The Professional Bondsmen of Texas- Blog

WHAT SUCCESSFUL BAIL REFORM LOOKS LIKE By Ken W. Good – Board of Directors, Professional Bondsmen of Texas, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views,  1/24/20   The Hippocratic Oath calls for physicians to “first do no harm,” a declaration of core principles of the medical profession.  This concept can lend itself to other callings, occupations and situations, including the subject of bail reform.  While advocates argue that we need changes to our criminal justice system to make things more fair, we should keep this same ideal in mind: we should do good…or at the least, not exacerbate the situation.  Unfortunately, many of the changes proposed so far have made the criminal justice system much worse with ever-increasing numbers of outstanding warrants and cases. Successful bail reform must begin by addressing its proper goals.  Bail was created to allow someone to be freed from jail while their criminal case is prosecuted.  The person’s release is in exchange for their agree

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A Message from Mike Byrd President of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Bo Jones passed away early this morning. Bo Jones was the immediate past President of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas. But he was so much more than that. He was a really good man as well. Bo has been a bondsmen for over 30 years. Also, he has been a long time member of PBT. He served on many different committees with distinction including the membership committee which is where many of our members first met him. Last year as Bo was preparing to run for re-election as our President he received a bad health report and over time the news continued to get worse. When he learned that his time might be short he announced that he would not be running for re-election but continued to serve out his term. He wanted to ensure that everything transitioned smoothly to the next President. We are better people and a better organization today because of people like Bo Jones.

Quote- That issue is the controversial bail reform law pushed through the New York State legislature by Governor Andrew Cuomo late last year. The law eliminates cash bail on the argument that cash bail discriminates against poorer defendants. But critics of the law have been warning for months that eliminating bail was sure to put too many criminals with violent tendencies back on streets, even if they weren’t currently under arrest for very violent crimes. Less than three weeks after the law went into effect, it sure looks like the naysayers were right. To read more  CLICK HERE .

Ken W. Good is scheduled to appear live on the nationally syndicated radio show, “Spingola Speaks” this Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 PM CT. He is set to appear for the entire hour. To Listen to the Radio Show Live-  CLICK HERE.  Look for the Listen Live Button.

PBT member Ken W. Good recently appeared on the morning radio show on KXYL-FM.   The interview originally aired on December 19, 2020.

by Ken W. Good The start of the new year in Washington State brings with it continued efforts from supporters of bail reform. Although a popular movement throughout the country in recent years, a colder reality has hit more recently as the solutions put forth in jurisdictions where it has been implemented have proven to be less successful than originally conceived. Here in Texas, the citizens of Harris County are learning the hard lessons of good intentions gone bad as a result of federal litigation in the case of ODonnell v. Harris County -- something Washingtonians should be aware of as advocates push ahead with their agendas. History Maranda ODonnell was arrested for driving with a suspended license, no insurance and having accumulated nearly $1,500 in unpaid tolls. Having lost her license due to prior convictions involving the use of controlled substances, her attorneys argued that she was unlawfully denied the right to bail because of her inability to pay the amount indicated

  Ben Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator, public speaker, author, and lawyer. At age 17, he became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the United States.  He writes columns for Creators Syndicate, Newsweek, serves as editor-in-chief for The Daily Wire, which he founded, and hosts The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily political podcast; and live radio show.

Dallas needs bail reform, but not a policy that puts violent offenders back on the streets. This troubling trend deserves review. Imagine a mother arrested for shoplifting groceries languishing in the county lockup because she can’t afford the bail to get out. While she sits in jail, she loses her job and her family’s struggles are amplified. No one will argue against reforms that enable such a mother to afford bail and return to her family quickly enough to hold onto her job. On the strength of that kind of example, we’ve seen bail reform pushed in Texas and other states. And we have strongly supported that type of reform because the way bail in Dallas and other counties has been administered can undercut the due process rights of poor defendants. But it now appears that there is another type of bail “reform” that is growing into a national movement championed by some district attorneys. This type of bail reform drives toward the uncritical release, on outrageously low bonds, of peopl

The January 2020 PBT Newsletter has been published.  You can see it by CLICKING HERE .

