Kept a client from getting a warrant today in Rockwall. She'll have to show up next time though. The judge is running out of patience.
Tough decision in court. Facing a plea of five years prison we got it down to four. We'd started at 7. And though we have a strong argument for suppression under a US Supreme Court case and the 4th Amendment, if we set the matter the state will add a paragraph to enhance the charge from a 3rd degree felony to a 2nd. That puts the client at risk for up to 20. It's not my time we're gambling with so as much as I'd like to fight to win a suppression hearing, it's just too risky in terms of years.
Passing through Rockwall County I can see the Sherrif Deputy's Police Tahoe sitting beside the freeway scanning traffic as it passes over Lake Ray Hubbard. These are the ones who pull people over for minor traffic violations and end up recovering drugs and other contraband when they find a way to search the vehicle. I wonder why they call it recovering contraband. Was it theirs before? Anyway, these are some of the calls we tend to get from Rockwall: people who were passing through on their way to somewhere else who land an overnight stay in the Rockwall County Jail. When they get out on bail and make it back home, sometimes they have to come from quite a distance to make it back for their court dates.
Checked in for the first setting on a simple Driving While License Invalid Subsequent for my client in Rockwall County. Turns out it's not so simple with seventeen active suspensions but we'll still work towards getting the best outcome. These things are all about steadily working through the problems until they are all resolved and a good driver's license is possible. It's a little like untying a complicated knot.
Client arrested on the East Coast on a warrant out of Rockwall County. He posted a substantial bond pending his extradition hearing and hired us over the weekend with only two days remaining before his extradition hearing. Client did not wish to be brought to Texas in custody. Rather than wait for the out of state court to decide his fate, we spoke with the Rockwall County prosecutor, arranged and agreed to a lowered bond and had the client fly in the following morning to clear the warrant. Client and I appeared in court, judge set the bond and client did a walk-through (book-in, bond, book-out). Client was in and out within two hours and flew back to the East coast to appear at his extradition hearing with a bond and a new court date. Took the matter out of their hands. Problem solved. Case disposition pending.
