BAIL BOND FIRMS SEND COUNTY $5.2 MILLION.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer Two bail bond A written promise signed by a defendant or a surety (one who promises to act in place of another) to pay an amount fixed by a court should the defendant named in the document fail to appear in court for the designated criminal proceeding at the date and time specified. companies, under investigation in an emerging industrywide scandal to avoid forfeitures involving hundreds of fugitives from justice, have sent checks totaling $5.2 million to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County to pay off forfeiture The involuntary relinquishment of money or property without compensation as a consequence of a breach or nonperformance of some legal obligation or the commission of a crime. The loss of a corporate charter or franchise as a result of illegality, malfeasance, or Nonfeasance. debts, officials said Thursday. The District Attorney's Office, the state Department of Insurance and prosecutors throughout the state are probing allegations that some companies offer bail bonds without requiring adequate collateral, increasing the risk that suspects will flee, and then covering up instances when suspects have fled. Last month, the District Attorney's Office filed perjury perjury (pûr`jərē), in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. and forgery charges against Bad Boys Bail Bonds paralegal paralegal n. a non-lawyer who performs routine tasks requiring some knowledge of the law and procedures, employed by a law office or who works free-lance as an independent for various lawyers. Cindy Marie Abreu, 26, alleging she lied and forged court documents to persuade judges not to forfeit bail in five criminal cases. Abreu pleaded not guilty to the charges July 16. Investigators also suspect that some bail bond companies have made it easier for people to get bail because they charge less than the standard 10 percent commission. ``They take a smaller percentage, but they are also allowing bail agents to not be accountable for returning the defendant to court,'' District Attorney's Office special counsel Lael R. Rubin said. Officials estimate that uncollected bail forfeitures could total up to $26 million in the county and as much as $150 million statewide. In the first payment of debts owed, International Fidelity Insurance An agreement whereby, for a designated sum of money, one party agrees to guarantee the loyalty and honesty of an agent, officer, or employee of an employer by promising to compensate the employer for losses incurred as a result of the disloyalty or dishonesty of such individuals. Co. & Allegheny Casualty Co. sent Rubin checks totaling $5.2 million from Harco National Insurance Co. and Aegis Security Insurance Co. to satisfy summary judgments on bonds executed through Capitol Bonding Corp. Troy Anderson, (213) 974-8985 troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com |
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