Verify Warrants

Okay, so I had something interesting show up today.. a letter from a local sheriff's department telling bondsmen and recovery agents to NOT call to verify warrants, because they will no longer verify them for us. Now, being the liability-conscious recovery agent that I am, I like to have my ducks in a row. This includes making sure the warrant is active and hasn't been squashed by a new bond or something like that. Has anyone else had this sort of thing happen? How did you react?

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Kevin
Legal Process Enforcement, LLC
d.b.a. MN Bail Enforcement

Well, about the only thing you can do is work around it.... I have some departments that are very hostile toward bondsmen and recovery agents and others that are very cooperative... there may be other avenues of access other than directly through the department... not sure in your state.

Actually, as far as I am concerned, the only warrant I am interested in... is the bail piece that serves my purpose... other than that, I don't really need to check out others. Now if your checking for just general info or if your guy is wanted for some other charge then I guess you have to work around the problem... I don't think there is any easy way on this... as a bondsman, I am somewhat limited to certain access... I think PI's have a bit more access.

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Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

From my understanding, this only effects county warrants, correct? I have come across certain areas that do not allow verification of warrants to non- LE personnel. The county I live in being one of them. However, after building a professional relationship with them, they usually give me one cough for yes, two coughs for no. Outside of that, as long as you asking during business hours, the county clerks office that the warrant is out of can still verify the warrant on the "case" number. What I have implemented was that every time I got a file on a skip, I went to the city or county clerks office and obtained a copy of the physical warrant myself (for my files). It used to cost me a dollar for the first ten pages, and then five cents a copy thereafter. I generally obtained copy of recent arrest history and the warrant on my case as well as any additional warrants. This allowed me to turn in a copy of the active warrants to the booking officer (hence throwing on all warrant charges aside from the bond revocation charge). This kept the person from bonding out right after he got booked in.

Then my goal was to verify warrants with the clerks office during business hours, and calling the jails to see if he has been booked in when the offices were closed. I found this to be the most effective route mainly because it built a better report with the detention officers. I am now allowed to book defendants in through the sally ports on many detention centers in Wyoming, Idaho, and a few in Washington.

I hope this helps your situation.

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Timothy Soule
Soule & Associates Investigations
Sheridan, WY
307-763-3134

"As Professional Bail Enforcement Agents, we secure the Risk of the Surety by lawfully protecting the interest of not only the safety and security of our Clients and their Surety Agencies, but their Indemnitors and Defendants as well."

If the court is still open,call the court clerk. If not then when you hit the street,find an officer and pretext them. Or should I say make a deal with them. This has worked in the areas I have worked for years and years.

In my A.O., as long as I can prove to the court that it was my/the bail bondsmens info that leads to the arrest of said subject, the court will allow remittance. So make the deal with the officer,if they confirm the warrent when you find your (client) you will give them the info so they get an easy arrest and you still get paid. This is just 1 of many ways you can get around the higher up's in lawenforcement not willing to confirm warrents.

A diffrent way might be as you gain experance and deal more and more with the police out on the street, you might find certaint officers that will confirm the warrent anyway. (as long as you never ever let anyone find out)... Or you can pay a P.I. or an ATT friend to confirm for you. In the end, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. If you use your head for something other than a hatrack,you should have very little if any problems in geting anything that you need to get your job done....

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Surety Enforcement Bureau
Washington Fugitive Recovery Lic # 0128
(503) 997-9837.

TIER1 INVESTIGATIONAL SERVICES
Private Investigator Lic # 3919
(360) 841-8039
(888) 238-8961
www.tieronepi.com

I agree with the fellas

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

It is nice to know if a warrant is active, but it has nothing to do with your authority to arrest. That comes from the bondsman, or more accurately, from the bail bond contract between the bondsman and the defendant. If you can verify the warrant, fine, but if not, don't let that deter you from making the arrest as long as you have all your paperwork in order.

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Marvin Bordeaux
Western States Bail Enforcement, LLC
Private Investigator (AZ) Lic. # 1628031
520 253-0317

He is wise to check the warrant every day. He could risk a kidnapping charge if the defendant turned himself in and rebonded and was then taken into custody. I would seek a different approach. Seek out the chief circuit court judge, present him with your concerns about potential liabilities and ask for a court order requiring the sheriff to provide this information upon documentation that you are actively contracted to work this case. The paperwork could be the actual bond papers for a bond you posted to a contract and authorization to arrest. Should the judge refuse, he, as well as the judiciary by and through him, have been noticed that there is an issue beyond your control and you have attempted to seek a remedy prior to any negative issue. Document this as you progress. We did this to be able to obtain pictures from the jails. When the jail management changed, as it did every election year, we had to school them again, to the point of keeping copies of the court order. I had friction from some stating the court order was old, it was, but I simply asked for a court order that they are aware of that supersedes the one I have. If not, than please cooperate. The one that refused, because all Bail Enforcement people are pieces of dung (he was less polite) was followed up by a formal visit to the Sheriff, who immediately sent for him to get to his office immediately. The Sheriff through the copy at him and he asked "Just what part of a court order do you not understand?" We had no problem after that and that Sheriff received a donation to his re-election fund from an organized group of politically active bondsmen.

Scott

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R.E. "Scott" MacLean III

"Leaders are like Eagles, you never see them in a flock, but one at a time"

Chesapeake Group Investigations, Inc.
Chesapeake Bail Bonds
877-574-0500
301-392-1100 (fax)
301-392-1900 (Office)

At least here in Indiana the County Clerk is the official keeper of the court records including warrants. If I have any questions about case status it is the Court or Clerk's personnel I call, not the Sheriff's department.

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Jeff Downer
Jeff Downer Bail Bonds
Indianapolis, IN

In our county we can call the clerks office and get a verification. The other option for us is to go to the clearks office and pull the file, the warrant is in the court folder. I dont know how things work up there. Good idea to verify when possible helps keep ur butt out of the "sling"

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Mike
Norcal Bail Enforcement
San Jose Ca.
360 237 1721 efax
408 402 2710 work cell
DOI Bail Agent Lic 1844214
BSIS G1533544

Go hug a Tree

I agree, always check for warrants, in Missouri the City/County Court Clerks have always been helpful in telling you if the client snuck in and plead out, in this state a false arrest/kidnapping charge will come if you arrest them on a closed case.

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Tim Brenner
SMOJS
1111 N. Boonville
Springfield, Missouri 65802
417-881-2626
Missouri State License for:
General Bail Bondsman: 0431972
Bail Bonds/Fugitive Recovery: 0431972
Private Investigator: 2010016728
Missouri POST Instructor 517111446
MO. Department of Insurance CE and Bail Bond Instructor 8025856
Kansas License # 12745855