History of Bail Agents or Bail Bondsman
What is a Bail Bondsman
A bail bond agent, or bondsman, is any person or corporation that will act as a surety and pledge money or property as bail for the appearance of persons accused in court.
Although banks, insurance companies and other similar institutions are usually the sureties on other types of contracts, such entities are reluctant to put their depositors’ or policyholders’ funds at the kind of risk involved in posting a bail bond. Bail bond agents, on the other hand, are usually in the business to cater to defendants, often securing their customers’ release from jail in just a few hours.
Bail bond agents are almost exclusively found in the United States and the Philippines. In most other countries bail is usually much less and the practice of bounty hunting is illegal.
The First Bail Bonds Business
The first modern bail bonds business in the US, the system by which a person pays a percentage of the court-specified bail amount to a professional bonds agent who puts up the cash as a guarantee that the person will appear in court, was established by Tom and Peter P. McDonough in San Francisco in 1898.
How Do Bail Bonds Work?
Bond agents have a standing security agreement with local court officials, in which they agree to post an irrevocable “blanket” bond, which will pay the court if any defendant for whom the bond agent is responsible does not appear.
The bond agent usually has an arrangement with an insurance company, bank or another credit provider to draw on such security, even during hours when the bank is not operating. This eliminates the need for the bondsman to deposit cash or property with the court every time a new defendant is bailed out.
Contact Bail Bond Agents in Fort Myers
When you need bail, time is of the essence. That is why our offices are open 24 hours a day and conveniently located within walking distance of the Lee and Hendry County Jails. A Way Out Bail Bonds also servers Glades and Collier counties. No mater where you are, we are here for you.