Maryland Bail Bonds needs Reform
Currently in Maryland there are far too many bail bondsman working with a longer criminal history than many of the inmates they bail out. In todays bail bonds market it is hard to distinguish between the legitimate and those that are not. I have heard countless horror stories of people claiming to be bondsmen working for some obscure company knocking on people's doors asking for bail money. Unfortunately, this takes place every day and there is little to no action to put an end to all of it.
The bail bonds industry in Maryland is one that is poorly regulated. The Maryland Insurance Administration does not have the man power to check on the "ma and pa money laundering bail bonds" shops on what seems like every corner in Baltimore City. We now even have disbarred attorneys joining the Bail Bonds fraternity in Maryland. (And somehow this makes the front page of the Baltimore Sun). It seems like everybody is or wants to be a bail bondsman today and unfortunately for the general public most all treat the bail bonds business like a street game rather than focusing on what Bail is intended for.
Some bail bondsman do not even require paperwork be done or issue receipts for money they have been given for bail. How can this be allowed to go on? How much longer can we let unlicensed bondsmen get away with murder in this industry? Who is going to take a stand and stop the people that help shed such a negative light on peoples view on bail in Maryland? Some of these questions are more difficult to answer than others.
In order to help reform the bail industry, the families pursuing the bondsmen need to take their time in making clear and concise decisions on which bail bonds company to deal with. Many people are ignorant to the way the bail system works and for this reason should not get involved with a particular company too hastily. The insurance administration itself needs to own up to what is going on and not ignore the illegal practices of a large majority of people claiming to be licensed bail agents. Most importantly "bail agents" should be held accountable for posting their own bails and be liable for their defendants to appear in court. Currently a significant number of bail bondsmen are not responsible for either of the two previously mentioned items.
Bail Bondsmen in Maryland are often viewed in the same light as many of the alleged criminals that we bail out by highly ranked state officials, judges, and commissioners. When bail is executed in the fashion it was intended we become a vital part of the community by securing the appearances of the defendants we bail out. And for those that fail to appear, we apprehend them in a timely manner providing public safety to the community at large.
