Bail Bond Companies Claim Conflict with Pretrial Release

Cradling his office phone between his head and left shoulder, Raul "Katt" Brewster grabs his cell mid-ring and answers, "Bail bonds."

His fluorescent orange office walls hit like smelling salt. They keep him alert, Brewster says.

"Twenty thousand?" asks Brewster, the manager of the Wilmington office of Powell Bail Bonding. "Can you come up with a G? ... Can you come up with a thousand?"

In the few minutes between phone calls, Brewster talks about his trade and its "adversary:" pretrial release.

Sitting eight miles away in an office at the New Hanover County courthouse, Ray Murphy disagrees.

The pretrial release contractor says, "The public is going to win when pretrial and bonding cooperate."

Bail bonding companies and pretrial release programs get people out of jail as they wait for their court date. Both say they reduce prison populations.

But bail bonding companies say pretrial costs taxpayers money that should be spent elsewhere, while pretrial advocates say the program rehabilitates offenders and monitors them as they pay fines and child support.

For some bail companies, the feud has become political. Brewster said bail bond companies lobby state legislatures to limit pretrial release programs and represent their interests on other issues.

Locally, the Lower Cape Fear Bail Bonding Association represents bail agents, while the North Carolina Bail Agents Association is its statewide counterpart. Also, the N.C. Bail Agents Association Political Action Committee raises money and donates it to General Assembly campaigns and committees.

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Pope To Be Protected From Arrest On UK Visit

The Government has moved to prevent the possibility of an arrest warrant being issued against the Pope during his state visit this autumn.

Sky News understands that Whitehall officials have been "seriously concerned" that campaigners would use international criminal rules to try to detain the Pontiff while he is in the UK.

Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC were among those campaigners reported to be looking at the options for bringing a private prosecution in relation to the Pope's alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Now Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has proposed changes to the rules on universal jurisdiction, a law that allows individuals to be prosecuted in the UK for serious offences such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture even if they were carried out abroad.

The plans would mean the Director of Public Prosecutions would need to give his consent to any arrest warrant issued under universal jurisdiction.

This would effectively mean taking that power out of the hands of the courts.

Ministers say the current rules are open to abuse because the evidence required to get a warrant is far below the threshold that would be needed to bring a prosecution.

This has meant the rules are often used by those who wish to make a political statement or to cause embarrassment.

The most recent attempt to obtain an arrest warrant for a foreign dignitary was ahead of the visit by former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni who cancelled her trip at the last minute to avoid embarrassment.

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Fort Myers Woman Tried to Pay for Bail with Stolen Property

Lee County sheriff’s deputies arrested a Fort Myers woman after they say she was taking an acquaintance’s belongings to pay her bail.

Nicole Degrasse, 24, received charges of burglary, larceny and dealing in stolen property. She had been booked into jail Saturday for possession and sale of opiates.

Degrasse’s acquaintance Brianna Neberman found Degrasse and two bail bonds agents in her apartment on Lakeshore Lane Monday around 10:30 p.m.. When Neberman looked alarmed, the bail bonds agents asked if Degrasse lived there, which Neberman replied she did not, according to a sheriff’s report.

Degrasse’s bail had been set at $35,000 and she needed $3,500 collateral to give to a bail bonds agent so she could get out of jail, the report said. Degrasse had taken the agents to another apartment, which she could not unlock, then took them to Neberman’s, where she said she also resided.

Degrasse had attempted to take DVDs, a laptop, a watch, an Apple Ipod and keys to a Ford Mustang.

Neberman’s boyfriend called deputies, who placed Degrasse under arrest.


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Bail Bondsman Fatally Shot Inside Rancho Santa Margarita Home

The owner of a bail bond agency was shot and killed inside a Rancho Santa Margarita home, authorities said Sunday.

Just before midnight Saturday, 49-year-old Dean Patrick Maldonado of Newport Beach arrived at the residence of a woman he knew and entered the house in the 21300 block of Stonetower Lane through an unlocked sliding glass backdoor, Orange County Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino said.

