Navigating the justice system can be a bit of mystery, especially if you try to steer through it by yourself.
This is when Ricardo “Rick” Watts steps in. Deciding to become an entrepreneur in the Bail Bonds profession was not out of the ordinary for this Navy Veteran.
Rick’s family DNA includes a myriad of professions, and he credits his cousin Bruce Watts who has been in the bail bonds business for over 40 years as his inspiration to start Kwik and EZ Bail Bonds.
As CEO, Rick uses his passion, commitment, and professionalism to create an organization that is a triple win: Uphold the policies outlined by the Department of Justice; assist family members with navigating the bond and legal process and lastly, work to get their loved one out of custody and home.
Rick explains that the court sets a bail that is either unsecured or secured. If the court sets bail as secure, property, cash or an assurity must be held by the court to ensure the client will return for further court dates. This is when a professional bondsman is required. The bondsman can accept a percentage as payment from the client or co-signer to make sure there are enough assets to deliver to the court.
There can be a flurry of events and people involved in getting a client bond. There may be video arraignments, courtroom hearings or a bond hearing in a holding room. The judge needs to make sure the client understands the charges and find out if the client has an attorney. If an attorney is there, that attorney may argue bail amounts and other arrangements for the client.
Kwik and EZ bail bonds simplifies this process. They are available 24 hours a day and even provide online services, including an online application and a list of jails they work with.
Rick notes that getting released can take up to three hours after bail is set. He likes to make his end of it as painless and free of red tape as possible. “The justice system works. I don’t get frustrated with it,” he says.
Rick looks to his upbringing and experiences as the encouragement to be in a business that he sees as helping people. His father owned a produce business, and young Rick worked with him. After serving in the Navy, Rick looked into the bond business, getting advice from his cousin about how to go about starting his own Bail Bond business.
To Rick, the client is depending on him to give great customer service. “They don’t understand (the complexities). They get upset about a lot of things,” says Rick. “You have to know how to talk to customers.”
But Rick doesn’t think of his profession as just a business venture. He sees it as his calling. In fact, the motto of Kwik and EZ is “Let My people Go.” As one of the few Christian based bondsmen, he truly believes in treating his clients with respect and showing them genuine assistance during a hard time.
“My job is to tell them that Jesus loves them and let them know regardless of what they did, there is hope,” Rick says. “God forgave us, and therefore we must forgive our fellow man.”
Rick’s faith sustains him on what he considers his battlefield, commending the efforts of those working to turn inmates’ lives around through rehabilitation. “You have to choose to do better,” he tells his clients. “Jesus wants us to choose. Jesus does not force us to do anything.”
Clients are not the only ones who benefit from the work bondsmen do, according to Rick. Bonding clients out also aids law enforcement, which Watts holds in high regard. “I’m assisting jails with overcrowding, providing a service,” he said. “I’m a big advocate of the police.”
For more information on Kwik and EZ Bail Bonds, visit www.kwikandezbailbonds.com.
