Sep 12, 2016

QUEEN OF BAIL RIVERSIDE & SAN BERNARDINO

RQOB has always covered the entire state of California, but now getting out of jail on the east side of town just got faster and easier. I never make a client wait for me to drive out to San Bernardino or Riverside County in the middle of the night. I have local representatives that can post bond for me in the local area of where ever you are in the entire state of California. RQOB now has BOND GIRL CHERRY reppin out in Covina, Pomona, Riverside, San Bernardino, & surrounding areas. 
RAQUEL QUEEN OF BAIL is growing! We have you covered in Hollywood and Los Angeles, all of the west and northwest side of the San Fernando Valley,  Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu! The Queen, the Princess, & the Duchess have you covered 24/7-365! 
Follow your favorite Bond Girl on social media we now have a new Instagram page! @bondgirlsare_forever 
Thank you for all of your support! Stay tuned for upcoming events with the Queen of Bail and her court!

Aug 30, 2016

QUEEN of BAIL & KUSTOMZ GALLERY

I am super excited to have been invited to the Ventura Nationals Art Exhibit!!  Friday night is the beginning of the Labor Day weekend. The Ventura Nationals hosts the official art exhibit curated by Kustomz Gallery. This year there is a group of amazing artists!
It's quite a party, with the entire street blocked off with VIP Kustoms parking. 805 Beer has made a huge donation!
There is a raffle that I am donating gift bags to. I have a gift bag for men and I also have one thats for women. Custom cookies is always a great big hit at more intimate events. I love being able to actually meet the people that I work with prior to the hectic atmosphere of the actual day of the show.
The Queen of Bail has a booth this year & would like you to meet the Princess of Bail, and the Bond Girls! We are filming a pilot for a reality show pitch. Wish me luck! This is not the first time we have filmed a mock episode! The timing, climate of what's currently doing well on TV, & many other factors all has to do with whether a show will get picked up or not.
See you at the event, stop by the Queen of Bail Bonds booth, and get on camera with us! Be part of the Kustom Kulture! Get your gift bag! 
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! See you Friday night and then I'll see you Saturday as well! Happy Labor Day!