The woman, about 45, had a 51-year-old male guest with her, and neighbors reported hearing the three screaming before multiple shots were fired, Amormino said. Maldonado, who runs Dean Maldonado Bail Bonds, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The relationship of the three was unknown. "What led up to the shooting is under investigation and no arrests have been made at this point," Amormino said.

According to his Facebook page, Maldonado was single and had at least two children.

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Inmate Involved in Bail Bondsman Jailhouse Scheme to be Released After Time Served

NAPLES — One of Collier County jail’s most frequent inmates was expected to walk out of the jailhouse doors a free man Wednesday night.

Patrick Rosemellia, 46, whose rap sheet contains about two dozen felony convictions and more misdemeanors, was expected to leave the jail hours after Circuit Judge Frank Baker granted his defense attorneys’ motion to enforce a plea agreement they contended the State Attorney’s Office reneged on.

The man he was to testify against as a star witness — Naples bondsman Joe Houston — still hadn’t posted his bond by 7:30 p.m.

“The state and Mr. Rosemellia had an agreement, and my client did his part,” defense attorney Beverly Brennan, co-counsel with attorney Michelle Hill, said afterward. “I’m very glad that Judge Baker took the time to consider our arguments and then held the state to their promise.”

Two months ago, Baker denied their motions, but Hill filed a new one, attaching transcripts to prove Rosemellia — once the state’s star witness in cases against Houston and his business partner, Juanita Williams — hadn’t changed his testimony. Hill and Brennan argued he had consistently maintained he had no agreement with Houston to pay him for sending inmates to him for bonds.

In April, Baker ruled that Rosemellia violated a plea agreement and sentenced him to five years in state prison for acting as a bail bondsman without a license and violating probation due to a new drug arrest.

A day before sentencing, Brennan filed a motion to enforce the 15-month plea agreement.

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Assistant State Attorney Dave Scuderi told the judge he revoked the plea deal after Rosemellia changed his story in depositions and court hearings.

Wednsday afternoon, as Houston and Williams watched, Baker sentenced Rosemellia to 19.4 months in prison, time served because Rosemellia had been held 23 months. He hugged his lawyers, but was returned to jail to be processed and released.

He’s not truly a free man because he was arrested on a drug charge four days after his release from prison last September.

The bond case, which relied on Rosemellia, took years for investigators and prosecutors to build against Houston and his business partner, Williams, and Liberty Bail Bonds and Express Bail Bonds. It sparked protests that the two were being targeted because they are black.

South Daytona Police Get Arrest Warrant for Clumsy Would-Be Robber

An arrest warrant has been issued for the man suspected of dropping his handgun into the lap of a woman he intended to rob late Friday, South Daytona police said.

Raymond Lewis Shepard, 25, of Daytona Beach, faces a charge of attempted robbery with a firearm. Police said Shepard was the passenger Friday in a black Chevrolet Impala that stopped on Pineapple Road in front of a vehicle driven by Carol Costello, 69, who had just left a Walmart store on Beville Road.

Shepard jumped from the Impala and tried to smash open the driver's side window with a silver, semiautomatic handgun wrapped in a towel, police said. Shepard failed to break the window, so he jumped on the hood of Costello's car and shattered a hole in the windshield with the butt of the gun, records show.

Shepard then dropped the handgun through the hole and into the Costello's lap. She grabbed the gun and pointed it at Shepard, who ran back toward the awaiting Impala, police said.

As Costello tried to drive away, she hit the front of the Impala and copied the car's license tag before Shepard and the driver sped off.

No one was injured, and no shots were fired.

Shepard dropped his cell phone at the scene and Costello was able to identify Shepard from digital photos saved to the phone, police said.

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Zimbabwe diamond activist wins bail

HARARE — A Zimbabwean high court on Monday released a rights activist charged with endangering Zimbabwe's economic interests by highlighting abuses at diamond mines.

High court judge Mawadze Gurainesu said the prosecution had failed to give good reason on why Farai Maguwu, director of Centre for Research and Development should be denied bail.

"In my view the charges are very simple, clear and straightforward," the judge said.

