The work of the bail enforcement officers or bounty hunters is to trace the location of those people who have bailed out from jail but failed to attend court dates. Those who cannot attend their trial dates commit wrong against the law. Fugitives are apprehended by bounty hunters and returned to police custody where they’ll await trial.
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How Much Do Bounty Hunters Earn?
[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"]A bounty hunter earns a salary around $50,000 to $80,000 per year along with the ten or twenty percent of the bail. Because there have been many individuals who overlook trials, the line of work is looking for more personnel. Those bounty hunters with official certification and experience will get the most job opportunities open to them.
Bail Enforcement Agent Job Description
The police bring a person who committed a crime in the station and hold them there. Once in police custody, he will be booked and his case will be brought to a prosecutor who will decide which charges will be laid against the arrested individual. There is time for the prosecutor to lay charges during the time period in between the booking and the court date. In some states, this period of time is 72 hrs and in others, it’s 48 hrs. After charges have been set, the accused is brought before the court. The trial will involve the judge’s recitation of the prosecutor’s charges against the defendant.
The judge will ask whether the accused pleas guilty or not guilty. Bail will be settled by the individual whose charges are lifted by the judge, as he sees appropriate to the case. It is good for both parties because it keeps the expenditures of the police from increasing and it also provides the accused liberty until their trial. Those who participate in their court dates can even give bail as their motivation.
The bail could be hundreds of thousands of dollars based on the charges. It is therefore not really a surprise when clients are struggling to pay their bail themselves. When such a situation develops the defendant may resort to a bondsman who’ll pay the bail in his place. There is a reimbursement of the bail when the accused attends the court date. If the person neglects the schedule and does not make an appearance, the bail will be dropped in return for a warrant of arrest.
Bounty hunter services are engaged when he bondsman finds out the accused won’t be able to repay the cash since he or she didn’t attend the court. The duties of the bounty hunters include interviewing, investigating, and more so that they will find who they are searching for. But while executing their duties, bounty hunters should tightly stick to laws and regulations established by the state.
A few states such as Washington demands bounty hunters to have adequate reason before entering a private facility. They are also expected to inform authorities that they are preparing to get into that property. If the bounty hunter is in Virginia, he will need to make a 24 hour notice beforehand and a 60 minute notice following the arrest.
Means 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"]A few states require bounty hunters to have a license to operate within that state. Other states don’t have such a prerequisite, but in these states, there are demanding statutes in place that control the practice of bounty hunting. Some states forbid bounty hunting in general. Since the licensure process and prerequisites vary from one state to another, it’s vital that anyone planning to become a bounty hunter first gain idea of what his state needs.
The Prerequisites
Candidates planning to become bounty hunters must also comply with other prerequisites. They must go through an inspection of their criminal background and they will also take an exam. A U.S. citizenship is needed, along with evidence that the person is a resident of the state. A legitimate driver’s license must be shown. There is a need for the person to be clean from any crime, be it minor or major. Some states call for applicants to at least be 18 years old while others require candidates to be at least 21. Training is the most important part of getting the job. Many states need prospective bounty hunters to attend an academy or community training college. There they will be taught the laws they need to follow while functioning as a bounty hunter and the abilities they’ll need to seize fugitives. There are certain courses for the job, which some states will require the candidate to accomplish.
Academic Prerequisites
Learning the laws of the state concerning the job of bounty hunting is vital since there are many, and each should be observed to the letter if bounty hunters want to work within that state. States like Washington need bounty hunters to possess “reasonable cause” to believe that a fugitive is presently inside a building before entering privately owned property. The police officials have to know this before the hunter could enter the premises. The law enforcement office will require a bounty hunter to provide information 24 hours before the arrest and 60-minutes after the arrest. Internship will take place after the training; this is where they will apply their knowledge on the field.
Accreditation And Licensure
After training is completed, several states require candidates to first obtain a license before they could function as bounty hunters. To receive this license, candidates must take and pass a licensing exam, that will cover the laws of the state. Other prerequisites include a clean criminal history, an age which is at least 18 or 21 depending on the state they reside in, completed training programs, clean criminal records,and a completed apprenticeship program. In addition to these prerequisites, some states may also require that candidates have a background in law enforcement just before they could obtain 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.