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Court forfeits bond for nonappearance, orders defendants to consult lawyers before next date
Summary
At an arraignment docket in the 252nd District Court the presiding judge forfeited at least one bond for nonappearance, reset bonds at $100,000 in some matters, and repeatedly ordered defendants who are released on bond to consult with three attorneys if they cannot retain counsel before the next hearing.
The presiding judge opened the docket and announced bond repercussions for absent defendants, stating, "her bond's gonna be forfeited for nonappearance and reset at 100,000." The court repeated that forfeitures and bond resets would follow nonappearance and instructed bondsmen accordingly.
The judge told multiple defendants who have posted bond that they would get roughly 30 days to try to hire private counsel; if they cannot, the court ordered each to "visit with at least 3 lawyers," bring the names of those attorneys to the next hearing and show proof of effort. The judge warned that failure to follow the order could result in bond increases and return to custody. These procedural directives were applied consistently across initial appearances and resets during the docket call.