"They involve publication of falsehoods prejudicial to state. The presumption of innocence operates in favour of the appellant, in other words grounds for refusal of bail should be substantiated."

Maguwu was arrested last month after meeting with a representative of the Kimberley Process watchdog assigned to investigate whether Zimbabwe had stopped the military from forcing villagers into working in the diamond fields.

Gurainesu said Maguwu should deposit 1,500 dollars with the clerk of court and ordered him not to travel beyond a 40-kilometre (25-mile) radius of his home.

The judge said Maguwu should not be made to pay for the slowness of the police investigation.

"Even at this late hour this court is not sure when the investigations would be completed," he said.

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Bail Bondsman Jailed on Drug Charges

A Shreveport bail bondsman faces multiple drug and weapons charges after an investigation by the Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Unit.

Agents arrested Grayson Bailey, 38, after a traffic stop at the intersection of Interstate 49 and state highway 3132 Tuesday afternoon.

They seized 90 Lortab pills in various containers from Bailey after the stop, said Shreveport police Lt. Richard Childers.

Agents searched Bailey's office on Texas Street in downtown Shreveport and seized Adderall, a prescription medication used to treat attention deficit disorder; Soma, another prescription medication; steriods; Viagra; and more Lortab. Officers said Bailey didn't have a prescription for any of those drugs.

Bailey was charged with three counts of manufacturing-distribution of a Schedule III drug, one count of manufacturing-distribution of a Schedule II drug, one count of manufacturing-distribution of a Schedule IV drug, two counts of possessing firearms while possessing controlled dangerous substances and one count of possession of a legend drug without a prescription

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Free agent QB JaMarcus Russell No Longer on Jets' Radar After Arrest

JaMarcus Russell effectively eliminated himself from becoming a Jet any time this millennium with his latest bonehead move. The free agent quarterback was arrested at his Alabama home today for possession of a controlled substance during a police investigation.

The former Raiders signal caller was busted for codeine syrup, which can be mixed with soda to create “Purple Drank.” (Russell didn’t have a prescription for codeine).

He posted $2,500 bail and is due in court on July 20.

The Jets recently made an exploratory call to Russell’s agent after the former No. 1 overall pick was released by the Raiders. However, a league source told me last week that the chances of Russell signing with the Jets were less than 10 percent.

Not surprisingly, the Jets are no longer interested in the career underachiever, according to a source.

Russell, the poster boy for draft busts, won only seven of his 25 career starts with a career passer rating of 65.2. He was paid $36.4 million in his first three seasons.

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Suspects Indicted in LA for Celebrity Burglaries

LOS ANGELES — Five people accused of burglarizing celebrities' homes now face conspiracy charges after a grand jury issued an indictment against the group.

The indictment, unsealed Friday, details the research and planning that went into the break-ins at the homes of stars such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom and Megan Fox.

In the case of the break-in at Hilton's home, the indictment alleges group members prepared detailed floor plans, including the placement of security cameras and where the heiress stashed a key to the front door.

The group already faced a variety of charges, but prosecutors opted to present their case to grand jurors rather than having a judge evaluate the evidence during a preliminary hearing. Now, the group may go on trial by November.

They are accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of clothing, jewelry and other luxury items. Some of the property, including Hilton's jewelry, have been recovered. But prosecutor Sarika Kim said in court Friday that one of the defendants, Rachel Lee, may still have some of the goods.

An investigator previously told The Associated Press the value of the unrecovered property may be as much as $2 million.

The burglaries targeted young celebrities with homes in the Hollywood Hills between October 2008 and August 2009. Hilton's home was the first one burglarized; the indictment states planning started a month earlier.

The indicted include Nicholas Frank Prugo, who is charged with seven felony burglaries and has been described as a mastermind of the thefts. A 44-item summary of the alleged crimes states that Prugo often developed a "shopping list" of items to steal from the stars.

Also indicted were Lee, Courtney Lee Ames, Roy Lopez Jr. and Diana Tamayo.

The five pleaded not guilty Friday and agreed to return to court Aug. 12.