Aug 24, 2016

QUEEN OF BAIL at COURT

Part of my service to my clients is being with them in court as opposed to them having to go alone. Sometimes family members are out of town or cannot get a day off of work. I am honored to be there for my clients because this means they have the utmost trust in me as their bail agent.
Now, we all know I've had my run-ins with Sheriffs, and I'm pretty sure everybody knows that I am not their biggest fan. With that being said, let me make it crystal clear I have no problem eating some humble pie when needed to get what I want. Also, I must make it be known that my theory is that with politeness, being professional, and not using any profanity is the only way to get what you really want. That's not to say that I have never told a client or Sheriff exactly where they could go.... But I guarantee you I needed nothing from them when I said it.
Today's client was a first time offender. The family and defendants goal was to have the felony reduced to a misdemeanor, and the ability to make payments on the restitution fees. The normal procedure is the public defender comes out, calls his clients name, a brief meeting (with the defendant and typically at least one family member, friend or spouse) is had.  It is safe and plausible to suggest the possibility of a question or two may arise.
The public defender comes out sees me standing next to my client, doesn't ask who I am and says "you're not allowed to be in this conversation you will have to wait over there." No hello, no introduction, no handshake, no professional courtesy whatsoever. OK fine, I proceed to introduce myself politely and say I am here as a courtesy to my client, unfortunately his legal guardian could not be here and I am here to advise. He raised his voice in the court room and said "no, you're not allowed to be here you're disrupting this court room and you are not allowed to be here and I am his attorney and I have attorney-client privilege."  Again politely, I said sir, could you please lower your voice I'm only trying to save you some time of having to explain the scenario twice. He said I'm not explaining anything to you, he said you're not allowed to be in this conversation and you need to leave! At that point I looked at my client and I said let's go outside and talk for minute. This enraged the public defender so much that he yelled out for the bailiff to come over to where we were standing. Again he yelled " I'm his attorney" and I said you're his public defender and we are eligible to receive another public defender if we feel necessary. The bailiff asked what was going on, the public defender said I need her removed from the court room. My client and I had already started walking out of the court room. The bailiff could see that the public defender was the only one yelling and the only one riled up. The sheriff was actually quite cooperative with me and I calmly explained to him that typically nobody has any kind of consultation with an attorney on their first criminal court case ever without somebody there with them and that it is the adviseable thing to do. The bailiff agreed, and totally understood. Since the attorney would not discuss anything with me I had to instruct my client what questions to ask the public defender. Which he did. We then go sit in the court room chairs. The bailiff then comes up to me and says may I speak with you for a moment, I said sure. We walk to the back of the court room and he said to me I'm sorry ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to leave the court room on the request of the attorney. I very calmly and politely said oh sheriff I'm so sorry I'm unable to comply with that request. I said I have client privilege as well, as he's out on my bond. I have every right to be here. 
The sheriff bailiff could not argue with that, and said let's just keep it cool and I said of course. Again the sheriff was cooperative and nice with me. The public defender did some good, but ignored my clients need to make payment installations and my client is now is behind the eight ball. I'm sharing the story with you for many reasons. The first reason is to know that you are not stuck using a public defender that is a total and complete rude jerk! It turns out that he treated everybody the same way and would not discuss matters with anybody other than the defendant. You could see every defendant brought a husband or a wife or a friend. A public defender can be fired and another public attorney will be assigned to you and if you don't like that one he can be fired as well! The other thing that is so important here is to never let yourself be bullied by a suit, or a badge. This has no contingency on what color my skin is, or what I'm wearing, it's all in how you handle yourself. This may sound entirely frustrating to you, but to me it gets a big eye roll because it's so common. Court rooms are filled with puffy chested attorneys, district attorney's, public defenders, Judges,  bailiffs, Sheriffs and defendants too! Know your rights, have my number ready. Call me if you need me. If I don't have the answer, I can get it for you. Never get caught slippin! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Aug 21, 2016

WALL OF DEATH & The QUEEN OF BAIL

Every month RQOB has a schedule of events, appearances, photo shoots, or things we just want to go to and check out!
This Labor Day weekend the Bond Girls and I are going to have a booth at the Ventura Nationals. 
One of the most exciting things to do at this event is the Wall of Death! I have never seen it in person, I've only heard about it. The Wall of Death is a vintage live action thrill show. The Moto Drome is a silo shaped wooden cylinder 30 feet in diameter where, inside, motorcycle daredevils travel along the vertical wall performing tricks and acrobatic riding! 
It has a super carnival feel to it. I am so excited to see this! Stop by the Queen of Bail booth and get some goodies! Meet your favorite Bond Girl, get on camera, and be a part of the Kustom Kulture of SoCal!




Aug 12, 2016

QUEEN of BAIL NEW SIZZLE REEL

As you know everywhere I go, I either give somebody my card or put it where people can see it. At my regular juice spot they have a bulletin board and of course my business card is on it. This being Studio City, Toluca Lake area, there are studio types everywhere. We have Universal Studios, & CBS Studios.  Burbank is our neighbor and they have many studios including Walt Disney, NBC and Warner Bros.
A producer noticed my business card, appreciated my logo and had a vision. That, in and of itself is inspiring to me. I love to observe and learn from successful people with experience and accomplishments. Highnoon Productions or Burt Kearns & Michael Braverman, have years of success and experience producing films, shows, commercials, specials and documentaries. Which include shows that you have heard of such as Bar Recovery, Cake Boss, and Conspiracy Theory. 
We have been developing and filming for a few years now! Our first sizzle reel (mock episode) was filmed in my office in Hollywood and was very real and somewhat hard core. As the climate of what is airing on TV changes, so does the attitude of our project. If it's one thing that I've learned in my 11 years in business, it is that things take time. Impatience does not go with quality and determination or tenacity. 
Now here we are at it again, and we will be filming this Labor Day at the most celebrated car and motorcycle show, the Ventura Grand Nationals! The Queen of Bail and the Bond Girl's will have a booth as a home base. Of course we will have giveaways of T-shirts, stickers, poster signing, photo opportunities, and of course some delicious custom cookies by Lexibell Baked Goods. Meet the up and coming Princess of Bail, and meet your favorite  Bond Girl! Stop by, say hello, get on camera and be a part of the kustom Kulture of Los Angeles! 

