Bounty hunter raid disturbs the peace of one Baltimore city family

Baltimore Sun ^ | Sep 3, 2003 | Gregory Kane

[Brooklyn_Park_MD]

IT WAS half past one in the morning when Harry Cokley, desperately trying to get enough sleep so that his early rising wouldn't leave him groggy, heard the knock at his front door.

Cokley, a 52-year-old truck driver who lives on Belvieu Avenue in Northwest Baltimore, works for the North Bay Distributing Co. His job requires getting up early and allows no time for late-night nonsense. But that's exactly what happened on this August evening.

[Brooklyn_Park_MD]

What do you think of this news articles? I would be pizzed off if it happened to me. Actually, this is not new to Baltimore City families every years.

click on this website: http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.kane06sep06,0,7757305.column

[Skooz]

It was their identifying themselves as police officers -- they weren't

Felony. Bust 'em.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I once worked with a guy that did bounty work. He was crazier than the proverbial sh*t house rat.

[muggs]

What I would like to know, are police allowed to break into someones' home on an arrest warrant, not a search warrant, but an arrest warrant? This happened to someone I know a few weeks ago.

[coloradan]

But bounty hunters, more correctly known as bail recovery agents, do have the right to conduct warrantless searches. Ritter said that when a person signs a bail bond contract and gives an address, he or she consents to a search of whatever address is given.

So if someone puts Sarah Brady's house as the address on a bail bond, a bunch of thugs can break in there at will in the middle of the night and it's all perfectly legal? As nice as that sounds, it ought to be illegal - who gives consent for the use of the address?

[Orangedog]

Never open your door to anyone in the middle of the night unless they produce a badge and prove they are a cop. If they won't do that, they obviously are not cops. If they try to force their way in, thats where your 12 GA. comes into play.

[and the horse you rode in on]

But bounty hunters, more correctly known as bail recovery agents, do have the right to conduct warrantless searches. Ritter said that when a person signs a bail bond contract and gives an address, he or she consents to a search of whatever address is given.

That assumes that he has the legal right to consent to a search of that address. If I give your address in making bail and they accept it, they still have no legal right to search your house.

[Just another Joe]

Ritter said that when a person signs a bail bond contract and gives an address, he or she consents to a search of whatever address is given.

So, if I give my address as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C. then if they come looking for me they can serch the place?

Secret Service might have a word to say on that.

[No Truce With Kings]

Calling Stephanie Plum. Sounds like something cooked up by your bitter rival.

[joesnuffy]

steel door...with a speaker...
talk to deh hand...
you dont get an open door no matter what

[Jack Black]

Private bounty hunters are illegal in the state of Oregon and enjoy absolutely no special powers. Other states should follow this model.

[wgeorge2001]

"I felt so violated," Cokley said after the bail recovery agents left."


Where have I heard that line before?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Hmmm, apparently you didn't read the part of the article that says bounty hunters are allowed to search homes without warrants, and can use necessary means to do so.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Why should other states follow this model? The people the bounty hunters are following are people who did not show up in court and are fugitives. It is a convenient way to allow private enterprise to do the dirty work of tracking them down.

[patton]

Did you see number 8?

[WackyKat]

Why should other states follow this model?

To protect their citizens from these neanderthals, that's why.

The people the bounty hunters are following are people who did not show up in court and are fugitives.

So what? Should these thugs have the right to force their way into your home while impersonating police officers? If you think this conduct is limited only to the residence listed on the bond, you're wrong.

It is a convenient way to allow private enterprise to do the dirty work of tracking them down.

So thuggery is alright with you as long as it's "private enterprise"?

[Jack Black]

I think there are far too many accidents and problems involving bounty hunters. Police work is serious business and poorly trained yahoos kicking in doors are just a bad idea, in my opinion.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Interesting perspective. I've heard the same argument for why individual citizens shouldn't be armed.

[Cacique]

Having beenn in the "business' All I can say that mistakes occasionally do happen. For the most part addreses on bail bonds are confirmed before they are issued. My only gripe is that the INS doesn't use bail recovery agents to go after people here illegally. The problem would dissapear overnight.

Yes mistakes will happen, but is part of life. At l;east 99% of the time the guilty will be caught.

[Cacique]

"Are you guys bounty hunters?" Cokley demanded. (Cokley knew that Hill had jumped a $5,000 bail on a drug charge six months ago and gave Cokley's house as his home address.)

It's not like this "a**hole didn't know that the perp gave his home address out at the time of his arrest. He obviously confirmed it at that time. A judge will throw any case out if it ever gets to court in a haertbeat.