Rapist Hoped Bail Jumping Would Stop Trial

Auckland, March 19 NZPA - Pravin Kumar hoped his efforts to skip bail and miss his trial date might help him avoid a trial on two rape charges.

Instead, a jury found him guilty at a trial held in his absence -- and his attempt to hook up with a woman via the internet led to him being arrested afterwards.

Today the 41-year-old was sentenced in the High Court in Auckland to preventive detention by Justice Chris Allan with a minimum imprisonment period of seven years on two charges of rape, two of kidnapping, one of male assaults female and one of indecent assault.

The sentence means he can only be released once the seven years have elapsed if he admits to his offending and shows the authorities it is safe to release him.

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NFL Star Joey Porter Arrested

Just days after NFL player and Bakersfield native Joey Porter, 33, signed a three year deal to play for the Arizona Cardinals, he was arrested on three misdemeanors. “The charges he faces are DUI, battery on a peace officer and resisting arrest,” California Highway Patrol Sgt. Don Clotworthy said.

The CHP spokesman said two officers stopped a friend of Porter's in another car in the Taco Bell parking lot off Hageman Road and Calloway Drive about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Porter pulled up behind the CHP car, and one of the two officers went over to Porter's car. “The officer detected mister Porter had been drinking,” Clotworthy said.

He said an officer asked for Porter's driver's license and for Porter to get out of the car for a field sobriety test. “Mister Porter refused to do that and instead of complying with officers order, request, he began to roll up his window,” Clotworthy said.

The officer reportedly reached in through the window and lifted the unlock button. “At that time Mister Porter struck the officers hand. The officer was able to push Mister Porter's arm out of the way. Mister Porter then got out of the vehicle in a confrontational manner.”

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Bail Agent Group Sues Santa Ana County

SANTA ANA — The Orange County Bail Agents Association filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the city of Santa Ana for allowing agents representing bail bond companies to solicit business near jails and police stations.

Newport Beach-based attorney Richard P. Herman calls the solicitors “guerilla marketers” and claims in his request for a preliminary injunction that Santa Ana “got snookered” when city officials allowed the solicitation of bail business.

“It is sort of like giving a solicitors license to a hooker who would leave out the details,” Herman wrote in the lawsuit.

Herman also alleges the practice creates an unfair playing field for bail agents.

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Lawyer to Ask For Lower Bail for Health Reasons in Wife's Hit Man Case

A lawyer for a Garden City mother accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her estranged husband will argue in court Thursday that her bail should be lowered, in part because she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008 and needs to see doctors regularly.

According to court papers, Susan Williams, 43, had a radical hysterectomy in 2008 after being diagnosed with the disease.

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New York Mom of 4 Hires Hit Man to Kill Husband For $20,000

A NEW York mother of four embroiled in a nasty divorce was arrested for trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband for $20,000.

The New York Post reports today Susan Williams, 43, of Long Island, NY, was arrested yesterday authorities said.

She contacted an unidentified man February 19 and said she wanted to arrange the murder of her husband, Peter Williams, according to Nassau County District Attorney (DA) Kathleen Rice.

The unidentified man alerted the DA's office, which arranged for him to tell Susan Williams to meet an undercover detective posing as a hit man.

At that meeting Sunday - where Susan mentioned her pending divorce and "said she wanted him dead" - she was told the job would cost $20,000, said Rice

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Bail Bondsman: County Taxpayer's Best Friend

In light of the ongoing studies of jail overcrowding in Harris County and the evaluation of the functions of the private-sector bail system, it is important to understand the facts. The commercial bonding system is remarkably effective at what it does. Bail is meant to make sure defendants show up for trial court appearances. The system since the 1800s in America allowed private business to post bail in exchange for payments from the defendants and the promise that they find the defendants and return them if they failed to appear. The private bail system costs taxpayers nothing, and it is effective at ensuring that defendants appear for court. Currently, there is another entity involved in bonds, the taxpayer-funded pretrial release.

Last year, around 45,000 defendants were bonded out of the Harris County Jail by licensed commercial bail bondsmen. Bondsmen are solely responsible for every one of their defendants' court appearances. Whenever a defendant misses court, bondsmen work hard to return their defendants back to court as soon as possible because they are financially liable for the bond. Should a bondsman fail to return a defendant within time limits set by state law, Harris County requires them to pay 100 percent of the bond amount plus costs of court, interest and rearrest fees.

Licensed bondsmen have a 98.5 percent success ratio for their defendants' timely appearances in court. This ensures that the courts move their dockets along in a timely manner. Last year, licensed bondsmen in Harris County paid about $5 million out of the face value of citizens in private-sector bond of $315 million, which is less than a 1.5 percent failure rate.

