond setting of 1.5 million dollars. This means he would have a bond fee from us of $225,000. That he will never get back. He will also have to provide 1.5 million in collateral in the form of property such all land or buildings. He was getting a lawyer for a bail reduction hearing, smart move on his part.
Now,.. I'm not defending this man or his actions, but it seems strange to me that we have murderers who's bonds are set substantially lower than this guys bonds. To me that seems odd.
I asked my boss about it, & he asked me if I knew the difference between a 16 yr old & a 17 yr girl in Texas was? I didn't know & he replied 2o yrs. So in reality this could have been a 16 almost 17 yr old girl that was the victim,......if she is really his victim at all. That has yet to be proved, & while I'm not defending him in the least, he could well be guilty of statutory rape & nothing more. She could have willing had sex with him, got caught, & told her folks everything. Who knows? I do know it is a constitutional right to make bail with one exception being drug king pins, or the like.
Anyway, to me it just seemed kind of whacked that they would set his bail so high, & let much worse crimes get bonded for a fraction of his bonds cost.
I have learned this as a bondsman. A police officer can arrest you for almost anything if he wants to. Even if you are innocent, & the charges are later dropped for lack of evidence, & you will still have lawyer fees, bail bonds fee's, & what else I don't know. That you will never recoup, just because a cop decided to arrest you for what ever reason. Mot people instead of filling a law suite, know enough about the system by that point to cut their losses & forget about it all. I would imagine it would be very hard to win a wrongful arrest type of law suite, for many reasons.

True story.

A relative of mine went to prison (and rightly so) for sexual abuse of his girl friend's 13 year old daughter. The jury said he used his influence as an authority figure to coerce sex. He went down for 10 years. If he hit her in the head with a brick and drug her into an alley he would have gotten 3-5. The law is funny. Still, he's a lucky guy. If it was my girl he would have caught a .22 short behind the ear.

From the amount of the bail, I doubt if this is a case of an 18 year old guy having a willing backseat tryst with a 16 year old.

Quoted: I have learned this as a bondsman. A police officer can arrest you for almost anything if he wants to. Even if you are innocent, & the charges are later dropped for lack of evidence, & you will still have lawyer fees, bail bonds fee's, & what else I don't know. That you will never recoup, just because a cop decided to arrest you for what ever reason. Mot people instead of filling a law suite, know enough about the system by that point to cut their losses & forget about it all. I would imagine it would be very hard to win a wrongful arrest type of law suite, for many reasons.

Nonsense!!  Cop basher!!!  Don't you know that cops never, ever do questionable stuff like that.  If you get arrested you must be guilty of something, after all, you're just a dirty civilian.  Just ask some of our resident JBT members (as opposed to the decent, non-JBT arfcom LEO members).

Two words:

Dru Sjodin

I know your comment was not serious towards me RiffRandll, but I should probably say anyways, that I have a high respect for LEO's & those in authority. But I have also seen the dark side of JBT's & know for certainty that they are real, & do exist in virtually every P.D. sad but true. Some many folks with Napoleon complexes.

Quoted: A relative of mine went to prison (and rightly so) for sexual abuse of his girl friend's 13 year old daughter. The jury said he used his influence as an authority figure to coerce sex. He went down for 10 years. If he hit her in the head with a brick and drug her into an alley he would have gotten 3-5. The law is funny. Still, he's a lucky guy. If it was my girl he would have caught a .22 short behind the ear. From the amount of the bail, I doubt if this is a case of an 18 year old guy having a willing backseat tryst with a 16 year old.

What you say is true, but not knowing any of the particulars or fact's of this case I can only surmise it could be a man of say 33 with a 15 or 16 yr old. I really don't know so I can't say for sure. If it was my kid he harmed I would have made the Apache Indians look kind in their methods of torture.

just like johnny reno deserves a thanks now and then for his tireless posting of today in pictures, i'd like to say thanks for throwing out a story or two of your own every now and then.
always interesting, and kind of cool to hear what goes on where most people don't get to go.

Then again, it could have been a 7-year old girl who happened to be riding her bike past his house.

It would probably be better to have more info before we all start getting our panties in a bunch.

I love your work stories, Searcher.

