PBUS

06/03/2026

Bail Bonds & Surety News – June 2, 2026

California Supreme Court ruled April 30, 2026, that most defendants have a right to pretrial release. Bail must be set at an affordable amount the defendant can pay. Prosecutors must show specific cause for detention, with a hearing required. Unaffordable cash bail treated as equivalent to no bail.

Texas: 2025 bail reform package (SB 9, SB 40, HB 75, SJR 5/Proposition 3) in effect. Restricts personal recognizance bonds for certain offenses, bans cities/counties from using taxpayer funds for bails, allows denial of bail for specified violent/sexual felonies with clear and convincing evidence. Impacts seen in counties like Harris.

North Carolina: Iryna’s Law (effective Dec. 2025) in operation. Limits pretrial release for violent offenses, creates presumptions against release for those with prior violent convictions or history, requires secured bonds or electronic monitoring in many cases, shifts some decisions to judges over magistrates.

Washington: State Supreme Court considering proposed changes to CrR 3.2 that would expand 10% cash deposit bail option (defendants post 10% directly to court) and cap some misdemeanor bails at $200. Bail agents association opposing the measures.

Federal/District of Columbia: H.R. 5214 (District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025) active. Proposes mandatory pretrial/post-conviction detention and cash bail for crimes of violence and certain public safety threats. Ongoing executive and congressional actions targeting cashless bail jurisdictions with potential funding consequences.

New York: Five-year review of 2019 bail reform shows overall drop in pretrial detentions. Reports note bail remains less affordable in some remaining cases with persistent racial disparities. Ongoing debates continue.

Oklahoma: ACLU and partners reached settlement agreement to end wealth-based detention.

Broader activity: Multiple states advancing measures for minimum bonds on serious offenses, risk evaluations, restrictions on release for repeat/dangerous offenders (e.g., Iowa SF2399, Ohio HB741, West Virginia prohibiting PR bonds in felonies). Federal pressures on cashless jurisdictions ongoing. Routine surety operations and local dockets active across states using cash/surety bail.

06/02/2026

Are We Our Own Best Friend or Worst Enemy? The Social Media Question Every Bail Professional Must Answer

The Anti-Surety Movement does not need to fabricate a narrative about the bail profession. In too many cases, we are writing it for them. Organizations and advocates working to eliminate commercial surety bail monitor social media platforms constantly, and they are not looking for reasons to praise us. They are collecting examples — screenshots, posts, images — that they can use to argue that bail agents are unprofessional, exploitative, and unfit to play a role in the American justice system. Every careless post is a gift we hand them freely.

To be fair, the line between personal and professional social media is genuinely complicated for small business owners. Many bail agents operate from home, run lean operations, and naturally blend their personal and professional lives across a single platform. Sharing a favorite recipe, a family moment, or something that made you smile is not the problem. The problem is when content that should never be public — content that reflects poorly on defendants, clients, or the profession itself — gets posted without a moment's thought about who is watching and how it will be used. The ASM does not distinguish between your personal page and your business page. To them, you are the profession. Every post you make is a data point in their argument.

The most striking example shared at the PBUS Winter Conference illustrates exactly what is at stake. A photograph was circulated showing a client handcuffed to a hospital bed — posted publicly on social media by someone in this profession. Set aside for a moment every legal and ethical question that image raises. Ask only this: how does a non-bail person interpret that picture? Not as evidence of a professional doing their job.

They see it as humiliation. They see it as someone in a position of power treating a vulnerable person as content. That single image does more damage to the national reputation of surety bail than a dozen reform advocates could manufacture on their own. It becomes a slide in a presentation. It becomes a tweet. It becomes the face of our profession to people who have never met a bail agent.

We have to be honest with ourselves. If we want lawmakers, judges, and the public to take surety bail seriously as a professional, accountable, and ethical system, our social media presence must reflect that. That does not mean every post must be a policy statement. It means that before anything goes public, we ask a simple question: how will someone outside this profession read this? Not a colleague, not a fellow agent who understands the context — a legislator, a journalist, a reform advocate, or a parent who has never had contact with the justice system. If the answer gives you pause, do not post it.