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Trio Charged Over Melbourne Riot Given Bail

A Melbourne magistrate has granted bail to three men who have admitted taking part in last Friday's riot at Oakleigh, in the city's south-east, that caused $50,000 damage.

Nineteen-year-olds Jack Corben and Jordan Black handed themselves in this morning after police contacted their families.

They are charged with affray and destroying property.

The court heard Black used a baseball bat to smash a window at a Bob Jane T-mart store while Corben kicked the window.

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Bail Bondsman, Son Arrested on Tax Charges

Baltimore's leading bail bondsman and his son were arrested Wednesday on federal charges of filing false tax returns and illegally running an insurance business, among other counts.

Milton Tillman Jr., 54, and his son, Milton Tillman III, 35, who run 4 Aces Bail Bonds Inc. and other companies, were each released pending trial during an initial appearance in Baltimore U.S. District Court on Wednesday afternoon. Neither man had been able to review the 28-count indictment before being brought to court.

Tillman Jr.'s attorney said they "had known about this case for some time," however.

Baltimore's leading bail bondsman and his son were arrested Wednesday on federal charges of filing false tax returns and illegally running an insurance business, among other counts.

Milton Tillman Jr., 54, and his son, Milton Tillman III, 35, who run 4 Aces Bail Bonds Inc. and other companies, were each released pending trial during an initial appearance in Baltimore U.S. District Court on Wednesday afternoon. Neither man had been able to review the 28-count indictment before being brought to court.

Tillman Jr.'s attorney said they "had known about this case for some time," however.

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Lower Bail Rejected for Priest Accused of Sexual Assault on Boy

A Kane County judge Thursday rejected lower bail for a Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old St. Charles boy.

Judge T. Jordan Gallagher shot down the motion sought by the Rev. Alejandro Flores, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail following his January arrest on seven felony counts. Flores, 37, is accused of assaulting the boy in 2005. At the time, Flores was a seminarian assigned to a West Chicago parish.

Flores' attorney, Glenn Sowa, sought a $20,000 cash bond that would have allowed Flores to be released and to travel to a Maryland psychiatric facility that treats priests, nuns and other religious workers.

Flores had been assigned to a church in Shorewood. After accusations against him surfaced, Flores in January fell from a Joliet church choir loft in what police and church officials characterized as a suicide attempt. The Diocese of Joliet has offered to pay for his treatment and for his travel to Maryland and back to Kane County for court appearances.

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Judges Deny Bail Bondsman Signing Privileges

Criminal Court Clerk candidate Vernon Johnson has been denied approval to write bail bonds because of his "terrible history," according to a blistering order signed this week by nine Criminal Court judges.

The judges, who regulate conduct of bail bondsmen who operate in Shelby County courts, cited numerous violations by Johnson since 1976, including often writing bonds in excess of the total amount authorized by the court.

"He has a terrible history with this court, and has not shown that he should be granted the privilege of entrusting him with the liberty of our defendants, bond powers and court documents," the judges said in a 24-page order. "He has repeatedly and consistently betrayed the trust this court has vested in him time and time again over a period of 34 years.

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Arizona Judge Issues Warrant For Lil Wayne Despite The Fact The Rapper Is Currently In New York Jail

An Arizona judge issued a bench warrant Tuesday for Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne after he failed to appear for a hearing on drug and weapons charges because he is serving jail time in New York.

A Yuma County Superior Court judge issued the warrant after the entertainer, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, failed to appear in court for a final trial management conference.

But Lil Wayne's attorney, James Tilson, said his client couldn't appear because he is already serving a one-year jail sentence for having a loaded gun on his tour bus. The rapper began serving that sentence March 8 at the Rikers Island jail complex.

Lil Wayne was arrested in January 2008 at a border checkpoint 78 miles east of Yuma after authorities say they found cocaine, Ecstasy and a handgun on his tour bus.

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Dozens Arrested in Europe-Wide Mafia Crackdown

Dozens of people have been arrested across Europe in a major crackdown on Eastern European mafias.

At least 24 were detained in Spain and another 45 were arrested in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy.

The suspects were said to be members of Georgian and Russian crime gangs. All are accused of drugs and arms trafficking, money laundering, extortion and conspiracy to murder.

Spanish anti-corruption authorities, who led the operation, said that the gangs were also involved in money laundering, extortion and other crimes in Britain, Ireland Sweden, Belgium and Turkey.

Some were also said to have links to criminal gangs in Colombia.

Those arrested in Spain were mostly said to be "foot soldiers".

“We are not going to find great mansions nor enormous quantities of money, as in other operations, because this is an organisation which operated at a more basic level, but they did it in various European countries," a Spanish police source said.

“These people were ready to kill if it was necessary."