Quoted: just like johnny reno deserves a thanks now and then for his tireless posting of today in pictures,

Thanks.  I do it because I enjoy it.

i'd like to say thanks for throwing out a story or two of your own every now and then. always interesting, and kind of cool to hear what goes on where most people don't get to go.

Yes, I enjoy reading the bail bondsman stories and the Tales of the FFL as well.

I'm on my weekend now, but will get more details on wendsday night when my weekend is over. I will post what ever I find out. I did hear the man is claiming the girl is 17 not 7. But that doesn't make it a fact either.

Quoted: Quoted: just like johnny reno deserves a thanks now and then for his tireless posting of today in pictures, Thanks.  I do it because I enjoy it. i'd like to say thanks for throwing out a story or two of your own every now and then. always interesting, and kind of cool to hear what goes on where most people don't get to go. Yes, I enjoy reading the bail bondsman stories and the Tales of the FFL as well.

And Lumpy196's new pix for gun-nuts

I met some really good guys that were Bail Bondsman when I was a Corrections Officer. They would always show up with a smile.

Many of the people that I would process to bail out would have gotten OR'ed out the next day after their court apperance, but they would insist to be bailed out. Only to be back in court 4-5 hours later...even the Bails Bondsman would tell them that...


I really respect the job that you guys do....

Of course the exception is a member here that is a Bail Bondsman that failed to honor a deal on a rifle, and then had his wife e-mail me....good thing I double checked with him via e-mail before I had driven a hour, with 3 kids, in the winter, with the temp hovering at 10 degrees to meet him, at a meet that he had no intention showing up to.....

They also like to set bond super-high for (nonviolent) gun crimes, way higher than violent crimes.

Quoted: I met some really good guys that were Bail Bondsman when I was a Corrections Officer. They would always show up with a smile. Many of the people that I would process to bail out would have gotten OR'ed out the next day after their court apperance, but they would insist to be bailed out. Only to be back in court 4-5 hours later...even the Bails Bondsman would tell them that...

In my area they like to give out a pr bond on 5 charges, & then a bond on the last charge so it's the bondsman who become the responsable party to makes sure they show up for court. No expense to the city or county. Saves them money & effort, & puts it on us.

the scary thing is is getting harder and harder to tell jailbait from legal anymore I almost asked a friend out till a week later I found out on her birthday "oh happy birthday how old are you know Ashley" her: oh 17" me thinking to my self: "ooh shit well glad I didnt ask her out"

Not only do they look mature sooner, they are being taught via the tv/media in general to be sexy, & sexual even at an early age.
I heard on fox that the message of Brittny Spears concert to a mostly preteen/young teen fan base included mastrabation, & sex acts as an acceptable action for them at any age.
I also heard girls a maturing at a much earlier age now due to the affects of high fat diets in our American diets. I don't know if it's true, but that's what I've heard anyway.

Quoted: They also like to set bond super-high for (nonviolent) gun crimes, way higher than violent crimes.

I understand why they are hard on those who use guns in crimes, even if they don't get messy, but letting the messy, non gun crimes out cheeper for that fact is foolish.

Quoted: Not only do they look mature sooner, they are being taught via the tv/media in general to be sexy, & sexual even at an early age. I heard on fox that the message of Brittny Spears concert to a mostly preteen/young teen fan base included mastrabation, & sex acts as an acceptable action for them at any age. I also heard girls a maturing at a much earlier age now due to the affects of high fat diets in our American diets. I don't know if it's true, but that's what I've heard anyway.

As one that works in schools on occasion, I cannot believe how slutty many of the girls in middle school look. Moreover, the well developed ones look of age. Although a 5 min. conversation with most any underage girls should be sending the red flag up the pole with anyone that has an ounce of common sense in thier brain.

I also heard girls a maturing at a much earlier age now due to the affects of high fat diets in our American diets. I don't know if it's true, but that's what I've heard anyway.

I heard that it was because of all of the hormones put into our chicken, cattle, etc., to make them grow faster so that the farmer can make more money.  I don't know for a fact that it's true, though.

Quoted: As one that works in schools on occasion, I cannot believe how slutty many of the girls in middle school look. Moreover, the well developed ones look of age. Although a 5 min. conversation with most any underage girls should be sending the red flag up the pole with anyone that has an ounce of common sense in thier brain.

Because they are thinking with their little head which has neither common sense nor a brain.