A working criminal justice system is based upon accountability. When a defendant is arrested, he or she must answer the charges filed.  The defendant is released from jail preconviction with assurances that they will return whenever demanded by the court to appear.  If the individual misses court, state law requires that their bond be forfeited and a warrant issued.  The case will then be put on hold awaiting the defendant’s return to court.  The delay may be a few days, a few weeks, or even months or years.  In a few rare cases, the individual may never return.  The purpose of bail is to assure that the defendant will return for court. The consent decree in the case of O’Donnell v. Harris County , which was recently approved by the federal court in Houston, turns the concept of accountability on its face.  The settlement will cause a fundamental deterioration of the criminal justice system that will manifest itself in a number of ways.  In fact, the results are already being felt.  De

What Successful Bail Reform Looks Like by Ken W. Good I.    Introduction The private surety bail system has been in place for over 200 years. The purpose of bail is to allow someone accused of a crime to get out of jail while their case is pending.  In exchange for freedom, the accused promises to appear in court any time it demands his appearance. If a defendant fails to appear, his or her bond is forfeited and a warrant issued for arrest.  The criminal case is then placed on hold until the accused reappears. This could be hours, days, weeks or even years -- and occasionally never. As we look to improve the bail system in Texas, we must first begin with the proposition that says “we should do no harm.” We should not initiate changes which will make the system worse by created unintended consequences that create even more problems. II.    Goals of Reform To reform the bail system, we have to determine what are the goals of reform. There are a lot of social ills in the world: drug use,

Law 360 is one of the leading legal publications in the coutry.  In the legal profession, information is the key to success. You have to know what’s happening with clients, competitors, practice areas, and industries. Law 360 Sends out over 1 million newsletters each day, Law360 is a trusted news source for legal professionals, business leaders, and government officials. Delivers key developments fast. Law 360 strives to cover most events within 24 hours, and our real-time alerts and daily newsletters make sure you know about them. Law360 is designed for busy professionals.  Law 360 can be accessed at work, at home, or on the go, and browse the latest headlines in seconds. Law 360 recently published an article by PBT member and attorney Randy Adler entitled "ODonnell Consent Decree Will Harm Criminal Justice In Texas." You can see the article in its entirety by  CLICKING HERE .

Mount Pleasant is a small town located in East Texas.  The town dates back to the early 1800s and has a history that reaches back to the days of the Caddo Indian Tribe.  The Caddos were known as builders of large burial mounds referred to as a "Pleasant Mount."  Early Anglo settlers appropriated the reference for a broad, oak and hickory covered hill in the area.  When the town on the hill was organized, the small village was named "Mount Pleasant.”  According to the 2010 census Mount Pleasant's population was 15,564.  Anthony and Kellye Cooper are both proud Texas bail bondsmen.  Anthony has been in the business for 24 years and Kellye for eight.  The Coopers operate their bail business, AAA Bail Bonds, out of Mt. Pleasant and also service customers in Titus, Mt. Vernon and Red River.  Like most Texas agents, AAA is a local family-run agency.  The Coopers are strong supporters of the U.S. Military.  In addition to having a son in the marines, Kellye founded a non-pr

  Ben Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator, public speaker, author, and lawyer. At age 17, he became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the United States.  He writes columns for Creators Syndicate, Newsweek, serves as editor-in-chief for The Daily Wire, which he founded, and hosts The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily political podcast; and live radio show. Date of broadcast- January 2, 2020.

Today, PBT is releasing a new pamphlet, The Summary of Risk Assessment Studies" which contains a compilation of the most recent studies that address the use of “Risk Assessments.” Previously championed by many advocates for change, the last few years have seen a substantial erosion in the support for risk assessments.  Now many of the groups and individuals who initially supported risk assessments oppose their use.  Further, the most recent scholarly research studies on the topic have consistently come to the same conclusion that risk assessments should not be used as a part of criminal justice reform.  This pamphlet highlights that:  Over 100 civil rights groups released a statement opposing the use of risk assessments; A group of leading technology companies have voiced concerns about using these tools in the criminal justice system. The research concludes that the algorithmic prediction has the potential to amplify social inequity. Kentucky found that after the implementation o

Lars Larson is an American conservative talk radio show host based in Portland, Oregon. Larson worked in television and radio news from the 1970s to 1990s and has hosted The Lars Larson Show from flagship station KXL in Portland since 1997. Two versions of the show exist: the Northwest show airs from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Pacific) and discussing Pacific Northwest issues. The nationally syndicated program airs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Pacific) and discusses national issues.  Recently, a member of PBT appeared on the radio program to discuss bail reform.  We have posted the segment on YouTube.  Great job representing the bondsmen of Texas!