The arrests in Spain were made in Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid and Bilbao.

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Ga. Man Who Posted 'Elton John Must Die' Arrested

A Georgia man who posted a video of himself on the Internet holding a sign that said "Elton John must die" has been arrested for making terroristic threats.

Neal Horsley, 65, was arrested early Wednesday in Carrollton, about 50 miles west of Atlanta, said Atlanta Police Sgt. Curtis Davenport. He would not say who Horsley is accused of threatening, but Horsley's son, Nathan, said he thought the arrest was connected to the video about the musician.

In the video posted Feb. 28 on YouTube, Horsley held the sign in front of a building where he said John has a condo. John's publicist, Fran Curtis, confirmed that John has an Atlanta apartment but declined further comment.

Horsley was upset that John, who is gay, told Parade magazine in an interview last month that he thought Jesus was a "compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems."

"What Elton John has done is desecrated the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, blasphemed the Lord Jesus Christ," Horsley said in the video.

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Rapper DMX Arrested for Violating Probation

Troubled rapper DMX was arrested in Arizona on Tuesday for violating his probation by regularly using illegal drugs during the last nine months, authorities said.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, told a probation officer that he used cocaine and was not complying with the terms of his treatment plan, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told Reuters.

He faces five counts of violating probation.

Simmons was booked into a Phoenix jail late Tuesday afternoon and was isolated from other inmates, sheriff's officials said.

"We would hope that he is finally sent to prison," Arpaio said. "We've arrested him five times already. How many times do you have to violate the law?"

The rap star has faced continued legal trouble in Arizona, and was serving probation for throwing a food tray at a detention officer inside a Phoenix jail last year. Simmons spent 90 days in jail on drug, theft and animal abuse charges.

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R&B Singer D'Angelo Arrested For Soliciting A Prostitute

D'Angelo is back in legal trouble after being arrested and charged with soliciting a prostitute in New York.

D'Angelo, whose real name is Michael Archer, was arrested Saturday (March 6). According to The New York Post, the singer allegedly offered an undercover policewoman $40 for oral sex.

According to published reports, D'Angelo was driving in his Range at about 2:30 a.m. when he saw a woman he believed to be a prostitute. After asking the woman for sex, he was arrested and charged with solicitation. According to the sources of the New York Post, the singer had $12,000 in his car at the time of his arrest.

D'Angelo has been plagued by legal troubles since his 2002 arrest for allegedly resisting arrest. Since then the singer has been arrested repeatedly for charges ranging from possession of marijuana to DUI.

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Bill Would Allow Va. Bail Help Only For Poor

A bill quietly rolling through the General Assembly would put an end to what supporters call taxpayer-funded get-out-of-jail-free passes for criminals who can afford to pay their own bail. Opponents argue it is nothing more than a ploy by bail bondsmen to increase profits.

Commercial bail bondsmen are pushing the measure to limit pretrial services, where the state pays for criminals to be released before their court hearing, to only those offenders who cannot afford to post their own bond. They argue tax dollars should not be used to bail out those who can afford to pay their own way or to compete with private business.

Pretrial services supporters say freedom shouldn't depend on someone's ability to pay, and that their programs save the state and local governments money because it's cheaper than housing minor offenders in overcrowded jails.

The bill passed out of the House last month on a 63-36 vote. The Senate Courts of Justice Committee, which killed a similar measure earlier in the session, could consider the bill on Wednesday.

Pretrial services supporters say they fear legislators will reverse course amid pressure by supporters of the bill, who are running commercials statewide and touting the bill as a way to save the state millions as lawmakers franticly try to reconcile a $4 billion state budget shortfall.

"Schools are facing devastating cuts. Medicaid is facing devastating cuts, and here we have people being released who should be paying their own way," said Pat Edmonson, a lobbyist for Virginians for the Preservation of Bail.

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Businessman Held On $1-million Bail In Supergraphic Case

In a dramatic escalation of the war against illegal supergraphics in Los Angeles, authorities have jailed a businessman accused of posting an eight-story movie advertisement on an office building at one of Hollywood's busiest intersections.

Kayvan Setareh, 49, of Pacific Palisades was arrested at his home Friday night and ordered held on $1-million bail. An arrest warrant obtained by Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich accuses Setareh of three misdemeanor city code violations, two of them related to the city sign law, according to William Carter, Trutanich's chief deputy.

The arrest was an unusually aggressive move by Trutanich and comes less than a week after the city attorney filed a separate lawsuit involving more than a dozen other supergraphics scattered across the city. Just days after that lawsuit was filed, workers used bolts and wire to wrap the new ad around the face of a 1928 office building on the northeast corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, a major tourist destination along Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Trutanich's office said Setareh had an "ownership interest" in the building.