Jul 31, 2016

QUEEN OF BAIL at the EASYRIDER ARCHIVES ART SHOW.

This last Friday night I was invited to the Easyriders Archive Art Show. I had been up since 5 AM but I really needed to get out and just have some fun and not be promoting. I got rockstar parking to begin with so that was a good sign.
The space was beautiful with an enclosed outdoor area, a downstairs shop, and the upstairs gallery. When you walked into the gallery, there was beautiful art displayed from the Easyriders Magazine archives. The show featured art from the 70's, both sketches and paintings.
The show had everything you needed for a successful night. A gorgeous view of downtown from the windows of the gallery, a full bar, and there was some cool cat playing bottleneck guitar throughout the entire evening. But the best part of the show without a doubt was the live art installation of a David Mann painting. It was truly incredible to see the clouds, & all the details down to the yellow stripes on the road the bike was on. The models were perfect, it was really a sight to see. My only complaint is I don't know who did the art installation or who built the bike. If there were signs, I missed them.
After a few cocktails and mingling with both old friends and some new, we went downstairs to check it out. Downstairs they had a female DJ that played the best music all night long. My girlfriend Freedom and I were the only two girls dancing. We didn't care, it was infectious and people joined in. We danced until 1:30 in the morning!
What was completely missing from this show was the presence of cops, on the street, or in the neighborhood. Big pushy bouncers, and snobby attitudes were entirely missing as well. 
My compliments go out to Cary & Karen Brobeck, the curators of the show. Douche LaRouche MC, & Sacred Steel Metal Works, & Easyriders Magazine for a super great night! 

Jul 28, 2016

GRAND OPENING OF THE QUEEN OF BAIL WEBSITE

Thank you to everybody for such a warm reception to the brand-new website. The website grand opening debuted the premiere of the first full-length video ever made by a bail bond agency, not only in Los Angeles or in the state of California but in the entire country.
Thank you to everybody who took two minutes and 48 seconds out of their life to appreciate the artistic style of a bail bond agency that is original, unique, and one of a kind. 


Jul 26, 2016

BOND GIRLS ARE FOREVER

RQOB has come a long way. It was my conscious decision to carve out a very specific aesthetic for my business. My bail bond agency is different than any other, not only in Los Angeles, or in the state of California, but in the entire country. My business has an artistic, lowbrow, counter culture vibe to it that reflects who I am, who we are, & who my clients are. Art, the art of motorcycles, the art of Lowrider's & hot rods, the art of tattoos, is all part of what my generation is all about. 
My bail bond agency does not cater to John Q Public. It caters to the underworld of Los Angeles, & surrounding county's. This video is so very special to me, as it reflects those qualities as does all of the projects that I either create or participate in.

Tomorrow the full length video will premiere on my very first official website. I never felt that I needed a website, until recently I realized that the business & social media has grown to the point where there needs to be one homebase. I want to thank everybody for your continued support throughout all my years in business. Thank you for over 28,000 views on my blog. Please take a moment to watch the first official video presented by WACKOE FILMS,  BOND GIRLS ARE FOREVER, tomorrow on the launch date of Raquel Queen of Bail Bonds website. Please watch the video till the very end to see the credits. Special thanks are very important, many people deserve the credit. I could not have done this alone. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get the parody! 

