DENVER—Following a guest appearance in the House Judiciary Committee by reality TV bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman, lawmakers debated a bill Wednesday that would set guidelines for the release of people from jail.
Bondsmen were upset over a provision in the bill (House Bill 1382) that opponents said would allow government agencies to compete with bail bondsmen. Rep. Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, agreed to delete that provision, saying it is a major policy change that should be debated separately.
He then took the bill off the table for a fiscal analysis.
Surrounded by photographers and gawking spectators, Beth Chapman, the bounty hunter’s wife, said she and her husband showed up to lobby lawmakers to ensure that sex offenders remain in jail pending trial. That part was taken out of the bill. The couple left before the bill was debated.
“We don’t want to let sex assault people out on pretrial release,” she said.