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Clashing Bills Threaten to Revamp Washington Bail Rules

OLYMPIA — After the slaying of four Lakewood police officers in November, state lawmakers from both parties promised changes aimed at stopping dangerous felons like Maurice Clemmons before they turn deadly.

But now a centerpiece of that effort — a constitutional amendment that would give judges more power to deny bail to potentially dangerous criminal defendants — is hung up in a political fight as the Legislature enters the final weeks of its 60-day session.

Senate leaders unveiled a bail proposal Thursday they touted as a careful balance between public safety and civil liberties.

But that plan was immediately trashed by House lawmakers, who prefer a version that would keep more defendants behind bars pending trial.

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Nancy Kerrigan's Brother Freed on Bail in Dad's Death

The brother of skater Nancy Kerrigan, charged with assault and battery in an incident involving his father, was released on bond, authorities said Wednesday.

Mark Kerrigan posted the previously set $10,000 bail and was released from custody, according to the Woburn District Court Clerk's office in Massachusetts.

Kerrigan, 45, was fitted with a tracking device and under conditions of his release is not allowed to leave his home other than to visit his attorney, the clerk's office said. He also is forbidden to use any drugs or alcohol other than prescription medication, can have no access to weapons and must have mental health counseling.

"The Kerrigan family is delighted to have Mark back with them," family spokeswoman Nancy Sterling said in a statement. "They ask that you respect their privacy as they welcome Mark home."

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Friction Between Lawmakers Over Bail Limit Bill

Bills: House, Senate at odds over what other crimes incur bail denial

Lawmakers have kept partisan politics to a minimum as they work to limit the constitutional right to bail.

Now unity is fraying over the issue, but the seams are between not Republicans and Democrats, but House and the Senate.

Both chambers of the Legislature have voted overwhelmingly to change the state constitution to allow judges to deny bail in certain cases. Both of the proposals they want to send to voters would apply only to criminal suspects staring down life in prison.

And both changes, if they had been in effect last year, would have allowed a judge to detain Maurice Clemmons before he killed four Lakewood police officers.

But House members argue that only their version would lock up enough dangerous criminals.

“It definitely will protect more people,” said Rep. Mike Hope, a Seattle police officer who sponsored the House version. The Senate measure “doesn’t even cover half of 1 percent, when you’re looking at crimes.”

Judges can already deny bail to suspects facing the death penalty. The Senate would let them do the same to people accused of a crime that could land them in prison for life with no early release, including a third strike for certain serious crimes and a second strike for sex crimes.

The House would allow denial of bail for any potential life sentence, regardless of whether there is a possibility of early release. That would add first offenses on many of the most serious crimes – including murder, rape, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and first-degree arson.

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Bail Set for a Man Caught Up in His Son’s Terrorism Case

Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that they had agreed on bail provisions for a Colorado man who has been charged with obstructing an investigation into a terrorist bombing plot.

The man, Mohammed Wali Zazi, 55, the father of a Denver airport shuttle-bus driver arrested last year on terrorism charges, will be released on a $50,000 bond secured by $20,000 cash, prosecutors said.

Mr. Zazi had been held without bail since Feb. 1, after being indicted in New York on the obstruction charges. He had been charged earlier in Colorado on charges of lying to an investigator. After the latest indictment was unsealed, he was brought to New York and has been held here since then.

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Pakistani Court Rejects Americans' Bail Request

A Pakistani court dismissed on Wednesday a request for the release on bail of five Americans accused of contacting militants over the Internet and plotting terrorist attacks.

The students, in their 20s and from the U.S. state of Virginia, were detained in December in the central Pakistani town of Sargodha, 190 km (120 miles) southeast of the capital.

They have not been formally charged but could face lengthy prison terms if found guilty.

The case of the Americans, who were arrested days after arriving in Pakistan, has raised alarm over the danger posed by militants using the Internet to evade tighter international security measures and plan attacks.

A defense lawyer for the five men, Hassan Katchela, told Reuters by telephone that an anti-terrorist judge in Sargodha turned down the plea for their release on bail.

"We were not expecting the dismissal, as despite our repeated demands for evidence and charges, the prosecutors failed to provide anything substantial against them," he said. "Now we will approach a higher court."

A panel of defense lawyers for the men said the charges brought against their clients were "vague" and requested an anti-terrorist court on Tuesday to order their release on bail.

Police have said emails showed they contacted Pakistani militants who had planned to use them for attacks in Pakistan, a front-line state in the U.S.-led war against militancy.

The men -- two of them of Pakistani origin, one of Egyptian, one of Yemeni and one of Eritrean origin -- told the court earlier they only wanted to provide fellow Muslims in Afghanistan with medical and financial help.