The Anti-Surety Movement is organized, well-funded, and paying close attention. As members of PBUS and as professionals who believe surety bail works, we have a responsibility to police our own image with the same discipline we bring to our work. We are not just representing ourselves when we post. We are representing every licensed bail agent in America, every argument we have made before a legislative committee, and every effort we have invested in demonstrating that this profession deserves its place in the criminal justice system. Think before you share. Your next post may be the one they use against all of us.

About the Author: Mike Morrison is the 2026 PBUS National Bail Agent of the Year and President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association. With more than 35 years of frontline experience as a licensed bail agent and owner of Mike Morrison Bail Bonding Company in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he writes regularly on pretrial policy, public safety, and the practical realities of America's criminal justice system. His perspective is grounded in daily courtroom and community experience — not academic theory. Morrison presents on bail policy and professional standards through the Mississippi Judicial College and leads ethics and training programs for bail professionals across the country. Mike Morrison | Follow my full policy essays at medium.com/

06/02/2026

Increasing Surety Bail Bonds Nationally: Proven Results for Safer Communities

Surety bail bonds remain America's most accountable pretrial tool — and the numbers prove it. States maintaining robust commercial surety systems consistently report court appearance rates exceeding 90 percent, while jurisdictions that eliminated or weakened surety bail have seen failure-to-appear rates climb and pretrial crime increase. Licensed bail agents provide something no government-run release program can replicate: personal financial accountability combined with professional, round-the-clock supervision of every defendant they bond. That combination is not a theory. It is a track record.

The ripple effect inside the courtroom is just as significant. When defendants appear as required, dockets move. Cases resolve faster, victims receive closure sooner, and judges spend their time on justice rather than managing a revolving door of no-shows. New Jersey and Illinois — two states that aggressively dismantled commercial bail — offer cautionary examples: both documented sharp increases in pretrial failures and court delays following reform. Surety bail does not just protect the public outside the courthouse. It keeps the entire system running with discipline and order inside it.

What separates surety bail from every alternative is its structure.

Financial incentive, licensed oversight, and professional accountability operate together as a single system. When that system is weakened, each element fails independently — the defendant has no stake, no one is watching, and no one is responsible when something goes wrong. Reform advocates have spent years attacking the financial component without acknowledging that it is precisely the financial component that makes the oversight work. The profession must continue making that argument with data, with real cases, and with the confidence that the evidence is on our side.

That argument is strongest when it comes from one unified voice. The Professional Bail Agents of the United States — PBUS — is the national platform this profession needs and has earned. A bail agent working alone in one county is easy to overlook.

Thousands of licensed professionals speaking together through PBUS, backed by consistent data and a shared message, command a seat at the table in every statehouse in America. Join PBUS. Build the coalition. Carry the message forward with the credibility that only organized, professional advocacy produces.

The expansion of surety bail is not a regional conversation — it is a national imperative. Lawmakers in every state need to hear directly from the professionals who operate this system every day, who know its results firsthand, and who understand what disappears when it is gone. Share the data. Engage your legislators. Stand with your fellow agents. The justice system works best when accountability has a name, a license, and a professional standing behind it.

06/01/2026

PBUS Discussion Post – June 1, 2026Fellow PBUS Members and Surety Bail Professionals:Today’s bail bond and surety industry activity was steady and operational, with limited major national headlines — typical for a single weekday in our decentralized, state- and county-regulated field. The standout event is positive growth in service delivery:Florida (Duval County / Jacksonville area): Bail Bonds Now announced and launched expanded local agent coverage across Duval County. This increases licensed surety bail support for families in Jacksonville, the Beaches (Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach), Baldwin, and surrounding communities. Stronger local response times and knowledge of area jail procedures directly help families when arrests occur.

Other observed activity today includes:Routine court bail bond filings and approved surety lists in various counties (e.g., ongoing updates in places like California, Texas, and Missouri circuits).
Licensing and compliance reminders in states such as Mississippi and Connecticut (deadlines and processes active around this time of year).

Continuing education and pre-licensing classes rolling in North Carolina and other states.

No widespread legislative breakthroughs, major forfeitures, or federal policy shifts specific to June 1 were widely reported. In states without commercial surety bail (e.g., Illinois and others), pretrial systems continue operating under their respective rules, while surety-backed bonds remain the accountability-focused option in the majority of jurisdictions.For Discussion:

In a world pushing various pretrial “reforms,” today’s expansion in Florida is a reminder of what licensed surety professionals do best: deliver reliable, regulated service that gets defendants to court while protecting victims, taxpayers, and community safety.

