Title: How Bounty Hunting Works | HowStuffWorks
Headings: How Bounty Hunting Works
How Bounty Hunting Works
Content: Today, the stereotype of the rogue bounty hunter remains, even though most modern bounty hunters are trained and licensed professionals. The Wild West free-for-all has been transformed into a real business and an integral part of the American justice system. Advertisement
In this article, we'll find out how bounty hunting works, learn the history of the profession and follow Bob Burton, one of the country's top bounty hunters, on the search for a fugitive. When you watch a news story that involves an arrest, you may hear something like, "Bail was set at $100,000." Bail money is set to ensure that the person who is charged with the crime shows up in court. The more serious the crime, the higher the bail amount. For the most dangerous criminals, no bail is set at all -- they must remain in police custody. Not everyone who is accused of a crime can afford bail money, which can run into the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars. In those cases, a bail bondsman will step in and put up a bail bond -- sort of like a loan -- in return for a percentage (usually 10 percent) of the total bail. The bail bondsman will then secure a bail bond from an insurance company.