A class action lawsuit filed against Bad Boys Bail Bonds seeking a ruling that Bad Boys is not above the law, and must be held responsible for systemic and pervasive violations of California’s consumer and fair competition laws. The historic class action suit, the first of its kind to challenge a bail bond company for violating consumer protection laws, is being prosecuted by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and Keker, Van Nest and Peters LLP. Bad Boys has used illegal means to extract huge sums of money—typically from those least able to afford it—in recent years. This case seeks to change that. 

Just as people are at their most vulnerable, worried about a loved one who has been arrested, Bad Boys requires cosigners on its credit bail agreements to assume responsibility for the entire amount of bail bond premiums, but never explicitly states this in contracts or agreements. Cosigners often believe that they need to only pay an upfront amount to bail their loved one out of jail, only to later find themselves saddled with thousands of dollars in bail debt. Bad Boys has violated California consumer law by failing to inform Ms. Caldwell and others in her position about the true nature of the contract, and has violated regulations specifically meant to provide transparency in commercial bail bond transactions.

The class action lawsuit demands that Bad Boys rectify its illegal practices, stop violating consumer protection laws, and provide full restitution and relief to Ms. Caldwell and all other cosigners saddled with illegal debt from the company. 

On December 29 2021, the California Court of Appeal upheld the preliminary injunction order to halt Bad Boys Bail Bonds’ debt collection efforts on $38 million dollars of contracts, affirming that the bail bond industry must follow consumer protection laws.