Professional agents backed by strong surety companies provide freedom with responsibility — an approach that works.What’s happening on the ground in your county or state today or this week? Approved list updates, new agent onboarding, board activity, successful court appearances, or local challenges?

Share professional insights, wins, or observations below. Let’s keep the conversation focused on strengthening our industry and advocating for proven surety solutions. summary draws from public announcements and reports available as of June 1, 2026. Always verify with local authorities for licensing, compliance, and current rules.

06/01/2026

PBUS Team Headed to Oklahoma

The Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS) leadership team is excited to be traveling to Oklahoma this week to participate in the Oklahoma State Conference. This event provides an outstanding opportunity for bail professionals from across the state to come together, exchange ideas, strengthen relationships, and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing our profession.

PBUS remains committed to supporting state associations and individual bail agents throughout the nation. Our mission is simple: to protect, promote, and preserve the bail bond profession while ensuring that defendants continue to have access to secure, accountable pretrial release.

During our time in Oklahoma, we will be discussing several important national initiatives, including the Bail Media Alliance. Oklahoma has become an important partner in this effort, which focuses on educating the public, policymakers, and the media about the value professional bail agents bring to the criminal justice system. Through coordinated messaging and public outreach, we are working to ensure that the voice of the bail bond profession is heard clearly and accurately.

We will also be providing updates on the growing problem of bail-related scams occurring across the country. These scams target families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives and damage the reputation of legitimate bail professionals. PBUS continues to work with state associations, law enforcement agencies, consumer protection organizations, and media outlets to increase public awareness and advocate for the investigation and prosecution of those responsible.

As the national association representing professional bail agents, PBUS believes our greatest strength comes from working together. Whether the issue involves legislative challenges, public education, professional standards, consumer protection, or defending the value of accountable pretrial release, success is achieved when national and state organizations stand side by side.

The partnership between PBUS and the Oklahoma bail community demonstrates exactly what dedicated professionals can accomplish when uniting behind a common purpose. Together, we are building a stronger future for the bail bond profession while continuing to serve our communities, courts, and clients with professionalism and integrity.

We are also excited to announce that the PBUS Board of Directors has approved returning to the Sahara Las Vegas for our 2027 Winter Conference. Following the tremendous success, exceptional attendance, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from this year's conference, the Board supported returning to the Sahara for another premier national gathering of bail professionals. We are currently awaiting the final venue contract before opening registration and releasing additional details. Once the agreement has been finalized, members will receive information regarding conference dates, accommodations, sponsorship opportunities, educational programming, and registration. We look forward to welcoming attendees from across the country for another outstanding PBUS event in Las Vegas.

As always, the PBUS team remains committed to helping every state association and every professional bail agent across the nation. By working together, sharing ideas, supporting one another, and speaking with a unified voice, we can continue to strengthen and protect the bail bond profession for years to come.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma and appreciate the opportunity to continue working hand in hand with our colleagues across the state and throughout the nation.

David Stuckman
President
Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS)

06/01/2026

One lesson history teaches over and over again is that professions rarely lose control all at once. They lose it gradually. A controversy emerges. A legitimate criticism goes unanswered. Standards become inconsistent. Poor performers are tolerated because confronting them is uncomfortable. Over time, confidence erodes, public trust weakens, and pressure begins to build from outside the profession. Eventually regulators, legislators, and policymakers step forward to solve problems the profession failed to address itself.

At that point, the debate is no longer whether change will occur. The debate is who will control it.

The real choice facing any profession is rarely between action and inaction. It is between self-governance and external governance.

When a profession refuses to establish meaningful standards, enforce ethical expectations, and address legitimate weaknesses, someone else eventually assumes that responsibility. The question is not whether rules will exist. The question is who will write them.

Professions that fail to govern themselves do not escape governance; they simply surrender control over its design. Those who operate outside the profession often possess little practical understanding of its daily realities. Their solutions are frequently broad, inflexible, and designed to address highly visible problems rather than underlying causes. They solve yesterday's concerns while creating tomorrow's challenges. They reward compliance over competence and paperwork over performance. Once implemented, those systems become remarkably difficult to unwind.

