Opinion ID: 6494892
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Registering the Purchase of a Rail Bond from a Bail Bondsperson

Text: A person charged with a crime may purchase a bail bond from a professional bonds-person for five to fifteen 3 percent of the total amount of bail set. See Hawaii Crime Corn-mission, Study of Bail Forfeitures in Hawaii 3 (1984) (“Rail Study”). Bail bondspersons who qualify as “sureties” are either self-funded 4 or are licensed insurance producers pursuant to HRS chapter 431, article 9A. See HRS § 804-10.5(b)(2)-(3); 5 HRS § 431:9A-102 (“ ‘Insurance producer’ or ‘producer’ means a person required to be licensed under the laws of this State to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance.”). Unlike self-funded bail bondspersons, bail bondspersons who are licensed insurance producers do not have to comply with single surety property requirements 6 or deposit any security with the court 7 if their bonds are guaranteed by a surety insurer. See HRS § 431:1-202 (2005) (“Insurer means every person engaged in the business of making contracts of insurance and includes reciprocal or inteiinsurance exchanges.”); HRS § 431:1-210(1) (defining surety insurance); supra note 5 (quoting text of HRS § 431:1-210(1)); HRS § 481:10F-101 (2005) (surety’s requirements deemed met by surety insurer); 8 Bail Study, at 32 (citing HRS § 431-636 (1976) (predecessor of HRS § 431:10F-101)). “[T]he bondsfperson] does not actually post the bail with the court, but merely registers the bond purchase.” Bail Study, at 32. From July 1, 2002 through June 9, 2010, Criminal Administrative Order No. 2.1 was in effect and outlined procedures for registering or filing bail bonds. Requirements included: (1) “[e]aeh and every bail bond shall conform to the ‘Sample Standard Form for Bail Bonds’ attached to this order”; (2) “[¡Individuals and/or entities issuing bail bonds shall be responsible for ensuring that all information appearing on a bond is correct”; and (3) “[e]ach and every bail bond shall have attached to it a power of attorney indicating the insurance company that is insuring the bond.” See Crirn. Admin. Order No. 2.1 at D-17A. After Criminal Administrative Order No. 2.1 was rescinded on June 9, 2010, there were no court rules or orders regarding bail until July 1, 2011, when HRPP Rule 46(b) took effect. 9