Jul 25, 2016

QUEEN OF BAIL DEMANDS COPY OF INVESTIGATION

In 11 years I have hired a bounty Hunter ONCE. I have never liked any bounty hunters that I have ever met. Because they're rude or disrespectful? No, absolutely not. I dislike them because their demeanor is punitive. They act like some sort of law-enforcement and I suppose they are an arms length away from an actual cop, and that's probably why I highly dislike the entire idea of a bounty Hunter. I am in the business of getting people out of jail. Unfortunately, I had one client that simply refused to go to court while he was living with his mommy. The thought of having somebody in tactical gear somewhat representing my business in public, gives me the shivers, but I had to do it. This is my experience with the Bounty Hunter... 

I called a couple of bountyhunters and got some price quotes. I told him the situation, there is a kid that refuses to go to court, he lives with his mother, and here is his address, it's a simple pick up. I'm well aware that the Bounty Hunter is going to have to do some surveillance find out the schedule of the people coming in and out of the house, that should take one day, two days max. I was quoted a charge of $700. I agreed to it. The defendant was apprehended, arrested, and brought to jail. I then received an invoice for $1600. Reason being was the Bounty Hunter claimed they had to conduct a full investigation. I said that's great, I just need a copy of that investigation.
I never ever heard from this Bounty Hunter again. I never got a copy of any investigation. I sent him the $700 that he quoted me and that was that.
Bail bonds in its entirety can be somewhat shady to say the least.

Jul 9, 2016

RAQUEL QUEEN OF BAIL AS GUEST JUDGE

The Queen of Bail a Judge in the WAREHOUSE of KUSTOMS at the WHITEWALL NATIONALS!!!! 
Some of you may think to yourself how does that work? Well here's a little bit of background about me that you may not know! 
My very first car was a '68 Chevy Impala. My dad gave it to me the day I turned 16. I instantly got into cars and started getting Hot Rod & Lowrider Magazine. I started going to all the car shows and modifying my Chevy. When I would get in trouble my dad would take the distributor cap off so that I couldn't go anywhere. Needless to stay I started learning about the engine as well. Motorcycles and cars became an obsession of mine at a very early age. I started learning about Clay Smith Cams, Mooneyes, and hooker headers, glass packs & the difference between a Ford and Chevy motor.

I started going to all the car shows as much as I could. I even went all the way to New Jersey for an annual lead sled car show. Paso Robles was an annual event.. In the '90s when many people were into hip-hop, we were into hot rods, Lowriders, motorcycles, being a greaser or a biker and listening to everything from punk rock to oldies to swing music, bebop and Jane's addiction too! 
I got a fantastic education on motorcycles from my ex who I was with for eight years. He was and still is a senior mechanic at Bartels Harley Davidson. Every year he built the race bike for the Bonneville Salt Flats, & broke records. 
I also had a '66 Chevy truck. At the time I was in welding school at N.Valley Occupational Center. First thing I did was lower the front, took the shifter off the column, got rid of those big goofy side view mirrors, put blue dots in the taillights, got rid of the big rear bumper... That truck always ran hot and it drove me crazy. Being a young girl, not being able to afford to build my truck I thought.. I know what I'll do, I'll get it I'll get an El Camino. I wanted disc brakes, I wanted power steering, I wanted a heater and air conditioner!! I got a 1983 El Camino and it was my baby! She was sweet with her Cragar wheels, lowered and clean as hell!
I also worked at Exile Cycles for two years. I learned a lot about motorcycles during my employment there, it was one of the best jobs I ever had before I found my place in Bail Bonds. I worked for Indian Motocycle when they made their brief comeback, & to be honest that was not the best memory..  Needless to say I am beyond excited and honored to be the only female judge in the 2016 WHITEWALL NATIONALS. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me and my background. I hope to see you all July 16th in San Pedro at this year's event!