They have accused the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pakistani police of torturing them and trying to frame them. Pakistani authorities have denied the accusations of mistreatment.

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Bills About Parole and Bail Pass State Senate in Washington State

OLYMPIA -- The state Senate passed a package of bills last week in response to the murder of four Lakewood police officers last year.

Several were sponsored by Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, who is one of the North Olympic Peninsula's three representatives in the state Legislature.

The seven bills must be passed by the state House of Representatives and signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to become law.Bills about parole, bail pass state Senate

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Bounty Hunter Faces Murder Charge

Plainview police revealed this afternoon that the bounty hunter accused of murder did not have the proper licenses needed to take a bond jumper into custody.

Jarrod Neal Flaming, 41, of Carlsbad, N.M., remained in custody at the Hale County jail this morning on a $75,000 bond.

Flaming was charged with murder after shooting 31-year-old Derek Graves in the 1100 block of West 29th Street on Tuesday night.

Capt. Manuel Balderas of the Plainview Police Department said Flaming and another man were attempting to serve a Potter County warrant of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance to Graves at Central Apartments, 910 W. 28th.

Flaming reportedly is president and CEO of BadDog BailBonds Inc. in Carlsbad.

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Suspect in Auschwitz Sign Theft Arrested in Sweden

Swedish police on Thursday arrested a former neo-Nazi leader that Polish investigators suspect of being involved in the theft of the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign at Auschwitz.

Swedish Prosecutor Agneta Hilding Qvarnstrom said 34-year-old Anders Hogstrom was detained in Stockholm on a European arrest warrant.

Hilding Qvarnstrom said Hogstrom will be appointed a defense lawyer and questioned by Swedish investigators before authorities can decide on extraditing him to Poland.

Polish officials have said Hogstrom is suspected of incitement to commit theft of a cultural treasure.

The infamous sign - which means "Work Sets You Free" in German - was stolen in December from the site of the Nazis' former Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Polish police found it in the woods three days later cut up into three pieces and charged five Polish men with its theft.

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Man Out on Bail After Bribing and Threatening Officers' Families

Daniel Escalante is accused of trying to bribe a Dallas cop to let him go free and then threatening two officers' families when his offer was rejected.

Escalante talked his way into two felony charges after initially being arrested for a misdemeanor. His attempted bribe was an offer of $50,000 (or "Fifty G's dog").

Yet Magistrate Candace Carlsen set his bail at $4,500, and the 23-year-old Dallas man walked out of the Dallas County Jail less than 24 hours after his arrest.

The judge said the bail she set was the standard, recommended amount for the charges Escalante faced: bribery, retaliation and interference with public duties.

"Quite frankly, when a lot of people are arrested, they are mouthing off to the officer," Carlsen said. "That's a very typical bond for that type of case."

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Michael Jackson’s Doctor Freed on Bail

Doctor Conrad Murray the personal physician of the great pop singer, musician and dancer Michael Jackson. Jackson hired the doctor Conrad for his physical improvement, because he wanted to comeback with great strength in his performance. He was starting preparation for program in London’s o2 Arena. As Michael was struggling with insomnia, his doctor started to give him the doses of Propofol.

But because of over dose of the medicine which was given by the doctor Conrad was the reason of the death of the Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson died on 25 June 2009 at Lose Angeles and the Doctor Conrad was there.

Because of this the claim of death of Jackson is on Doctor Conrad Murray. Jackson’s family said that it was a murder. Doctor Conrad has not malice about Jackson’s death. He killed him by giving him over doses of Propofol medicine. He accepted that he was not given Jackson proper treatment as required.

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Super Bowl XLIV Bust: Warren Sapp Arrested at His Hotel

Former NFL Star Warren Sapp is out on $1,500 bail after being arrested for domestic violence on Saturday at his hotel in Miami, according to local media reports.

Sapp, who was supposed to be featured on the NFL Network's pregame coverage, has been suspended by the network and did not appear on any programs on Sunday.

The accuser stated in the police report that Sapp tried to choke her and threw her down twice, injuring her leg on the second throw.

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New York City Girl Handcuffed and Arrested for Doodling on Her Desk

A 12-year-old Queens girl was hauled out of school in handcuffs for doodling her name on her desk with a lime-green erasable marker, the Daily News reports.

Alexa Gonzalez's transgression at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills included scribbling "I love my friends Abby and Faith" and "Lex was here. 2/1/10" (plus a smiley face) while waiting for her Spanish teacher to pass out homework.

The News says she was taken in handcuffs to the police precinct across the street from the school and detained for several hours.

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Fort Myers Bondsman Accused of Extortion, Theft

A Fort Myers bail bond agent and another man allegedly acting as an agent without a license are accused of stealing from a woman and not returning a mortgage she used as collateral.

