3000 Defendants Released Without Bail Bonds

Pinellas, Florida – According to a new report in Florida, since November 2009, over 3,000 defendants have been released on recognizance in Pinellas County. Even those who have been charged with serious crimes such as battery and drug possession have been released this way – with no bail. The county uses administrative release-on-recognizance orders more than any other community in the area, according to a local newspaper. The Pinellas Sheriff’s Office stands to save $1 million by the end of the year with this system, which ensures that... Read more

Florida Bail Agent Faces Additional Criminal Charges

Florida bail agent Joseph Houston is already due in court next month to face charges of soliciting bail business inside the jail and will also be facing charges of allowing a employing a felon and allowing  an unlicensed agent to write bail. Houston, along with employee Juanita Williams, are accused of depositing money into inmates’ commisary accounts. Read the entire story here.  Read More →