I turned on HBO and Family Bonds was on. These bail bondsman were looking for someone who skipped bail. They decided to check out the home of the suspect which turnes out to be the home of the daughter. The daughter said that she didn’t sign for her mother to be released, which I took to mean she wasn’t the one who bailed her out. The bondsman told her that this was the address her mother used and they had a warrant to search.
Now I’m sure these guys lie like rugs and I don’t really believe they have a right to enter someone elses property like that. If a bondsman came to my door and demanded to search my property I’d use a few of my fondest four letter words.
Is there any state where a bondsman is permitted to search someone’s home? Even if they weren’t the ones who posted bail?
That doesn’t answer the question. One to which I would actually like to know a semi-intelligent answer.
However, I’d imagine (thank god I’ve never needed a bondsman), that they can be pretty intimidating to the sort of folks whos doors they’d be knocking on.
"Yes and No. We may enter the house of the subject fugitive if we can determine beyond a reasonable doubt it is his/her dwelling. We cannot enter homes of third parties or friends on “fishing expeditions”, i.e., just looking for the fugitive. The defendant gave us permission to enter his house in the bail bond contract. He, in essence, waived his rights in the contract to extradition and dwelling entry. This waiving of rights has been upheld by all high state courts and the U.S. Supreme Court (Taylor Vs Taintor).
Does the bail enforcement agent have a vast amount of arrest authority… ?
Yes, but in a very narrow niche, pertaining to one fugitive. That fugitive, in waiving his rights to the bonding agent, is now fair game to a bail arrest throughout the United States. The bail enforcement agent, once arresting the fugitive, is now devoid of arrest authority (save that of any citizen in a private arrest) until the bonding agent has another case for the agent.
The arrest power comes from where… ?
The licensed bail bond agent is vested with arrest authority by the state he/she is licensed in. They are also given the power to delegate that arrest party to a third party, i.e. a recovery agent."