People v. Far West Insurance

On April 6, 2000, Raymond Young, the defendant in the criminal prosecution underlying this bail forfeiture proceeding, was arrested by Oakland police and charged with multiple violent crimes, including armed robbery. Following arraignment, Young was admitted to bail in the amount of $45,000. He made bail by posting the required bond through the offices of appellant, Far West Insurance Company, as surety. Young failed to appear as required at a May 19 hearing and, after issuing a bench warrant for his arrest, the trial court ordered baiVforfeited. By the following August, agents of appellant surety had located Young in Dougherty County, Georgia. Before apprehending him, the surety’s agent on the scene telephoned the Oakland Police Department and asked Sergeant Joe Carranza whether the Alameda County warrant for Young’s arrest was “still active.” After Carranza confirmed that it was and that Young “was a dangerous criminal [who had been] apprehended by an Oakland S.W.A.T. team” and would “definitely [be] extradite[d],” the agent got in touch with Dougherty County Sheriffs deputies who arrested Young on the California armed robbery charges and warrant.

After Young was taken…