By contrast, professions that embrace self-governance place themselves in a far stronger position. They identify weaknesses before critics do. They correct problems before legislators attempt to regulate them. They develop standards that reflect real-world practice rather than political perception. Most importantly, they demonstrate to the public that accountability already exists within the profession.

This reality extends far beyond the bail profession. Medicine, law, engineering, accounting, insurance, and countless other professions have confronted the same challenge. The organizations that retained influence over their future were rarely the ones that resisted every change. More often, they were the ones willing to acknowledge weaknesses, strengthen standards, and continuously improve the profession from within.

That process is not always comfortable.

Comfort protects weak performers. Excellence protects the profession.

Many organizations become so focused on preserving internal harmony that they avoid difficult conversations. Standards are left unenforced. Deficiencies are ignored. Necessary reforms are delayed because confronting problems may create friction. The short-term result is comfort. The long-term result is vulnerability.

Professional independence carries a responsibility that cannot be delegated. If a profession expects the public, policymakers, and the justice system to trust its judgment, it must demonstrate a willingness to hold itself accountable. Self-governance is not merely a privilege. It is the price of maintaining credibility.

The Mississippi Bail Agents Association has chosen to operate on that understanding. True advocacy requires more than defending existing practices. It requires a commitment to education, professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement. The strongest defense of any profession is not resistance to change. It is the willingness to lead necessary change before others attempt to impose it.

In the end, every profession faces the same question.

The question is not whether standards will exist.

The question is who will write them.

06/01/2026

June 1 serves as a reminder that history is rarely simple. On this date, America celebrated milestones that expanded the nation and strengthened its institutions. Kentucky entered the Union in 1792. Tennessee followed in 1796. President James Madison's call for war against Great Britain in 1812 would help define the young nation's place in the world. Louis Brandeis would later become the first Jewish Justice confirmed to the United States Supreme Court, reflecting the continuing evolution of American opportunity and participation in public life.

Yet June 1 also marks one of the darkest chapters in our national story. In 1921, the Tulsa Race Massacre reached its most devastating stage as violence destroyed a thriving community and left scars that would endure for generations.

Taken together, these events illustrate an important truth about history. It is neither a celebration nor a condemnation. It is a record. It preserves the achievements that made progress possible and the failures that remind us of the consequences of prejudice, division, poor judgment, and the abuse of power.

Modern society often treats history as a battleground where people search for evidence to support what they already believe. The greater value of history is found elsewhere. History allows us to examine the decisions of those who came before us, to understand the circumstances they faced, to recognize both wisdom and error, and to apply those lessons to the challenges of our own time.

Every profession faces the same responsibility. The surety bail profession is no exception. The men and women who built this profession faced challenges, political opposition, changing laws, shifting public expectations, and evolving criminal justice systems. Their successes created opportunities we benefit from today. Their mistakes provide lessons we should not ignore.

At the Professional Bail Agents Association of the United States, we study our history not because we wish to live in the past, but because understanding where we have been is essential to determining where we should go. A profession that forgets its history risks repeating its mistakes. A profession that understands its history gains the ability to adapt, improve, and remain relevant for future generations.

If history teaches us anything, it is that progress is never automatic. It is earned through reflection, education, leadership, and a willingness to learn from both success and failure.

That lesson remains as important on June 1, 2026, as it was on every June 1 that came before it.

05/30/2026

A Shared Standard: Evaluating Cold-Call Solicitation in the Bail Profession

The proliferation of sophisticated bail exploits across the United States has introduced a profound systemic challenge for both consumers and the professional surety bail industry. On a weekly basis, law enforcement jurisdictions issue urgent advisories regarding fraudulent actors who actively monitor public arrest metrics to target vulnerable families, demanding immediate capital under the false pretense of representing municipal courts, correctional facilities, or legitimate corporate entities. These criminal enterprises capitalize on a well-documented psychological reality: individuals navigating the immediate aftermath of a loved one's detention experience acute cognitive overload, emotional distress, and an urgent deficit of verified information.