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Orange County bail bond agent accused of running illegal referral scheme

A bail bond agent was arrested Friday on suspicion of running an illegal bail bond referral scheme, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Ronald Lee Brockway, 50, of Seal Beach allegedly solicited attorney referrals and inmate business, according to the district attorney’s office, which charged him with two felony counts of violating bail license regulations.

Brockway is accused of violating a state law that prohibits bail bond employees from soliciting business from inmates or recommending any attorney to clients. Brockway allegedly sent e-mails to attorneys soliciting them to participate in the bail bond scheme with his company, Respect Bail Bond. He also allegedly mass mailed fliers to the Orange County Jail advertising his business.

He is being held on $50,000 bail. If convicted of all charges, Brockway faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in state prison.

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Cyprus Police Arrest Suspect in Alleged Russian Spy Ring

A man suspected of being the 11th member of a U.S. spy ring allegedly working for Russia was arrested and released on bail in Cyprus, AFP reported Tuesday.

Russia is now asking for access to the 11 people arrested.

Robert Christopher Metsos, 55, was arrested at Cyprus' Larnaca airport as he tried to leave the island for Budapest early Tuesday, police said.

A magistrate released Metsos on bail of $24,410 to reappear in court within 30 days, when an extradition hearing was due to start.

"Based on the (Interpol) red notice we received, he is wanted for money laundering and espionage," police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos told Reuters.

One of the 10 alleged Russian spies already arrested by the FBI had a fake British passport to help her to travel to and from Russia, it was alleged Tuesday.

A woman calling herself Tracey Lee Ann Foley and posing as a naturalized U.S. citizen traveled to Moscow on the passport forged for her by Russian intelligence services, it was claimed.

The woman was instructed in a coded internet message to pick up the passport in Vienna, sign it and “train yourself to be able to reproduce your signature when necessary."

The message from her handlers at the SVR, the Russian spy agency which succeeded the Soviet KGB, ends: “In the passport you’ll get a memo with recommendations. Pls, destroy the memo after reading. Be well.”

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Judge Denies Bail for Men in Synagogue Bomb Attempt

June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Bail was denied for three of four men accused of plotting to blow up New York synagogues and attack aircraft at a military base with heat-seeking missiles. The fourth wasn’t eligible for pretrial release because of his immigration status.

U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in White Plains, New York, ruled on bail for James Cromitie, 44, David Williams, 28, and Onta Williams, 32.

“The court is also aware that the Government’s case may not be as ironclad as it appeared in the hours and days immediately after the defendants were arrested,” McMahon said in a ruling issued today. “Nonetheless, the court concludes that defendants Cromitie, Onta William and David Williams have failed to rebut the presumption and so they will remain on remand status.”

The three men and Laguerre Payen, 27, were arrested in May 2009 after planting the bombs in cars outside two synagogues in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, authorities said. Payen is Haitian and if released from jail would be turned over to immigration authorities.

Guided Missiles

The four men were indicted on charges that include conspiracy and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction in the U.S., conspiracy to use surface-to-air guided missiles to destroy and kill officers and employees at the New York Air National Guard Base located at Stewart International Airport in upstate New York. They face as much as life in prison.

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Dallas Man Accused of Threatening to Kill Presiden Obama is Denied Bail

DALLAS, June 24 (UPI) -- A Dallas man arrested for allegedly posting a death threat against President Obama on the Internet was denied bail at a detention hearing, court records show.

Brian Dean Miller, 43, was arrested March 25 after admitting to Secret Service agents he posted the threat on Craigslist on March 21, the day Congress passed the healthcare bill, The Dallas Morning News reported.

"It is time for Obama to die," the posting said. "I am dedicating my life to the death of Obama and every employee of the federal government."

Authorities traced Miller through the e-mail address used for the Internet posting.

At a detention hearing Wednesday, a prosecutor argued Miller's posting shows he is too dangerous to be freed on bail.

