Hello everyone So my friend was not able to become an Auxiliary Officer with his felon conviction, But I instructed him to become a bounter Hunter or fugitive Recovery agent. I can't find Philadelphia's state requirements but I believe a felon can become a bounty hunter. Just can't carry a gun if your a felon. He can still make arrest, and use handcuffs and a badge and bullet proof vest. He will ahve a partner who can carry a pistol. So I was wondering did I tell him right or give him wrong advice? I know they are not law enforcement but hey its close enough for him.

Hello everyone So my friend was not able to become an Auxiliary Officer with his felon conviction, But I instructed him to become a bounter Hunter or fugitive Recovery agent. I can't find Philadelphia's state requirements but I believe a felon can become a bounty hunter. Just can't carry a gun if your a felon. He can still make arrest, and use handcuffs and a badge and bullet proof vest. He will ahve a partner who can carry a pistol. So I was wondering did I tell him right or give him wrong advice? I know they are not law enforcement but hey its close enough for him.

 

After doing some google fu I found How to become a Bail Bondsman in Pennsylvania I don't know how accurate it is as I'm in California. But it may be a start.

I'm not sure if PA requires 'Act 235' cert.

Do you know what the felony charge was?

After doing some google fu I found How to become a Bail Bondsman in Pennsylvania I don't know how accurate it is as I'm in California. But it may be a start.

I'm not sure if PA requires 'Act 235' cert.

Do you know what the felony charge was?

Awesome Assault. 1st offense he was 19 and now 26

Dog the Bounty Hunter is a felon (convicted of first degree murder). So I can assume your friend can do it too, just can't be armed with a gun but less lethal is fine.

Edited September 4, 201411 yr by Sheepdogg

According to the website below the answer is no he can't be a bounty hunter dog the bounty hunter is an exception because he works in Hawaii a state that doesn't regulate bounty hunters and he is an employee of his wife.

http://beabountyhunter.com/main/can-a-felon-become-a-bounty-hunter

Edited September 4, 201411 yr by gatekeeper

"Awesome assault"?

Pa seems to not license bounty hunters at all; same with Hawaii, which is how a convicted murderer (Duane Chapman, aka Dog) is one. No firearms, no taser or other stun device, no armor except while working and with a written declaration from your employer that you need it for your job (shouldn't be hard to get). And you can't do it unless you get hired by someone (or if you become a bail bondsman yourself, but then your main job is paperwork), and you might have a hard time getting hired ( Chapman was hired by his wife, avoiding these issues) but there's no reason it's inherently impossible.

Now, if your friend wants to do by his because he thinks it's like being a cop, that's a very bad idea -- there are massive differences between the jobs (e.g. Bounty hunters don't have nearly as much protection against a lawsuit as police officers), and if your friend acts as though he is a cop, he'll go to jail. Period.

"Awesome assault"?

Pa seems to not license bounty hunters at all; same with Hawaii, which is how a convicted murderer (Duane Chapman, aka Dog) is one. No firearms, no taser or other stun device, no armor except while working and with a written declaration from your employer that you need it for your job (shouldn't be hard to get). And you can't do it unless you get hired by someone (or if you become a bail bondsman yourself, but then your main job is paperwork), and you might have a hard time getting hired ( Chapman was hired by his wife, avoiding these issues) but there's no reason it's inherently impossible.

Now, if your friend wants to do by his because he thinks it's like being a cop, that's a very bad idea -- there are massive differences between the jobs (e.g. Bounty hunters don't have nearly as much protection against a lawsuit as police officers), and if your friend acts as though he is a cop, he'll go to jail. Period.

That was my fault it was suppose to be a period after awesome. :) He was charged with unlawful assault. Much like me. Only difference is I was charged with unlawful assault using a bb gun. Mine was an accident but I took a plea bargain I was afraid of going to jail. I am fighting now to get mine dropped into a misdemeanor. 

I agree with cpee702, if he's going for a power trip, it's not gonna end well. But for the felony thing, it depends on the state and city. This is from my local department's application (I believe it applies to both auxiliary and regular peace officers):

 

© Felony convictions and disqualifying criminal histories within the past seven years are not allowed.

 

He shouldn't have assaulted anyone if he was serious about being a law enforcement official.

Only difference is I was charged with unlawful assault using a bb gun. Mine was an accident but I took a plea bargain I was afraid of going to jail. I am fighting now to get mine dropped into a misdemeanor.

Your going to have a hard time fighting that after taking a plea deal especially since you waived your right to an appeal

Edited September 5, 201411 yr by gatekeeper

Your going to have a hard time fighting that after taking a plea deal especially since you waived your right to an appeal

I know but I was scared. But is there way to even get in court

I know but I was scared. But is there way to even get in court

You can always consult a criminal attorney but your chances are not good, maybe they can prove you took the plea deal under duress

Ask a lawyer. No one here can give legal advice, you have to ask an attorney licensed to practice in your state. Advice from a web forum is never a substitute for advice from an attorney who knows the laws of your state, who has an attorney-client relationship with you, and so who knows the details of your specific case.

I know but I was scared. But is there way to even get in court

I pretty sure that is a no, you agreed to the plea bargain so I don't think you can go back on that after the case is finished. However, I am not a lawyer and don't know Pennsylvania state law so I would follow cp702's advice and consult your attorney for more accurate information.

 

As for becoming a law enforcement officer or bounty hunter I would just find a new career field that interests you. I hate to be the crusher of dreams, but I am an upfront person and will be brutally honest. People with felony (and in most cases misdemeanor) conviction just aren't cut out to work in any kind of law enforcement or public service job. Why do you think there aren't any police officers with criminal records? I am sure there are the few odd ones out there that got to stay police officers after some conviction, but those are usually special cases. 99.9% of the time any kind of adult conviction is a disqualifier for law enforcement work. Why does your "friend" want to be a bounty hunter because that is a big jump from being a police officer. The work they do is different than what normal police officers do. If he just wants to do it because you get to wear a vest and a badge and carry the cool equipment then you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Just like people who want to be police officers to wear a badge and drive with lights and sirens on are cut out for law enforcement, it is the same thing for bounty hunters. Those are the people who are likely to abuse their power and try to pretend to be something they are not. I am saying this because I knew people in my sheriff's office who were like that and it got them in trouble and made the agency look bad. I have also encountered bounty hunters like that who always wanted to "back us up" on calls if they saw us which is NOT what you do as a bounty hunter.

The ONLY option for you is to contact a lawyer.

You may have a better results asking a lawyer on AVVO.

You're going to need to know what section of the law you're convicted of. It would be on the court docket and the plea agreement.

I'm not going to say you guys are after wanting to be like LE. But just to advise you, don't acquire that mentality. Just because you carry a firearm (Non-Felon), cuffs, and have a badge does not mean you're LE (Unless you are actually a peace officer). It will just open drama down the road and give people in the other career fields a bad name (Armed Security, Armor, etc).

It sucks to lose ones 2nd Amendment rights. I really feel for those who do, and who have changed their life around. This day and age, you can lose it all very easily.

Only time I've seen civilian help out LE. A private security guard (who was driving a CVPI with amber lights) was passing CHP who was on a traffic stop in a bad spot on the freeway. The guard did a traffic break (using his traffic advisor lights), and blocked a lane till other responding units were on scene. The CHP officer was thankful. Other time was when LE was responding and a armed guard was on scene (employed at location) and the cover unit had an extended eta (rural) they both cleared the building.

Best of luck.