Onil Martinez, 39, who runs 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, was booked into the Lee County Jail on Thursday and released the next day after posting $11,000 bail. He is charged with one count each of extortion, grand theft and criminal mischief and two counts of allowing an unlicensed bond agent to act as a bond agent. The maximum penalty for all charges is 35 years.

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Child Star Leif Garrett Arrested on Drug Charges

What's going on with former child stars these days? A week after Gary Coleman spent a weekend in jail, fellow ex-child star Leif Garrett found himself locked up for two days this week on drug charges.

The singer-actor, who reached teen idol status in the 1970s, was arrested Monday morning at a downtown Los Angeles Metrolink station for possession of a controlled substance, TMZ reports. He was booked but was unable to make bail until early Wednesday morning.

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Florida Bail Bondsmen Arrested on Multiple Felony Charges

TALLAHASSEE — Florida CFO Alex Sink today announced the arrests of Fort Myers bail bond agent and business owner Onil Martinez and unlicensed bail bond agent Wilfredo Gonzalez, who allegedly committed multiple crimes including stealing $90,000 in bond collateral.

Onil Martinez, owner of "A 2nd Chance Bail Bond Agency," has been charged with Extortion, Felony Criminal Mischief, Employing an Unlicensed Bail Bond Agent, Grand Theft, and Employing a Convicted Felon; if convicted, he faces up to 35 years in prison and permanent revocation of his license. Wilfredo Gonzalez has been charged with working as an Unlicensed Bail Bond Agent, Felony Criminal Mischief, and Grand Theft; if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Martinez and Gonzalez were arrested late last week following an investigation by both CFO Sink's Division of Insurance Fraud and Division of Agent and Agency Services. Both were booked in the Lee County Sheriff's Office and are currently out on bail.

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Rip Torn Fully Loaded: "Men in Black" Star Broke Into Bank Drunk with Loaded Gun, Say Conn. Cops

Actor Elmore "Rip" Torn has a date with a Connecticut judge Monday as he faces allegations that he broke into a bank with a loaded gun while drunk.

State police say the 78-year-old "Men in Black" star was arrested Friday night after authorities found him inside the Litchfield Bancorp in Salisbury with a loaded revolver.

Torn was held in lieu of $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on burglary and firearm charges in Bantam Superior Court, about an hour northwest of Hartford.

This is not Torn's first tangle with the law. Last year, Torn was given probation in a Connecticut drunken driving case and granted permission to enter an alcohol education program. He also has two previous drunken driving arrests in New York.

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WWE wrestler Chris Jericho arrested - along with Greg (Hurricane) Helms - for public intoxication

WWE wrestler Chris Jericho was arrested early Wednesday morning for public intoxication, TMZ.com reports.

According to the report, cops noticed that the 39-year-old athlete, along with fellow wrestler Greg (Hurricane) Helms, were both "extremely intoxicated" at a gas station in Kentucky.

Before running into police, the duo were reportedly involved in a scuffle in a taxi cab, where Helms allegedly struck three police. In addition to smacking Jericho, Helms reportedly became violent with a man named Gary Kelley and female named Ashley Storer, who were all riding in the vehicle together.

After the incident, Helms reportedly fled the scene and arrived at the gas station.

The two men, who were in town Tuesday night taking part in WWE Smackdown at the U.S. Bank Arena, were then taken into custody in Kenton County around 5 a.m. and were charged with "alcohol intoxication in a public place."

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Gary Coleman Makes Bail, But How?

NEW YORK (CBS) - The former "Diff'rent Strokes" star Gary Coleman was bailed out of jail Monday under bizarre circumstances.

Producers of the movie "Midgets vs. Mascots" bailed Coleman out based on an understanding that they can use a shot of his genitals in the film, according to E! Online.

"Midgets vs. Mascots" is a straight-to-DVD mockumentary about a competition between midgets and mascots for $1 million, said E!, which reports Coleman says the shot of his genitals was being used in the film without his permission. It appears the producers and Coleman reached a "gentleman's agreement" -- if you can call it that -- to use the footage, after they bailed out the embattled actor.

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No Public Subsidy for Virginia Bondsmen

When Newport News Sheriff Gabe Morgan took office in 2006, his jail was bursting at the seams with more than 700 inmates in a facility built for 248.

On Tuesday, Morgan said it held 451 — "What I would call a sustainable level."

He credits the reduction to opening a jail annex next door, a program that allows inmates who owe back child support to earn their release and the Virginia Pretrial Services program.

For Morgan, for taxpayers and for inmates who qualify, the pretrial program is a success. It has released some 400 low-risk men and women in Newport News and Hampton on their own recognizance till their day in court.

