FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2026  

MEDIA CONTACT: Raya Steier, c: 530-723-2426, rsteier@lccrsf.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

Settlement Results In Permanent Injunction Ending Unlawful Debt Collection and Codifying Consumer Protections for Cosigners 

Alameda, CA – A California court has granted final approval of a landmark consumer class action settlement with Bad Boys Bail Bonds, preventing the company from collecting $38 million in illegal debt from Californians who cosigned bail agreements for their loved ones in jail. The settlement makes permanent a preliminary injunction first issued in April 2021 and affirmed by a California Court of Appeal in December 2021. 

The injunction bars Bad Boys from collecting tens of millions of dollars in illegally obtained debt and establishes that the company must comply with related consumer protection laws.

This class-action lawsuit, brought by two individual cosigners represented by Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, was among the first in California to challenge a commercial bail bond company for violating consumer protection laws. The case exposed how Bad Boys has relied on illegal practices to extract large sums from low-income families, routinely misleading them about the true cost and consequences of cosigning bail agreements. 

From 2017 to 2022, Bad Boys issued over 18,000 bail bond contracts, with outstanding debt totaling nearly $38 million. The company routinely failed to provide the legally required cosigner notice, leaving loved ones unaware they could be held liable for the full bail amount. Cosigners were later harassed, threatened, and sued for thousands of dollars that they had never agreed to pay.  

The approved settlement establishes several key forms of relief. Bad Boys is permanently barred from collecting an estimated $38 million in debt arising from cosigner contracts signed before April 1, 2022.  Furthermore, Bad Boys must now provide mandatory cosigner notices and train employees on compliance with consumer protection laws. A court-appointed monitor will review prior payments made to Bad Boys to ensure compliance with the injunction.  

This settlement is a victory for the thousands of Californians who were lied to, cheated, and harassed by the bail bond industry. For far too long, the commercial bail industry operated like it was above the law. Businesses like Bad Boys made millions trapping low-income families into huge amounts of debt. That ends now. 

Judgment

Order Granting Final Approval of Settlement

Attorney Quotes:  

“This settlement is a victory for low-income families and communities of color who have been exploited by the bail bond industry. For years, Bad Boys preyed on people at their most vulnerable, burying them in debt they never knowingly agreed to. This result affirms that consumer protection laws apply to bail companies just like any other business, and the precedent set in this case will help protect countless families across California.”
– Nisha Kashyap, Program Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area 

“Our settlement ensures transparency, accountability, and fairness where previously there was deception, harassment, and exploitation. And our litigation has established a critical precedent that will help protect Californians from the abuses of the cash bail industry, until the day comes that the industry is finally eliminated for good.”– Niall Frizzell, Attorney, Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP 

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