Seth Wheeler

Castle Rock, Colorado

 

As an aspiring bond enforcment agent, I was very excited to discover your website. In no other place have I found so much information and guidance which I think is VERY important to anyone looking to get into this field.

 

Though I now live in Colorado, I will soon be relocating to Alaska and hope to, one day, operate my own apprehension/investigation company. This brings me to my question: Since a bond enforcment agent/agency is not protected by the same governmental "umbrella" as law enforcment, what is the frequency and/or scope of civil lawsuits that can be expected by a privately operating agent? I know that there are innumerable precautions to take to "beat" a civil suit, but, no doubt, they will come. What can be expected?

 

I thank you for your time and the help that I have recieved from your site and look foreward to breaking into the industry.

 

Seth Wheeler

 

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Seth,

 

It is refreshing to find someone who "gets" it; thank you for your intelligent and well articulated questions.

 

1. As to frequency and scope of civil litigation- In the 13 years I have been in this industry, I have only heard of one civil case being brought upon a fugitive recovery investigator. It was a result of an accidental discharge of a firearm in the direction of the defendant's family inside their home during an apprehension, which was/is absolutely avoidable. I am sure that there have been several other lawsuits brought on as a result of a few shootings of which I am aware. but typically the criminal trial overshadows the resulting civil trial. I know MANY people in this industry and I hear about the things that go on with a great many more that I do not know but that is not to say that civil suits do not happen more often than 5 or 6 in a span of a decade.

 

2. I talk quite a bit about protecting one's personal assets in my book because a civil suit is absolutely possible for any of a thousand reasons and I think as our industry becomes more mainstream (it is headed in that direction) more defendants and their attorneys will become more savvy regarding the laws and other constraints that bail investigators must work within.

 

Unfortunately, this is not something that I can look into my crystal ball and tell you what to expect. Fortunately, my company has been involved in 2200+ successful assignments, I have a little over 1400 of those to my credit, and I can't remember even one time where I was even worried that I would be sued for my actions. It's all about how you go about the business of bail enforcement- we practice and preach "low impact bail enforcement" not the stuff you see on the TV. We treat everyone like a human being and never forget that these defendants are our clients' clients.

 

Good luck!

 

Warmest Regards,

 

L. Scott Harrell

CompassPoint Investigations

"In Relentless Pursuit for Your Success"

www.BondForfeitures.com

www.BeABountyHunter.com

Ofc 877-363-4887

Fax 877-761-8264

NSIN #LSH1002