Judiciary Committee - March 22, 2012 - S.B. No. 1122

TESTIMONY OF THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

IN SUPPORT OF:

S.B. NO. 1122: AN ACT CONCERNING THE EXTRADITION OF FUGITIVES

JOINT COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
March 22, 2013

The Division of Criminal Justice respectfully recommends the Committee’s Joint Favorable Report for S.B. No. 1122, An Act Concerning the Extradition of Fugitives. This legislation is included in the Division of Criminal Justice’s 2013 Legislative Recommendations. The bill essentially shifts the financial burden of bringing a fugitive back to Connecticut when he or she has absconded on criminal charges from the State of Connecticut to the bondsman who wrote the bond guaranteeing that person’s appearance in court.

In order to be released from the terms of the bond, the professional bondsman or surety agent/insurer would be required to pay the costs of extraditing, or returning, the defendant to Connecticut. In the last fiscal year the Division of Criminal Justice spent $186,261 for transportation and other costs of extraditing fugitives to Connecticut. In the current fiscal year we estimate those costs at $190,000.

When a professional bondsman, surety agent or insurer issues a bail bond, they are in effect extending a guarantee that the person will appear in court. It is the professional bondsman, surety bail agent or bail insurer who should be held financially responsible to assure the appearance of their client – not the taxpayers of this state. If the bondsman, surety agent or insurer makes what basically turns out to be a bad business decision, then he or she should be responsible for the consequences, not the taxpayers.

In conclusion, the Division would respectfully request the Committee’s JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT for S.B. No. 1122. We also wish to express our appreciation to the Committee for your consideration of this legislation. We would be happy to provide any additional information the Committee might require or to answer any questions. Thank you.