Rather than languish behind bars at a cost to taxpayers of $47 a day (versus $8 for pretrial release, officials say), or being forced to come up with hundreds or thousands of dollars in cash for bail, or pay a bail bondsman, individuals who haven't been convicted of a thing can keep their jobs, homes, cars and families.

"These are folks that can be released into the community and have been released into the community and shown to be successful," Morgan says. "So why should the taxpayers underwrite their care when they're capable of caring for themselves and they don't pose a significant risk?"

But that, apparently, is exactly what local bail bondsmen would like to see: taxpayers underwriting the care of inmates, so bondsmen can keep their paying clients.

Last month, reporter Peter Dujardin interviewed local bondsmen who are upset that the pretrial program, plus a growing trend among magistrates to issue lower bonds, is eroding business.

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Comedian Andy Dick Arrested for Alleged Sexual Abuse

Comedian Andy Dick has been arrested for two counts of felony sexual abuse, while still on probation from his infamous 2008 arrest for pulling down a teen girl's top.

The attack allegedly happened early Saturday morning in West Virginia, after Dick appeared at the Funny Bone Comedy Club and Restaurant in Huntington. Dick is currently in the Western Regional Jail, police confirm.

"Based upon statements of two victims and independent witness accounts alleging that he had engaged in unwanted and uninvited groping of the two victims' genital areas, Andrew R. Dick (AKA Andy Dick) of South Pasadena, Calif., was arrested and charged with two counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree," read a statement from the Huntington Police Department.

Dick reportedly harassed a third individual Saturday morning but the man did not file any charges, according to TMZ.com. The man alleged that Dick tried to kiss him before he told the comedian, "I'm not down with that," according to TMZ.com.

In 2008 Dick pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and marijuana possession in California. A 17-year-old female said an "extremely intoxicated" Dick walked up to her, grabbed her tank top and bra and pulled them down and exposed her breasts, according to a police statement.

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Phila. D.A. Says Bail System is "Broken"

Decrying the massive number of fugitives from justice in Philadelphia, District Attorney Seth Williams said yesterday that the city's "broken" bail system amounted to a second assault on crime victims.

Speaking at a Senate subcommittee hearing, Williams said Philadelphia defendants had learned to "defeat the system" by failing to show up for court, wearing down witnesses and causing cases to collapse in large numbers each year.

"When defendants are fugitives and fail to appear, it revictimizes our victims," he said. "They don't get their cup of justice filled."

As The Inquirer reported last month, Philadelphia has almost 47,000 long-term fugitives, one of the nation's highest tallies.

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Twenty-Two Arrested in U.S. Bribery Probe

Federal agents used a trade gathering of arms-industry executives in Las Vegas as an opportunity to arrest and charge nearly two dozen people in a sting operation targeting alleged bribery of foreign officials.

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents posed as representatives of a senior government minister of an African country. The agents proposed a scheme under which executives and employees at several companies would pay 20% "commissions" in order to win business, according to the Justice Department.

The business, according to indictments unsealed by a federal judge Tuesday, was purported to be a $15 million deal to outfit the unnamed African country's presidential guard with pistols, tear-gas launchers, bullet-proof vests and other supplies.

Instead, 21 of the 22 defendants were arrested when they arrived in Las Vegas for the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, Justice officials said. One defendant was arrested in Miami, officials said.

The employees targeted work for companies in the U.S., U.K. and Israel.

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Twitter Joke Prompts U.K. Terror Arrest Amid Tight Airport Security

A British man was arrested on suspected terror charges after airing his frustration at air travel delays on social networking site Twitter, it emerged Monday.

Airport security around the globe has been heightened since the failed Christmas Day bombing aboard a Detroit-bound jet, with fears of further terrorist attacks making security and police forces jumpy.

When Robin Hood Airport near Sheffield, northern England was closed Jan. 6 due to terrible weather conditions Paul Chambers joked on his Twitter page, "Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!" The Independent newspaper reported Monday.

However South Yorkshire police force took Chambers’ joke to be a threat, and arrested him a week later on suspicion of communicating a bomb hoax under the U.K.’s Criminal Law Act 1977.

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Activist Freed on Bail After Arrest in India

A London-based environmental campaigner traveling around the world in a biofuel-driven bus was released on bail in western India on Monday after being arrested last week for illegally using a satellite phone, his lawyer said.

Andy Pag, 35, was arrested in the town of Pushkar in Rajasthan state last Wednesday after Indian army radars detected his satellite phone, said his lawyer, Prateek Kasliwal.

Pag was not aware that he needed to get a permit to use a satellite phone in India, Kasliwal said.

