We are up and running with our BBB. Our SO is counting bonds made here for cases in other counties against the bonding limits of local licensees. At first glance I don't see any help on this in Chapter 1704, but it seems patently unfair. Shouldn't those bonds be counted against the bondsman's load in the county where the case is pending?

Okay, Okay, I forgot to check the AG's opinions. Greg Abbott, in GA-0002, (2002 Tex. AG LEXIS 7819), says that these bonds are chargeable to the load of the bondsman in the county where the bonds are EXECUTED, as opposed to the county where, by law, they are transferred, and where the bondsman will be accountable for the Principal's appearance. The opinion states that in order for these bonds not to be included in the bondsman's load in the county of execution, the statute would have to be amended to specifically exclude such bonds.

Upon checking with our jail folk, if one of our bondsmen, being licensed here and in another county, goes to the other county to post bond on a charge out of OUR county, that bond would NOT go on that bondsman's load in our county, and that practice is uniform, according to them. Therefore, at least they don't get tagged twice for the same bond.

It still would make more sense if the load followed the responsibility. But hey, it's all apparently left to legislative wisdom. (free oxymoron for the day).