While the professional bail community remains actively engaged in public education campaigns to mitigate these external threats, systemic integrity requires an introspection regarding an internal practice that exacerbates this informational chaos. To preserve institutional credibility and protect consumer autonomy, cold-call solicitation predicated on real-time arrest data must be systematically rejected as an acceptable professional standard.

This imperative transcends mere statutory compliance; it is fundamentally an ethical and reputational calculus. For generations, the legal apparatus has enforced strict prohibitions against "ambulance chasing" precisely because the practice commodifies human trauma, transforming an acute personal crisis into an aggressive procurement window. The underlying ethical principle is absolute: individuals experiencing profound vulnerability deserve an uncompromised environment in which to render informed legal and financial decisions. Families confronting the complexities of the detention system are entitled to that identical standard of professional decorum.

Under current conditions, no citizen should be forced to ascertain whether an unsolicited, post-arrest communication originates from a credentialed professional, an unverified lead-generator, or a digital predator. Every unsolicited call executed immediately following an arrest compounds public ambiguity, effectively dismantling the consumer's capacity to differentiate legitimate officers of the court from opportunistic fraudsters.

Ultimately, true professionalism is defined not by the absolute limits of statutory permissibility, but by the voluntary ex*****on of ethical restraint. The long-term viability of the commercial bail arena must rest securely upon established community reputations, transparent consumer metrics, and demonstrated systemic competence—not upon an algorithmic race to exploit public data feeds for immediate high-pressure solicitation.

Licensed bail agents perform an indispensable function within the contemporary judicial framework by facilitating pretrial release, guaranteeing court appearances, and reinforcing structural accountability within the administration of justice. These systemic contributions possess independent merit and deserve recognition on their own terms. However, the industry cannot logically demand institutional respect from judicial officers, legislative bodies, or the public if its constituent members do not extend reciprocal respect to the citizens they encounter.

Consequently, the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS) is utilizing its national platform to establish a definitive ethical benchmark on this issue, separating the broader profession from practices that compromise public trust or prioritize short-term business acquisition over civic responsibility.

By steering this national dialogue away from defensive posture and toward active self-regulation, PBUS is asserting its role as the institutional custodian of the industry's future—demonstrating that true leadership lies in the proactive fortification of professional boundaries.

05/30/2026

Patti Grotzinger joined the Professional Bail Agents of the United States in 2014 and became involved in the bail profession that same year. Since then, she has built a reputation as a steady, dependable, and service-minded leader within both PBUS and the Kansas Bail Agents Association.

As a voting member of PBUS and the Kansas Bail Agents Association, Patti has remained actively involved in supporting the professional bail community. She volunteers at PBUS conferences, assisting with registration and helping wherever she is needed. She also travels to state association events when time permits, representing PBUS and strengthening relationships across the profession.

Patti has served as Midwest Director for PBUS and currently serves as a Director at Large. Her national involvement includes co-chairing both the Convention Committee and the Social Media Committee. She also handles bereavement and illness flowers for PBUS, offering care and support to members and families during difficult times. In addition, Patti has served as a conference photographer, helping preserve important moments and memories from PBUS events.

Her commitment to service also includes her role as a speaker at the For Women Only Luncheon during the Cheyenne Mountain Conference, as well as her continued involvement as a member of the For Women Only Committee. Through these roles, Patti has helped encourage connection, support, and leadership among women in the bail profession.

Outside of PBUS, Patti’s life reflects the same dedication to service and community. She is the mother of six children and experienced the heartbreaking loss of a son in 2011. She is also a proud grandmother to 12 grandchildren and 7 bonus grandchildren. Her family remains an important part of her life and personal story.

Patti has also given back through community service, including work with Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Flint Hills Breadbasket. She completed the class and examination through One Brother One Sister, allowing her to access resources for people in need of intervention assistance.

In addition to her work in bail and professional service, Patti is also involved in the floral business and manages a local flower shop. In her free time, she enjoys photography, gardening, gaming, painting, and a wide range of creative hobbies.

Patti Grotzinger’s contributions to PBUS reflect commitment, compassion, volunteerism, and leadership. Whether assisting at conferences, supporting members during difficult times, serving on committees, representing PBUS nationally, or giving back in her own community, Patti has earned respect through consistent service and genuine dedication to the people around her.

05/30/2026