According to Kasliwal, police arrested Pag - a dual Italian and British citizen whose full name is Andrea Pagnacco, on charges of being a threat to national security and of violating Indian wireless and telegraphy laws.

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Man Arrested 3 Times in 3 days

A Boston man has been arrested three times in three days in neighboring Massachusetts towns.

Huy Quoc Le is facing a number of charges after his string of arrests began Monday in Andover.

Police said the 25-year-old was arrested on motor vehicle violations. He was charged with driving after suspension, attaching improper plates, forgery of Registry documents, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

On Wednesday, Le was arrested on charges accusing him of stealing nearly $10,000 from the business account of an Andover nail salon.

Hours later, police in nearby Lawrence arrested him on allegations he broke into the home of a former girlfriend after officers found him inside.

It was unclear if Le had hired an attorney.

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Charges Dropped Against Bondsman

A bail bondsman once called “a threat to the administration of justice” by a prosecutor has been cleared of wrongdoing in a case his lawyer said amounted to a “media circus.”

Ryan M. Holmes, 46, owner of Holmes Brothers Bail Bonds, was accused of forcing a customer to give him thousands of dollars. He was arrested in front of TV news crews last August at the Spokane County Courthouse.

But charges against Holmes and his bounty hunter, Brian D. Steenhard, 38, were dismissed this week after the prosecutor realized they’d done nothing criminal.

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Judge Denies Bail To Man Accused Of Violating Iran Embargo

A federal judge denied bail Monday to a former McKinsey & Co. management consultant accused of operating a money-transfer business between the U.S. and Iran in violation of a U.S. trade embargo.

At a hearing Monday, U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan in Manhattan ordered Mahmoud Reza Banki, 33 years old, be detained pending trial. The case is set to go to trial on March 22.

"I am an innocent man and I intend to prove so," Banki said during the hearing. "I beg you for the chance to show you that."

Banki was arrested and charged last week with conspiracy, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and conducting an unlicensed money-transmitting business. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He would face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the IEEPA violation.

Mark L. Greenwald, Banki's lawyer, asked the judge on Monday to release Banki on a $300,000 bond, to be co-signed by four financially responsible people and secured by his apartment on Manhattan's West Side.

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Bail Agency Proposes Changes to Bail Bond Industry

A state agency is recommending tighter regulations on the bail bond industry in Missouri.

State lawmakers last year ordered a study of the industry by the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration.

A report issued Thursday by a 15-member study committee recommends barring felons from getting bail bond licenses
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Ex-Lions top draft choice Charles Rogers arrested in Michigan

Former No. 2 overall pick Charles Rogers was arrested in Michigan on Tuesday for what police said was an outstanding warrant.

Novi, Mich., polict Lt. Jared Hart did not reveal to the Detroit Free Press what the warrant was for.

Rogers played just 15 games over three seasons before flaming out of the NFL. He has admitted smoking marijuana during his stint in the league, and has had run-ins with the law several times since leaving.

Rogers was also arrested on a drunken-driving charge in September and served a 30-day sentence earlier last year for violating the terms of probation in a domestic violence case.

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"Deadliest Catch" Star Joshua Tel Warner Arrested for String of Brazen Bank Heists

For "Deadliest Catch" fans, cast member Joshua Tel Warner is well known for his confrontations with crew members of the fishing boat the "Wizard," but to Oregon law enforcement he's just a fugitive bank robber that finally got caught.

Police in Eugene, Ore., said, Dec. 31, that Warner was wanted for a series of bank robberies including an Oct. 19, 2007 hit on a Washington Mutual Bank, an April 3, 2009 grab at Pacific Continental Bank and another robbery at the same bank just three weeks later.

Just hours after holding a press conference about the robberies to say that they had issued a warrant for Warner's arrest, authorities said he was captured in East Peoria, Ill. The car he was in was pulled over for a routine traffic stop, they said.

Former crew members of the Discovery reality series, which follows the tough lives of king crab fisherman in Alaska, told Eugene police that Warner bragged to them that now that he was famous his past may come back to haunt him, according to CBS affiliate KVAL.

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Bail amounts being set lower, local bail bondsmen say

The bail amounts that magistrates and judges are setting these days are getting lower and lower, several local bail bondsmen say.

That makes it easier for defendants to get out of jail while awaiting trial, but has added to the industry's difficulties in making a buck. "They are absolutely getting lower," added Stephen L. Grobel, a Hampton bail bondsman.

"Because you have smaller bonds, you have to do more volume," said Jim Searcy, a local bondsman. "At the end of the day, it all balances out, but you find yourself doing a whole lot more work."

A second DUI offense that might have carried a $5,000 bond a few years back, Searcy said, now might be half that, or about $2,500. That cuts in half what the bondsmen makes on the deal, to $250 from the previous $500.

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