Editor's Note: The Bail News Round-up consists of news items that occurred over the previous week and upcoming industry events. If you have items you would like to contribute, please call us at (866) 411-2245 or click here.

It's been a strange week. This week, AboutBail.com staff read every type of news story, from stories of bondsmen cleared of charges to a bizarre kidnapping. The industry news stories that caught our eye this week were:

Bounty Hunters Zone in on James "Whitey" Bulger for $1m Prize
UNITED KINGDOM - James "Whitey" Bulger is an organized crime boss, part of the Irish underground in Boston, Massachusetts. Or, at least, he was until 1995 when he fled the United States to avoid indictment. Whitey was allegedly part of a $350 million art theft and was tipped off regarding his imminent indictment by John Connolly, an FBI agent working for him. Connolly is now in jail, but Whitey is still at large. He is wanted on multiple charges, including charges relating to organized crime, 19 murders, drug offenses, extortion, money laundering, and possibly others. Whitey committed the bulk of his crimes in the 1970s and 1980s, but his offenses are serious enough that even after all this time he is in the FBI's top ten most-wanted list. Thanks to a $1 million bounty, Whitey is also extremely interesting to bounty hunters, who have been searching the Canary Islands for him. It is expected that when Whitey is found the rare paintings he allegedly stole - including a Rembrandt - may also be recovered. (The Guardian Unlimited, June 4, 2007)

Bounty Hunter in Madison County Indicted
MISSISSIPPI - A Madison County bounty hunter has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of possessing a controlled substance and sexual battery. The bounty hunter, Christopher Paul Fish, was arrested in February on other charges before facing the battery and substance charges. The charges stem from a December 2006 incident when Fish allegedly attacked a 25-year-old woman in a Madison County Cabin. According to reports, Fish had a large amount of weapons in his home when he was arrested. (The Clarion-Ledger, June 6, 2007)

Are Police Refusing the Help of Bounty Hunters?
COLORADO - Recently, the AboutBail.com staff reported a case in which an illegal immigrant was accused of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old Denver girl. The immigrant had fled the country. This week, new and disturbing information about the case has emerged. A bounty hunter in the region is now alleging that local police are refusing help in the case. The illegal alien, known by the name Manuel Flores, was arrested in February. Federal immigration authorities were alerted about the situation but no hold was placed on him. Denver Pretrial Services suggested a bond that was lower than usual. Flores was able to post his bond a few days after his arrest and flee the country. Local bounty hunter James Ness was able to trace Flores in Mexico. He contacted the Denver U.S. Marshals Office and agents were willing to arrest the fugitive. When the Denver Police Department was contacted, though, police told Ness that they did not want his help in the case. (MyFox Colorado, June, 4 2007)

Bail Bondsman May Have Faked His Own Kidnapping
TENNESSEE - Bail bondsman Billy Massengale, of Gary's Bonding Co., was reported missing by his brother on May 29. Rhea County Investigator Mike Bice was on the case and searched for the missing professional. A few hours after first reported missing, Massengale reappeared, claiming that five men had beaten and abducted him. Authorities now claim that Massengale's story is a fabrication, and this past Monday, Massengale was arrested on charges of filing a false police report. (The Herald-News, June 6, 2007)

Fort Pierce Bail Bondsman Cleared of Sexual Coercion Charges
FLORIDA - Jerry Smith, owner of Fort Pierce's Dusk to Dawn Bail Bonds, was accused of forcing women he bailed out of prison to engage in sexual acts with him. This past Thursday, a jury found the bondsman innocent of all charges. Officially charged with two counts of sexual battery and one count of misdemeanor battery, authorities originally charged him of coercing women into sexual acts over a period of at least five years. (TC Palm Local News, June 1, 2007)

Montgomery Legislature's 2007 Session Ends
ALABAMA - The 2007 session of the Montgomery Legislature ended this week after a session of heated debates. Part of the Mobile County delegation disputed over local legislation earlier this year. At one point, the contention even affected the state House of Representatives. 20 Mobile County bills were introduced during the session. Most of the problems stemmed from a bill that would impose a $25 fee on bail bonds. State Reps. Jim Barton, R-Mobile, and James Buskey, D-Mobile, disagreed over the bill, which would have raised money for the Mobile County Law Enforcement and Firefighters' Pension Fund. The dispute allegedly affected other bills, so that only four local bills in the end have a chance of passage. The bail bond bill is not among those. (The Press-Register, June 6, 2007)

New Law May Affect San Antonio Bonds
TEXAS - San Antonio bail bondsmen and others involved in the legal system are holding their breath wondering whether the governor will sign new legislation that would lower the jail population in the county. The new legislation might go into effect as early as September. It would allow law enforcement to issue a summons for misdemeanor cases rather than placing individuals into jail immediately for some misdemeanor crimes. Defendants would appear before a magistrate at an agreed-upon time and the magistrate could even be given the authority to release the defendant on a personal recognizance bond in many cases. This new legislation may reduce jail population - but it may also decrease demand for bail bond services. (San Antonio Express-News, June 5, 2007)

New Legislation Aims to Help Indigent Defendants
LOUISIANA - In New Orleans, Criminal Court Judge Arthur Hunter Jr., has praised the public defender bill, which passed in the Louisiana House of Representatives and is expected to be heard in a Senate judiciary committee soon. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the city's less wealthy defendants were often kept in jail and had to wait months for legal help from attorneys. The money that the defenders' office's budget raised for such cases often came from traffic court fines and, after Katrina, that money was no longer present. Hunter hopes that the new bill will bring money to the system and will help those who do not have ready-cash hire attorneys and legal help. (Shreveport Times, June 2, 2007)

California Bail Agents Association
2007 Renewal License Education June 11, 2007 Los Angeles, CA click here for details
California Bail Resource Center
Pre-Licensing Education
June 9-10, 2007 Los Angeles, CA		June 23-24, 2007 Sacramento, CA
Continuing Education
June 10, 2007 Los Angeles, CA		June 24, 2007 Sacramento, CA
click here to view all Bail Resource Center Events
Florida Surety Agents Association
FSAA Continuing Education
Surviving an Agency Audit June 14, 2007 Winter Park, FL		Securing & Converting Collateral June 19, 2007 Jacksonville, FL
Surviving an Agency Audit June 20, 2007 Jacksonville, FL		Use of Deadly Force for Lawful Self-Defense June 20, 2007 Tampa, FL
click here for details on FSAA Continuing Ed
Mississippi Bail Agents Association
MBAA Summer Meeting
July 6-7, 2007 Biloxi, MS
click here for details on all MBAA Meetings
North Carolina Bail Agents Association
NCBAA Pre-Licensing Classes
June 11-12, 2007 McKimmon Center Raleigh, NC		July 9-10, 2007 McKimmon Center Raleigh, NC
click here for details on NCBAA Pre-Licensing Classes
Professional Bondsmen of Texas
PBT Bail Bond Courses June 22-23, 2007 Austin, TX click here for details on PBT Bail Bond Courses