Abilene, TX Criminal Defense Law Firms & Lawyers

Two issues are at play - the first is the potential criminal charges that still could be filed. If they are in the middle of a big investigation and an incident occurs which could interfere, some times federal agents will initially walk away from an arrest. (An example is when there is a large drug investigation involving a lot of people going on and one car gets popped with drugs. They might not arrest those folks because they are trying not to scare the others into stopping their illegal activities.) Or, it could be that the prosecutors who handle those types of cases were not available to advise them so they gathered the evidence, took photographs, and let him go until they are able to consult with a prosecutor. Or, it could be that they are not going to file charges. I do not think he is out of the water yet, though. As far as the truck is concerned, when a vehicle is used for an illegal activity, even when they do not prosecute the criminal activity, they can still seek forfeiture of the vehicle. He will be served with forfeiture documents. He will need a lawyer to advise him on filing an answer because if he attempts to get the vehicle back, he will be subjected to answering discovery questions and requests for admissions, etc., in which truthful answers under oath might incriminate him.

First, now you know that using the lawyer / bondsman combo is not a good idea. So, if there are charges in the future, don't do it. Second, your new case should not affect your standing bonds because the bonds predate the date of offense. That said, a judge could decide that when s/he set the bonds on the other cases that it was based on the totality of the circumstances and that the new case adds another dimension that affects the "proper" amount of those bonds, too. It really depends on the judge, the type of cases, the prosecutor, etc. If you are not satisfied with your current lawyer, then you should change lawyers. The long term consequences are far more important than the short term consequence of possibly sitting in jail until the cases are resolved. (I know the thought of doing this is terrible, but you could be talking about the difference between a not guilty / dismissal while sitting in jail with a great lawyer v. a life sentence but you got to be on bond for a year with a crappy lawyer.) Don't know where you are in Texas or if there are a lot of lawyer choices but you might consider hiring a great lawyer who knows the lawyer / bondsman and can have a little talk with him about the bond. The bondsman is not supposed to get off a bond except for a violation of the bond or a real concern. They do have a board that governs them. However, if they file an affidavit to get off, most judges just let them off and do not question (or care) about the real reason. If you hire a strong, respected lawyer, that lawyer may be able to chat with the lawyer / bondsman & ward off any problems. That said, what you have paid him for the bond fees sounds like it barely covers the normal bond fees, if it does. If you owe more money, then that is good cause for him to get off. Moreover, how are you going to pay a good lawyer if you cannot pay all the bond fees (and you were supposedly going to get credit? I will say - this sounds illegal. I do not know if it is but seems to me that everyone would want to hire this lawyer / bondsman to get essentially free bonds if that was okay & legal. Hmmm.) Bottom line - talk with great lawyers. Sounds like you are in a world of trouble. You need the best that you can afford. You might find yourself sitting in jail but maybe not if the lawyer can chat up the bondsman. Perhaps it can be explained that you feel that the cases have snowballed to the point that you need a lawyer with more experience (if the lawyer / bondsman is not that experienced) or more experience at least in the area of criminal law involving your charges. [I guess I should have started with this but you do not say why you want to hire another lawyer. If it is something "fixable", try talking to the lawyer about the issue. Some times we are dense and don't get it. If is not fixable - your comfort with the skill of your lawyer is VERY important. The lawyer is far more important than the bond.] Good luck.