Even if you aren’t familiar with the bail process, you have probably heard about bounty hunters. If you learned about bounty hunters from TV, however, you may not have the right idea about what they do or what the regulations surrounding bounty hunters are.
What Are Bounty Hunters?
When you use a bond agent to post your bail, you are accountable for the full price of the bail if you do not show up to court. Since your bond agent pays the court under the condition that you will return for your trial, he or she may hire a bounty hunter to deliver you to authorities if you do not show up or if you are delinquent on your payment.
How Can Bounty Hunters Find You?
When it comes to bounty hunter rules and regulations, every state is different. A bounty hunter may use skip tracing to find you if you jump bail. Essentially, the bounty hunter will collect information about you. He or she may look through your phone numbers, loan applications, tax information and other public records to figure out what locations you have a connection to. Sometimes a bounty hunter will use someone who specializes in skip tracing to find you.
Can Bounty Hunters Use Force?
Bounty hunters should never use reckless means to capture someone who skips out on a Lehigh County bail bonds agent. A bounty hunter cannot cause excessive harm to the person that he or she apprehends. He or she may have the authority to arrest you but he or she cannot use excessive force or harm you.
When it comes to bail bonds, if you pay to get out of jail or hire an agent, you still have to show up in court. If you do not show up in court after using the help of a bond agent, he or she could send a bounty hunter to apprehend you.