Judge orders defendants to consult three attorneys or risk bond increase

At a county criminal docket, the presiding judge ordered multiple defendants who had made bond to consult with at least three attorneys and return in about 30 days with either a retained lawyer or the names of attorneys they had contacted. The judge warned that failure to follow that instruction could lead to a bond increase or other court action.

The instruction was applied at routine initial appearances and arraignments across several cases. The judge told Bonita Graham during her initial appearance that, because she had made bond, she needed “to try another 30 days at least” and to “talk to at least 3 others” and bring back the names if she could not hire counsel. The judge repeated the same requirement to multiple other defendants, including Tammy Ferrell, Sarah Henderson, Mikayla Marcantel, Jeremiah Paya, Dalton Fraget, and others.

Why it matters:…