PBT Newsletter for July 2021


 The PBT July Newsletter has been published.  You can view it by CLICKING HERE.

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Most Read Posts Over The Last 30 Days

Celebrating the Life of Longtime Bondsman Ricky Wade

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Ricky Lane Wade, born April 16, 1953, in Shelbyville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on July 8, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. He was 72.   Ricky was the son of Vernon Wade and Mary Tipton (Harper), and a proud graduate of Shelbyville High School. He built a long and respected career in the bail bonds industry, working to establish both A Way-Out Bail Bonds and Just Bail Bonds. His commitment to his profession led him to become an active member of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas, where he was known for his unwavering honesty and bold personality—Ricky never had a filter and never backed down from speaking the truth. He is survived by his devoted wife, Jeanie Wade; two beloved stepdaughters, Crystal Padgett and Jennifer Beck; grandchildren Brett Estrada and wife Layla, Jezzica Polk and husband Brendan, Evan Beck, and Parker Beck; and one cherished great-granddaughter, Aurora Estrada; and nephew Kyle Tipton and wife Carolyn. Ricky also leaves behind his brothers Greg Tipton and Ve...
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Gov. Abbott orders special session to Address flooding, redistricting, THC and More- But Not Bailnished GOP priorities

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Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday unveiled a jam-packed agenda for the upcoming special legislative session, calling on lawmakers to redraw Texas’ congressional maps and address several unfinished conservative priorities from earlier this year. The governor, who controls the agenda for overtime legislative sessions, also included four items related to the deadly Hill Country floods over the July Fourth weekend, directing legislators to look at flood warning systems, emergency communications, natural disaster preparation and relief funding for impacted areas. The flooding has killed more than 100 people, with more than 160 still missing in Kerr County alone. Abbott’s call also includes redrawing the state’s congressional districts — following through on a demand from President Donald Trump’s advisers . . . To read more CLICK HERE . To see Governor Abbott's Proclamation CLICK HERE . .
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Addressing Food Desserts- What is the Answer?

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What are "food desserts" and why are they getting larger in our urban centers?  A food dessert is a area in an urban city where food retailers are not readily accessible.  Why are food desserts growing? In the early 1990s a survey of city shoppers found that more than half left the city at least once a month to shop at stores not available in the five boroughs. Large swaths of the city, including Harlem, home to 100,000 residents, lacked a local supermarket. Crime was bad enough to sink promising ventures, including U.S. Athletics, a 13-store footwear chain that closed its outlets in the city after suffering some 1,000 shoplifting incidents. In a 1989 survey conducted by Interface, one-fifth of businesses reported having lost sales because of crime. The key to the comeback was the restoration of order, beginning with the declines in crime that characterized the mayoral administration of Rudolph Giuliani and continued into the administration of Michael Bloomberg. Those gains u...
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Oregon ballot measure proposes overhaul of controversial bail reforms

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  A new ballot measure proposal, which, if approved by voters, would dramatically change the criminal justice system in the state of Oregon. The goal of the measure is to put an end to what many describe as Oregon’s “catch and release” system, where suspected criminals are immediately released before trial and then never show up. The sponsors are confident that Oregon voters will support it if given the chance. It is just the latest example of a criminal justice system that many say has grown increasingly dysfunctional. An accused hit-and-run driver on Highway 26, was later arrested for attempted murder, only to be released pretrial by a judge, over the strong objections of the prosecution and the victim’s family. They said he’d never honor his promise to appear. And they were right. He is now at large, and Oregon lawmaker Kevin Mannix says cases like these have to stop. To see more CLICK HERE .
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PBT Boardmember Charlie Pickens has Passed Away. It is a Great Loss for his Family, the PBT Family and the Bail Industry

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With much sorrow, we announce the death of a member of the PBT family and the bail community.  PBT Boardmember Charlie Pickens has died!  Charlie was a very important member of the bail industry.  Charlie along with Justin from his office were instrumental in designing and developing the PBT Call to Action and Click to Dial System that PBT currently uses at the Texas Legislature.  In the last couple of years, Charlie and Justin redesigned the system to allow PBT to offer it to other states to use to assist them before their legislatures.   Charlie is also a member of the PBT-PR Committee and was a part of the team that developed the PBT podcast "The Bail Post" which is regularly ranked as one of the best Criminal Justice Podcasts.  Charlie designed the artwork that is currently being used for the podcast.  Also, as a member of the PR Committee he and Justin were instrumental in developing tools to allow for the analysis of large amounts of data to...
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