Some state Republicans and lobbyist groups want Wisconsin to become the 47th state to allow private bail bondsmen to get more people to show up to their court hearings, according to the Wisconsin Bar Association.
Gov. Scott Walker nixed a similar request from Republican Legislators in 2011 after the idea bombed because many in the state’s legal system didn’t support the idea. However, the state budget again proposed a private bail bonds system. This time the system would be piloted in Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha counties.
The proposed pilot program would allow licensed bail bond agents to pay a $1,000 fee to become operational if they also met the other criteria outlined in the motion. Defendants would be charged 10 percent of the bail.
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