by One thing that many people often wonder is how bail works across the state lines. Numerous references in the media often show people involved or detained under a criminal charge and requesting help from someone out of state. And not surprisingly, this is common in the tourist destination cities.
How Viable It Is
Most bondsman limit their client list to only the cases they have in their states. It is to reduce complications and possible confusion when they take cases from another state. It’s also highly unlikely that someone chooses to post bail in a different state unless they’re acting as a proxy.
For example, the Las Vegas police officer apprehends the defendant in their precinct. After the booking process and hearing the bail, the defendant called their mother in Georgia, requesting help to pay the bail. The mother will look for the nearby bonds office to post bail for her son.
The Complication That May Happen
Working across the state also has some issues, primarily regarding clear information on the defendant’s ID and whereabouts. Sometimes the names get mixed up or other details. But here are some of the most common issues that can happen on working on bonds in different states.
- Wrong Detention Center
This is quite common since there are several detention centers in a city. For example, New York City has more than a dozen complexes. Not knowing the correct center means the bondsman has to work twice as hard to get the correct information and verify it. And not to mention there may be several defendants with the same name or any other name variations.
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- Not Knowing Booking Number
Another issue that may happen is the defendant does not know their booking numbers. This mostly happens to the first offender since they are still grasping the situation. Anyhow, to solve this issue, the defendant can ask for the defense lawyer to contact the bail bondsman in their place.
- Communication Issue
Working across the stateliness means all communication is through phones and other virtual means. The defendant may contact the bonds office directly to arrange the bail payment. Different states also mean different time zones, and it means different time limits to post bail and other details.
An Agency Across The States
A large bonds agency may have multiple offices across the nation. This means that they either obtain the necessary licenses for each state or recruit local bondsmen and use them as the primary resources.
Employing locals to work as bondsmen can be a good strategy because they are more familiar with the state laws. It will minimize the chance of any mix-up in the laws and even worse, a misinterpretation of how the state requires the bail.
For a bonds office, having a client from multiple states is a testament that they are doing a great job at what they do. And it also means that they are good enough and may start partnerships with several local agents in different states. At any rate, it helps everyone who is facing jail time to receive help from their partners or family from a different state.
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