Lehigh Cnty. C.P. Criminal Court Local Rules 12

each Bail Bondsman shall pay to the Clerk an initial registration fee of $500.00, or such

amount as may be established from time to time by the Clerk; and

(c) Requirements to Remain Qualified. To remain qualified to post bond

in Lehigh County:

(1) Each Insurer and Bail Bondsman must fully comply with all laws,

statutes, local rules, rules of court and procedures as may be established from time to time;

(2) Each Insurer and Bail Bondsman must maintain compliance with

the requirements specified in subsection (b) of this rule to the extent applicable to each;

(3) Each Bail Bondsman must annually update the documents

required in subsection (b) of this rule by filing a Praecipe with the Clerk and attaching the

relevant documents to that Praecipe;

(4) Each Bail Bondsman, , must, within 30 days, notify, in writing, the

President Judge and the Department of Law if the Bail Bondsman has been charged with

any non-summary criminal offense with the exception of misdemeanors under the

Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, or if the license submitted with the petition for approval has

been revoked, suspended or not renewed in any jurisdiction;

(5) No Bail Bondsman or any employees and/or agents thereof may

represent or identify itself, directly or indirectly, as employees or agents of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or Thirty-first Judicial District or the County of Lehigh.

Bail Bondsman or any employees or agents thereof shall not wear clothing or present

badges or any other form of law enforcement credentials that create the impression o f

employment by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Thirty-first Judicial District or

any of its units, including Pre-trial Services or the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Department or

the County of Lehigh;

(6) Each Bail Bondsman must renew the required registration with the

Thirty-first Judicial District, provide all certifications required by this rule and pay to the

Clerk an annual renewal fee of $100.00, or such amount as may be established from time

to time by the Clerk with the approval of the President Judge; and

(7) No Bail Bondsman, or its agents and employees, may engage in

Prohibited Conduct as set forth in §531.2(e) hereunder.

(d) Opportunity to be Heard. A Bail Bondman whose petition seeking

approval to post bail in the Thirty-first Judicial District is denied will be provided an opportunity

to be heard and to contest the denial. Any Bail Bondman seeking to contest the denial of its

petition for approval to post bail in the Thirty-first Judicial District must file a petition with the

Clerk of Judicial Records, Criminal Division and serve the Department of Law within thirty (30)

days of the date of denial of its initial petition, an d set forth the relief requested and the factual

basis therefor. Similarly, a Bail Bondman which has received approval to post bail in the Thirty-first Judicial District as provided in this rule but which has been subsequently prohibited from

posting additional bail, whose right to post bail has been revoked or is otherwise ineligible to

post bail in the Thirty-first Judicial District, will be provided an opportunity to be heard, unless

the revocation is due to unpaid forfeitures at which the the opportunit y to be heard shall be

governed by 42 Pa.C.S.A. §5741.1. Any Bail Bondman seeking to contest prohibition from

posting additional bail, that its right to post bail has been revoked, or that it is otherwise ineligible

to post bail in the Thirty-first Judicial District must file a petition with the Clerk of Judicial

Records, Criminal Division and serve the Department of Law within thirty (30) days of the date

of the prohibition, revocation or determination of ineligibility, and set forth the relief requested

and the factual basis therefor.

(e) Prohibited Conduct. Each Bail Bondsman, or any, employee and/or agents

thereof, may not engage in prohibited conduct as set forth below. The following constitutes

prohibited conduct:

(1) violating any laws, statutes, local rules or rules of court related to

the bail business;

(2) violating any of the rules herein;

(3) having a license as Bail Bondman revoked in the Commonwealth;

(4) being involved in any transaction which shows unfitness to act in a

fiduciary capacity or a failure to maintain the standards of fairness and honesty required of

a fiduciary;

(5) being convicted of any non-summary criminal offense with the

exception of misdemeanors under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code;

(6) failing to advise the Clerk within fourteen (14) days (or such other

time period as may be specifically set forth) of any change in circumstances which would

materially affect any of the statements, information or certifications required by 531.2(b)

or (c) herein;

(7) using an unregistered or unlicensed agent on behalf of an Insurer

or Bail Bondsman;

(8) using an individual or entity not appointed by the Insurer who has

issued a Power of Attorney for the Bail Bondsman to serve as surety ont bail;

(9) signing, executing or issuing bail bonds by a person or entity who

or which is not the Bail Bondsman on the bond;

(10) executing a bond without the appropriate counter signature by a

licensed and/or authorized Bail Bondsman at time of issue;

(11) failing to account for or pay any premiums held as a Bail

Bondsman on behalf of an Insurer;

(12) misstating or misrepresenting any material fact in the initial

petition or any subsequent filings, including but not limited to certifications, required by

these rules, or in any of the statements, information or certifications required by these rules;