The work of the bail enforcement officers or bounty hunters is to track down the location of those people who have bailed out from jail but didn’t attend court dates. Those who can’t attend their trial dates commit wrong against the law. Fugitives are arrested by bounty hunters and returned to police custody where they’ll await trial.
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What is the salary of Bounty Hunters?
[campusexplorer header_text="START YOUR FIREFIGHTER JOURNEY" intro_text="Fill The Form Below To Get Admissions Info From Local Schools" aos="41826B55" concentration="F3205941" is_lightbox="1" lightbox_btn_text="CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR FIREFIGHTER JOURNEY"]In return for their professional services, bounty hunters will typically obtain ten or twenty percent of the bond or bail amount as payment and they generate an annual income that is within the range of $50,000 to $80,000. Because there have been several people who skip trials, the line of work is searching for more employees. Those bounty hunters with formal certification and experience will have the most job opportunities available to them.
What Kinds Of Tasks Does A Bail Enforcement Agent Take On?
A criminal will be taken to the police station. Once in police custody, he will be booked and his case will be brought to a prosecutor who will choose which charges will be laid against the arrested individual. There is time for the prosecutor to place charges during the time in between the booking and the court date. The time it will take in general is 48-72 hours depending on the laws of state. The court date will come and the defendant will show up. The defendant will know the charges filed against him or her from the judge.
The guilty or not guilty plea will be presented by the accused. Once a plea has been reached, the presiding judge, based on the crime the accused is involved in, may enable the defendant to leave police custody in return for bail. It is good for both parties because it keeps the expenditures of the police from increasing and it also gives the accused freedom until their trial. Bail also serves as an incentive for accused to participate in their trial.
Judges may place bail at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sometimes, one can’t pay the bail on their own. This is where the bondsman will come in to pay the bail for the accused. There is a refund of the bail when the accused shows up at the court date. Failure to attend the trial will end up with a warrant of arrest without bail.
To prevent losing his money, a bondsman may employ a bounty hunter to find, arrest, and take the accused back into law enforcement custody. A bounty hunter will carry out interviews, researches, and a lot more activities if it means they could return the individual to law enforcement custody. But while carrying out their tasks, bounty hunters should firmly adhere to laws and regulations placed by the state.
States like Washington need bounty hunters to get “reasonable cause” to think that a fugitive is currently within a premise before entering private property. They are also instructed to inform law enforcement officials that they are going to enter that property. If the bounty hunter is in Virginia, he will have to make a 24 hour notice ahead of time and a 60 minute notice after the arrest.
How To Become A Bounty Hunter
[campusexplorer header_text="START YOUR FIREFIGHTER JOURNEY" intro_text="Fill The Form Below To Get Admissions Info From Local Schools" aos="41826B55" concentration="F3205941" is_lightbox="1" lightbox_btn_text="CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR FIREFIGHTER JOURNEY"]Other states in the United States authorize bounty hunters providing they have the proper credentials and license. While other states are not too strict, some states are eager on letting bounty hunters do their work as long as they adhere to the rules. There are states that do not tolerate bounty hunting in any form. Before becoming a bounty hunter, one should discover how the job and the work is welcomed in the state they live in.
What Is Needed To Become One?
Candidates wishing to become bounty hunters must also meet other requirements. There will be an exam and a history check for their police records. They must be a citizen of the U.S. and should be a resident of the state they wish to work in. They must possess a legitimate driver’s license. There is a need for the person to be clean from any crime, be it minor or major. In other states, candidates could be 18 years of age, while some states need them to be at least 21 years of age. Training is the most important part of applying for the job. Potential bounty hunters will be given an opportunity to go to an academy or training center by the state. There they will be shown the laws they must follow while working as a bounty hunter and the abilities they’ll need to catch fugitives. There are specific courses for the job, which some states will need the candidate to finish.
Academic Prerequisites
Bounty hunting may only work in the state providing the hunter will abide by the laws, which is why there is a need to master the laws of the state before being employed. There are states such as Washington, which requires bounty hunters “reasonable cause” before they can get into the privately owned property and perform their work. They are also needed to notify police officers that they are preparing to enter that property. In Virginia, bounty hunters are needed to provide authorities notice 24 hrs prior to an arrest and 60 minutes after doing the arrest. Application of the training will be next; this is called the apprenticeship stage.
Accreditation And Licensure
After training is done, several states require candidates to first get a license before they could serve as bounty hunters. To get this license, candidates should take and pass a licensing exam, which will cover the laws of the state. Requirements may vary in several states but the common ones are at least 18 or 21 years of age, clear of any felonies, and a completed apprenticeship. In combination with these requirements, several states might also require that candidates have a background in law enforcement before they could acquire a license. As soon as a bounty hunter becomes licensed he’ll be able to work freely within the state that awarded him his license.