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Madoff Accomplice DiPascali Freed on Bail, Monitored at Home

June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Frank DiPascali Jr., who pleaded guilty to helping Bernard L. Madoff carry out history’s biggest Ponzi scheme, was released on bail on the conditions that he stay at home and wear a monitoring device.

DiPascali, 53, the former chief financial officer for Madoff’s company, had been in federal custody since pleading guilty on Aug. 11, 2009, and has cooperated with prosecutors in a bid for leniency at sentencing. Both he and his lawyer, Marc Mukasey, declined to comment yesterday as they left a federal courthouse in Manhattan.

Among the 11 conditions for bail U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan set in February were posting a $10 million bond secured by $2 million in cash or property, including $600,000 in equity in three New Jersey homes; 24-hour house arrest except under escort; and wearing an electronic monitoring device. DiPascali had been held at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, New York.

Sullivan’s order requires DiPascali to forfeit all of his family’s assets, except about $300,000. His release comes after Sullivan signed a $170 billion order of forfeiture for DiPascali on June 18.

DiPascali has turned over to the government his home in Bridgewater, New Jersey, a yacht, watches and jewelry, a Jet Ski, cars, two motorcycles, two minibikes, a scooter and a snowblower.

He pleaded guilty to 10 counts, including conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. He admitted misleading thousands of clients at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, saying no securities trades took place in their accounts. Investors lost billions of dollars.

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Actor Chris Klein Arrested for DUI

Chris Klein may have had his dog along for the ride this morning, but his new best friend is a bail bondsman.

E! News spotted the American Pie star leaving Van Nuys Jail this afternoon along with the guy who helped Lindsay Lohan post bail after her recent SCRAM violation.

Klein's bail had been set at $25,000 following his arrest at 3:15 a.m. for alleged DUI. A rep for the California Highway Patrol told E! News that the actor's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent when he failed a field sobriety test.

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Forget Tim Tebow, Florida Gators should erect statue of Bail Bondsman

It’s great that the Florida Gators will build bronze statues outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that will honor Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier, but aren’t the Gators forgetting somebody?

How about a statue for the two most important people in the program – the Unnamed Bail Bondsman and Huntley Johnson, the legendary local attorney who traditionally gets all of UF’s football players out of trouble when they get arrested?

The latest player to get arrested and suspended from all team activities is up-and-coming wide receiver Frankie Hammond, who was arrested for DUI last weekend when police said he was speeding, swerving and driving with two open bottles of Crown Royal whiskey in his car.

I know many college students drink and drive, but isn’t there a deeper problem when a guy is driving around with two open bottles of blended Canadian whiskey? If this is the type of binge drinking that UF football players do, it’s no wonder that former defensive end Carlos Dunlap became one of the biggest goats in UF athletic history when he fell asleep at a red light, was arrested for DUI and missed the SEC Championship Game last December.

It’s hard to keep track of all the arrests, but this is believed to be the the 28th football player to be charged with a crime since Florida coach Urban Meyer took over as coach in 2005. I know players from other programs also get arrested, but not at this rate.

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Bail Bondsman In Haleigh Cummings Case Under Indictment

South Florida bail bondsman William Staubs, also known as ‘Cobra’, was arrested last week on charges of false imprisonment.

Putnam County Lt. Johnny Greenwood said Cobra, 51, allegedly detained a 55-year-old man, William Snodgrass, who was free on bail after being arrested for sex abuse.

Cobra drove to Snodgrass’ home on Mar. 20, and turned on his siren. Snodgrass told Cobra his bond was revoked, but Cobra threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and forced him into a vehicle.

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Bail Bondsman Angry with Lindsay Lohan

Bail bondsman David Perez tells X17online he was called by Lindsay Lohan's attorney Shawn Chapman Holley today to appear at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in response to today's emergency hearing for what has been deemed as a violation of probation.

After officials received no fewer than FIVE violations by Lindsay, as recorded by her SCRAM alcohol and drug monitoring ankle bracelet on Sunday night when the information was uploaded to the city's computers, Judge Marcia Revel had Lindsay's attorney appear at the Beverly Hills Courthouse to hear her decision on the situation which is ... a warrant issued for Lindsay's arrest AND a bail increase to $200,000 (from a previous $100,000 which is now forfeited due to her violation).

