Bounty Hunters?????

Bounty Hunters Released

Two would-be bounty hunters roughed up by neighbors and arrested after trying to take a Ferndale woman to court against her will were released from jail Wednesday because they acted within the letter of the law, police said.

Christopher Hight, 52, of Bremen, Ga., was arraigned on a carrying a concealed weapons charge in the incident, but he and his 53-year-old brother from Blountville, Tenn., were both released. He must return for an Oct. 25 preliminary exam on the weapons charge.

Both men were arrested Tuesday after one lured the 48-year-old woman out of her Albany Street home on the pretext of having a cup of coffee and the other jumped from nearby bushes.

Police were called shortly after midnight on a report of the pair dragging the woman to their pickup truck. Neighbors armed with a golf club and baseball bat stopped them from placing her in the vehicle. Hight suffered a head wound in the resulting fracas.

"Everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do," said Lt. William J. Wilson. "The neighbors came to her defense. Someone called police. The police responded quickly and took them into custody.

"Only problem is, the two men were completely within their legal rights in grabbing her."

Inside the truck, police found two loaded .22-caliber handguns, duct tape and plastic "flex cuffs," which they planned to use to tie the woman up for the ride back to Georgia. She was scheduled to appear today in court on a drunken driving and drug possession charge, Wilson said.

This year, Hight, who is related to the woman's cousin, had put up $10,000 bond through a bail bondsman for her to be released and was concerned she did not plan to show up for court, forfeiting bond.

Under Michigan law, in all criminal cases in which people have provided bail and want to be relieved from the responsibility, they can -- with or without police assistance -- arrest or detain the accused and deliver him or her to any jail or to the sheriff of any county. "It's an outdated law, but it's on the books," said Wilson. "They decided to do it all themselves, which is also their right. But it could have had a tragic result."

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Steve Faircloth
A Way Out Bail Bonds
(220) 204-9733 Cell
NSIN# SF0105
LIC. #704058

I always notify LE, especially if we are outside our local AO. Even locally it has saved us many headaches, because if someone does call in on us they know we are there.

When working in another state, we usually make a personal appearance at the local PD with all of our paperwork. In large areas where we have to track down the right precinct, it is more difficult, and we are sometimes told that the phone call is all that is needed. In these cases, if we happen to see an officer in the area we will stop and talk to him/her. Sometimes LE assists, more often not, but letting them know we were there has saved our butts in problem situations many times. We have had to call 911 a few times, and have had 911 called on us a few times. Checking in got us help when we needed it, and kept our cover from being blown in other cases.

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Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club

If I am reading this right, the "bounty Hunters' were somehow connected to the individual and I am not thinking as bondsmen.
Didn't this same type of incident occur in Washington (state of) this past year?
Talk about a well organized 'neighborhood watch group'

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

The last time we were called in on locally was by an overzealous (I guess) neighborhood watch person. He first questioned me because I had driven the block a couple of times, then parked and James had made a "walk" around the public park across from his house. The first time he approached me, I simply told him that James was taking his daily excercise IN A PUBLIC PARK. Later, when we hit the house was when I told him who I was, and why we were there. That was when he called the cops on us, and they shut him down. I really hope he or one of his family gets arrested one day, and they call me to get them out. I will get great pleasure in rejecting them, and in calling every bondsman I know to reject the bond. When he continued to argue with me and then LE, it showed me that he would run and/or hide anyone that he signed for. Yep, that's all I need to know!!

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Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club

SISTA, it was a possible revoke on one of my bonds. I had let a long-term girlfriend sign, and she wanted off the bond. The house we hit was the mom's, and the next day, I got a call from the sister (also on my bond) saying that the defendant was on his way to her house. He called me the day after from her number. I transferred the cosigner to the mom, dumping the GF's liability, and right now have no further problems. He isn't due back in court until Dec., so as long as he calls in to me I am good.

This is one of the reasons that I am very skeptical and careful about taking taking boyfriend/girlfrieind or often even spouseal cosigners. They will often cover for each other, or as in this case, even though they had been together several years, the girlfriend kicked him out, then wanted off the bond. Whatever! The mom is now liable, and I know where he is. All I care is that he shows up for court, and if he doesn't, he is still calling in from the sister's number, so it won't be hard to find him. DUH!!

_________________
Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club