It’s bad enough these days to make a dollar in the commercial bail bond business, let alone have to deal with unethical and even criminal actions of other bail agents. I recall several years ago, a bail agent from a local bail bond company located in La Habra, California, faced similar allegations as Riverside County bail bondsman Damion Paul Perkins does today. It is alleged that they held their clients at gunpoint, and cuffed them to a chair, all for premium owed on the bond!
The problem is as follows; a scrupulous bail bond company posts the bail bond without getting a prior commitment on the terms of payment and/or security from their clients. They literally post the bail bond in efforts to beat the competitor from getting the business. Once the defendant is on the other side of the bars, the bail bondsman “strong arms” the client in paying the premium, even threatening to throw them back in jail!
These and other unethical tactics are being used everyday by scrupulous bail bond companies and bail agents. Unfortunately, the California Department of Insurance is very slow to act to consumer complaints, allowing companies such as the above mentioned to stay in business.