Bay City, TX Criminal Defense Law Firms & Lawyers

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.

The US Department of Justice is very concerned about video piracy and other intellectual property cybercrimes. There are two basic types of video piracy: acquiring an illegal copy of a film, and distributing the illegal copy. Last year, the Justice Department began "Operation Fastlink," a major, 18-month initiative to combat online piracy worldwide. Two months ago, it obtained its 60th conviction. Since its inception, it has executed 120 search warrants in 12 countries targeting those involved in illegal reproduction and distribution of movies, games, business software and music. Several statutes may be used to charge a video pirate. Felony Criminal infringement of a copyright. and conspiracy to do so, carry a maximum penalty of either 3 or 5 years and hefty fines. Related crimes carry equal or greater penalties. A few months ago in CA, 3 men were charged with distributing pirated copies of Hollywood movies such as ¿Slumdog Millionaire¿ and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," violationing federal copyright law. Another was charged with uploading a copyrighted work for sale. What did they do? They uploaded copies of the movie to an internet site for distribution. The charge of uploading a copyrighted work carries a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or gross loss made from the offense, whichever is more. In another case, a man was charged with criminal copyright infringement and making false statements to the FBI having allegedly posted a pre-release, ¿screener¿ copy of a new film. The maximum penalty for his charges is 6 years. Criminal Copyright Infringement can be either a felony or misdemeanor. Depending on the severity of your crime, the penalty is either a 3 or 5 year maximum sentence and hefty fines for a first offense. Second offenses carry increased penalties.For the misdemeanor crime of copy infringemenet, the Government must prove you engaged in the activity for commercial advantage or private financial gain or, that you reproduced or distributed one or more copyrighted works with a total retail value more than $1,000, within a 180-day period.Other laws can be used to charge you depending on the circumstances. The Government and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) takes video piracy very seriously. The MPAA has an Internet piracy task force that works closely with law enforcement agencies throughout the world to find and catch video pirates.To stop illegal copying of movies in theaters, the MPAA occasionally helps airport style security locate concealed video cameras. They may use theater personnel with night vision goggles to detect video cameras during a movie showing. In addition, they employ Ranger, a sophisticated search engine, to track illegal movies on the Internet. When they find a pirated film, they send ¿Cease and desist¿ letters to the website in violation.Among the defenses to the criminal charges are: First sale: The first purchaser and any subsequent purchaser of a specific copy of a copyrighted work may sell, display (privately), or dispose of their copy, but may not reproduce and distribute additional copies made from that work. Fair use: Allows use of a work for to be used for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. Archival Owner of a copy of a computer program may copy the program as necessary to use the program or do machine maintenance or repair, and as an archival backup, subject to certain limitations. States may have their own video piracy crime laws. If you think you're at risk, contact an attorney experienced in intellectual property law and criminal defense for a consultation. You'll get advice tailored to your specific situation.