Author: tkanger

My wife Marcia and I attended a fundraiser last evening called “A Night with the Network”.  The event’s purpose was to raise money for the Domestic Violence Network whose goal is to end domestic violence in Indiana. The venue for this event was the Indianapolis Art Center in mid-town Indianapolis.  A great setting to hold a fundraiser that included a silent auction, wine tasting and cigar bar.  In the end a lot money was raised for a very worthy cause.   The event program states that one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime and 1.3 million are victims of physical assault each year. These are startling numbers.   At one point DVN Executive Director asked those in the audience to raise their hand if they had…

It’s been a tough few weeks for the National Football League and Commissioner Roger Goodell.  The video tapes of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée in a casino elevator have brought national awareness to the crime of domestic violence. Until now the NFL’s policy of a soft handed disciplinarian approach has sufficiently mollified the fans, those days are gone.  The videos changed everything as seeing something is different than hearing about it.  It’s vivid, it’s personal and it’s real. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report Nonfatal Domestic Violence, 2003-2012 about one in five violent crimes with a victim was a case of domestic violence.   Knowing this, why then are so many judges and prosecutors routinely releasing offenders of domestic violence on low bonds or no bonds?  If a video…

Two weeks ago I was in Trenton, New Jersey for a meeting of bail agents and representatives of the American Bail Coalition.  At issue was the passing of S946 which created a statewide pretrial release system.  Governor Christie was successful in pushing through this new bureaucracy that will cost New Jersey taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the next ten years. While having lunch with a bail agent from Bakersfield, California last week I learned SB 210 was in trouble (trouble being a good thing in this scenario).  Until a few weeks ago SB 210, which favored risk assessment tools and releasing defendants on their own recognizance was sailing through the California General Assembly after having passed out of the Senate.  Upon my return to Indianapolis, I received an…

A few weeks back I reported to you about an Ohio Supreme Court decision that told the Ohio lower courts they cannot prohibit a criminal defendant from purchasing a bail bond to secure their release.  The courts could not limit the bond options to 10% cash only. On the west coast another high court took issue with the lower courts limiting the release options for offenders.   The Washington State Supreme Court issued a ruling July 31, saying the lower courts could not prohibit use of bail bonds.   Washington courts can no longer deny a defendant the right to use a third party guarantor, a sufficient solvent surety, to post bail use a cash alternative. Interestingly, deposit bail only surfaced in Washington State a few years ago.  I specifically recall attending…

While perusing Facebook updates yesterday I came across a post by Texas Attorney and bail expert Ken Good.  Ken had written about his recent trip to Dallas to drop off his daughter Laurel to attend Camp Esperanza.  Laurel is a young warrior battling cancer and a regular this summer camp for kids battling cancer.  Ken wrote about the emotional reunions these kids experience each year when meeting new friends and remembering those kids who lost their personal battles with cancer.  Kids being treated for cancer at Children's Medical Center of Dallas are invited to attend Camp Esperanza.  The anticipation alone helps detract them from their troubles, while camp week is a welcome relief from stress and worry.  They simply don't want to leave.   This year's Camp Esperanza was funded in…

When I was much younger I would do something stupid in front of my Dad and he would say, “Son, common sense is a virtue.” I took those words to heart and I try to apply common sense at all times and, to my credit, my failure rate has been reduced considerably through the years. The Ohio Supreme Court applied some common sense to a case involving a lower court, the Licking County Municipal Court, and the Court of Commons Pleas, when it released a Slip Opinion this week that upheld a part of that state’s constitution that reads “all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties”. Woody Fox, owner of Woody’s Bail Bonds of Columbus, Ohio, is hailed as a hero today by me and every bail agent in…

When I was much younger I would do something stupid in front of my Dad and he would say, “Son, common sense is a virtue.” I took those words to heart and I try to apply common sense at all times and, to my credit, my failure rate has been reduced considerably through the years. The Ohio Supreme Court applied some common sense to a case involving a lower court, the Licking County Municipal Court, and the Court of Commons Pleas, when it released a Slip Opinion this week that upheld a part of that state’s constitution that reads “all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties”. Woody Fox, owner of Woody’s Bail Bonds of Columbus, Ohio, is hailed as a hero today by me and every bail agent in…

June 23, 2014 Today in New Jersey, lawmakers will hear testimony on a proposed bill that promises big changes in that state’s bail system, and not necessarily good ones.  If passed into law, the bill would take the cost of guaranteeing the appearance of criminal defendants in court and shift the cost from the defendant to the taxpayer. This bill, A1910, will be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  A1910 guarantees criminal defendants will be first considered for release on their own recognizance and supervised by a taxpayer funded pretrial release agency.  Requiring a defendant to post a bail bond would be the third release option and used only after a pretrial release person or a judge deems it necessary. Again, if this bill passes, the 9 million citizens in…

Like any other small business, bail bond company owners must pay taxes, hire staff, require the services of rental space, telephones, marketing companies, yellow pages and web companies. You can also find many bond companies participating in community events.   A few weeks ago I was invited by Gene and Amy Points of Muskogee, Oklahoma to join them as their company, Advantage Bail Bonds, took part in an annual chili cook off event.  I brought along my youngest daughter Samantha, who has not yet reached that age where she's embarrassed to hang out with Dad. We spent two beautiful days in Muskogee attending the cook off and enjoyed some great food and lively company.  We even took part in what must be the world’s longest small town parade riding on…

This has truly been the week from hell.  Agent issues, fugitive issues and logistical issues.  Throw in an overnight trip to South Carolina with back to back 6:00 a.m. departures for extra measure. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own problems and mini-crises and forget what is really important; the well being of friends and family. Dale Neese is a longtime friend of mine out of Cumming, Georgia.  Dale also happens to write bail for American Surety Company.  This morning I received an update on his webpage at CaringBridge.org on the status of his battle with cancer that began with melanoma more than seven years ago.  The update told of yet another surgery Dale will undergo next week.  He has persevered through several surgeries and various and continuing…