# Please explain what Dog the Bounty Hunter does and how he makes his money **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2007, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641 "2007-11-08T08:44:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/21 "2007-11-09T15:12:36Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Out of curiosity - how do Canadian courts handle bail then? Do they set it to values low enough for accused criminals to make it regularly, or do a lot more people waiting for trial stay in jail? [/QUOTE] Probably the same way Oregon does. Oregon does not allow bounty hunters or bondsmen. > [@Oregon Law](#): > > Defendant only can be released from custody on conditional release, deposit bond, or on his own recognizance (i.e., no surety bonds). Or. Rev. Stat.§§135.255, .260, .265. In State v. Epps, 585 P .2nd 425 (Or. 1978), the Oregon Supreme court abolished the broad common law rights of bounty hunters and bond agents, and applied the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act to bounty hunters seeking take defendants over state lines. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/22 "2007-11-09T15:18:26Z")
[QUOTE=Koxinga] I’ve heard that the whole “Dead or Alive” thing seen in Old West wanted posters referred to the desire of the bondsman and not the court per se. Apparently, if someone skipped bail and the bondsman was facing a loss, he could bring the fugitive’s dead body to the court and still get his money back. I wouldn’t think that this is still the case . . . or is it? [/QUOTE] Yes it is still the case. When a person dies the charges are dismissed and the bail is exonorated. The bounty hunter is still subject to murder charges though if he is responsible for the defendants death unless he has a valid defense. Bounty hunters do not have any defense you or I don’t have. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/23 "2007-11-09T15:28:44Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Out of curiosity - how do Canadian courts handle bail then? Do they set it to values low enough for accused criminals to make it regularly, or do a lot more people waiting for trial stay in jail? [/QUOTE] Bail is still an important part of our system - just not for profit. In fact, it’s a criminal offence ([obstuction of justice](http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/ShowDoc/cs/C-46/bo-ga:l_IV::bo-ga:l_V//en?page=4&isPrinting=false#codese:139) ) to pay a surety, or for a surety to accept indemnification: > [@](#): > > \*\*Obstructing justice > > 139.\*\* (1) Every one who wilfully attempts in any manner to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice in a judicial proceeding, > > (a) by indemnifying or agreeing to indemnify a surety, in any way and either in whole or in part, or > > (b) where he is a surety, by accepting or agreeing to accept a fee or any form of indemnity whether in whole or in part from or in respect of a person who is released or is to be released from custody, > > is guilty of > > (c) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or > > (d) an offence punishable on summary conviction. So bail has to be paid by the accused, or by friends and family members of the accused who are willing to support the accused and vouch for him, but not for a fee. My impression is that bail amounts therefore tend to be lower than in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/24 "2007-11-09T15:35:24Z")
Oh, and for tracking down those who skip - what do you think we have [Mounties](http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/) for? ---
**Author:** ![benjohnson321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@benjohnson321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benjohnson321)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/25 "2014-06-26T03:11:20Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > They’re most probably just novelties for the most part. Anyone can [buy one](http://www.nles.com/store/catalog/Bail_Bond_Investigator_Bounty_Hunter_Badge-p-102.html) and it kind of helps with the look. Not too many people are going to stop a dude with a badge if he’s chasing down someone. It probably helps to have some official looking bling. I’ve read a lot of disappointed comments online over bail bondsmen wearing badges. The alleged “Bounty Hunters” are made out to be police wanna bes. I don’t know why most people think that without saying paramedics, police dispatchers, security guards, firemen, building inspectors and code enforcement wouldn’t ALSO be pointed out as police wanna bes since they all wear badges too. The official police force in the United States began in the late 1800’s and bounty hunting history goes back as far as the early 1820’s so why not say that the police are bounty hunter wanna bes? Maybe we should get technical and right down to the point. Bail bonding is a privatized business verse law enforcement being a state or government paid occupation. The police have an “ego” that they have all the power which is simply not true since police have so many rules to follow I’d think twice about being a cop over a bounty hunter unless bounty hunters want to write parking citations, radar traffic, direct traffic or stand guard at a rap music concert. You have to wear a uniform, respond to domestic violence calls, pick up urine-soaked drunks and toss them into a taxi cab, etc. That career stinks! And sadly, law enforcement is becoming more and more privatized. The state of Minnesota has 59 privatized police departments…why? Money! State paid police careers don’t support the economy. They don’t generate revenue to fuel our economy just like the security at VISA don’t generate revenue for the credit card corporation. Privatizing law enforcement cuts out pensions, overtime, sick paid days, vacation, etc. I won’t type anymore because it will make you sick…can you believe that 85% of our fire departments are volunteer? That’s worse than privatizing them. But getting back to the badges. They are shields. They are a symbol of protection. So unless a bail bondsmen’s badge says anything besides what’s posted on their state issued license they “should” be arrested, or fined. And one last thing. A bail bondsman will tell you that bounty hunting is as rare as can be. Only about 3% of the folks they bail out of jail jump. And the jumpers are usually the ones who honestly forgot that today was court day. Do they run over to the defendants house and kick in their door? Probably not. If you own a bail company and have to leave state to catch someone then you are losing money. If they bail out a defendant on a 100,000 dollar bond, they guarantee that the defendant will show up on his assigned court date. If he disappears, then the judge allows the bondman up to six months to bring the defendant in, or pay the full 100,000 dollars. That stinks! ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/26 "2014-06-26T13:19:55Z")
IIRC the “Dead or Alive” posters of the notorious old west were for rewards offered by the state. This person has offended so often, so severely, that we want to offer an incentive to catch him or get him out of circulation. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/27 "2014-06-26T17:51:29Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Out of curiosity - how do Canadian courts handle bail then? Do they set it to values low enough for accused criminals to make it regularly, or do a lot more people waiting for trial stay in jail? I think Canada (and Oregon) deal with it pretty much the same as the UK. Bail is usually set within the defendant’s means, and it does not have to be paid unless the defendant actually skips. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/28 "2014-06-26T18:41:13Z")
BTW, this thread is six years old. ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/29 "2014-06-27T19:38:41Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Does Dog (specifically) contract with other bondsman to track down the ones who don’t show for court or does he just track down his own fugitives? I know this is an old thread but I don’t think this question was addressed. I remember at least two shows when Dog and his Hawaii crew went after someone else’s fugitive. He mentioned it informally, like “Our friend XX called this morning and needed our help to track down a skip. Here’s what she sent over about the guy.” And then he did the usual briefing and planning. At the end of those shows, Dog met the other bail bond agent at the jail. They never talked about sharing profits or anything; Dog just handed the guy over to the other bail bond agent, and she took him in to be processed. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/30 "2014-06-27T19:41:51Z")
So what is the logic of payout? Does the person putting up bail get (all? Some of?) their bail money back when a fugitive (one who has skipped bail and missed their court date) is delivered? Or does the state put up a portion of the bail money as a reward for returning the fugitive, thus allowing these guys to cut their losses? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/31 "2014-06-28T02:28:21Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Bounty hunters are a strange breed legally and I don’t think most other 1st world countries have something similar. Indeed, it varies from state to state; bounty hunting is illegal or heavily restricted in some states. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641/33 "2017-04-23T01:21:48Z")
Reported. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-what-dog-the-bounty-hunter-does-and-how-he-makes-his-money/425641.md?page=1)