The Life of a Bounty Hunter

As a bounty hunter it is commonly legal for you to break into a suspect's house. Italso is legal under certain circumstances to restrain an individual in whatever way youfeel is best. For many of us, the term bounty hunter brings up an image of vigilante mercenaries, working at the edge of the law bringing in the most wanted criminals for huge rewards. This is the bounty hunter of the popular imagination.

In real life, the bounty hunter has a very specific task. They execute warrants on bail secured fugitives who have forfeited or skipped bail for the bail bonds industry. Rather than wasting the time, money and energy of police authorities, bounty hunters (also known as|often referred to as} recovery agents perform this service for a price, paid for by the bond issuing agency.

A bond agent is an insurance agent. When they put up a bond to release an individual, they are ensuring the court that th|e person they have bailed out will appear in court. If that person then fails to appear in court, the bondsmanis the one who ends up paying the money for that bond. Otherwise the bond will be released at the time of either the conviction or acquittal of the defendant.

In order to be released from the bond, the bondsman hires a bail enforcement agent to find the bail secured fugitive who skipped bail and bring them to jail until they go to court. Otherwise these bail jumpers would have to be caught again by police authorities, and the bonds agent would be expected to pay for the bond as they did not bring the bail secured defendant in at the proper time.

Bounty hunting is a crucialaspect of the bail bonds system in the US, which in turn is aimportant part of the justice system as a whole. The bail enforcement agent, although often misunderstood and frequently disliked by police and other authorities, is vital part of our criminal justice system.

If you seriously considering undertaking a job as a bounty hunter, the first thing you must do is understand the law. As a bounty hunter you are walking a thin line. On the one hand, you're a civilian, not a police officer or a soldier. However, you are working in apprehending fugitives and bringing them to court, similar to any law enforcement officer.
In all states with the exception of Oregon, Kentucky, and Illinois. Frequent travel should be anticipated although your destination will not always be known and may change often.

No specific degree required but courses in criminal justice, liberal arts, and business advised. Some schools issue certificates. Some states need licensing which might involve some self study and preparation.

It is possible for entry level bounty hunters to earn as much as 25,000, however those with over five years|experience can make 100,000 per year. Income is generally ten percent of the set bail and variables like the number of fugitives apprehended and the amount of bail help establish the bounty hunter's income. The quantity of bail is determined by the seriousness of the crime.

By Dan Miller | Published 8-20-2009
Based, in part, from an article written by Allen Butler | Published 2005.