Perez tells us: "We don't even know what we're gonna do right now; we're just waiting."
He confirmed to X17 the $100K was now forfeited. He refused to answer questions about whether Lindsay has been a reliable, responsible client but when asked if he thinks Lindsay is a risk he said, "Sure, I do."

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Colorado Bail Agents Respond to Negative Press

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A recent story by 9News in Colorado alleged that bail agents are attempting to petition courts to get out of paying forfeitures. Many members of the Colorado bail community believe that the reporter was unfair to the majority of Colorado's bail agents who play by the rules. Mike Donovan, Director of Government Affairs from Bail USA, gave AboutBail.com his take on the article. Visit http://www.AboutBail.com to learn more.

Lax Bail System Helped Cop Killer

While he sat in the Pierce County Jail last year, Maurice Clemmons was obsessed with two things — getting bailed out, then killing as many cops as possible.

With more than a decade behind bars in Arkansas and having worked briefly for a bail-bond company himself, 37-year-old Clemmons knew how to manipulate the judicial system.

With incessant phone calls, he cajoled friends, family and bail agents to orchestrate his release — three times in seven months, making small down payments while offering shaky collateral.

Despite the customary 10 percent down, Clemmons got out one time on a $40,000 bond by making only a $1,700 payment. Another time, facing a $190,000 bond for a rash of felonies, including rape and assault, he won freedom with $8,000.

Six days later, he assassinated four Lakewood police officers at a Parkland coffee shop.

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Inside the Real World of a Bounty Hunter

WATERLOO – Imagine a job where you could work, at any time during the day or night, convince people to reappear after vanishing and get paid only when you bring them back.

When a bounty hunter tells someone what they do for a living, the images of movies and television, especially Dog The Bounty Hunter, often come to mind. Yet in media, the bounty hunters pull in the people who are missing before the credits roll.

The team of Waterloo-based bounty hunters we followed on May 12th are part private investigators, part gentle interrogator and part sales professional.

“We’ve had guys get beat up, guns pulled on them,” admits David Lederman, owner of Lederman Bail Bonds in Waterloo, located across the street from the Black Hawk County Jail. This is his family’s business and has been since 1965.

Lederman said when a person calls their office to try and arrange for a bond to get released, the process starts. He said most of the bonds they write are for $1,000 or $2,000. The bail bonds company puts up that amount and Lederman collects 10 percent of the amount from a defendant’s co-signor — $100 or $200 for this example.

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TSA Agent on Bail After Stealing Cash

A Transportation Security Administration agent surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and was charged with stealing almost $500 from a wheelchair-bound woman passing through a security checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The TSA has suspended agent Leroy Ray, 44 of Newark, adding yet another incident to a growing list of troubling cases involving agency workers. Officials said 23 TSA agents have been removed or fired since 2007 for stealing items at security checkpoints or from checked baggage.
TSA surveillance cameras caught Ray taking money from a woman's purse after the bag passed through an X-ray machine Feb. 3, according to court documents. Ray allegedly took the bag to another table to search it and removed an envelope containing $300 and then $195 in cash from inside a zipper pocket.

The woman return minutes later to tell agents that she was missing the money. Ray walked into a nearby office when the woman returned to the checkpoint and placed what appeared to be the envelope in a lost and found tray, court documents said.

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Audit shows that Bail bonds were not deposited

Toldeo, Ia. — At least $6,500 paid by accused criminals in Tama County as bail bonds was not deposited, according to a special investigation released by the state auditor Monday.

At least three bond payments between Feb. 23 and June 5 of 2009 were initially received by the Tama County sheriff's office and should have been remitted to the clerk's office for deposit, according to the audit. However, those deposits were not recorded on a receipt log, the audit concluded.

The audit was unable to determine whether the cash payments were received by the clerk and not deposited or whether the sheriff's office did not properly send the payment to the clerk's office.

The report was sent to the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa attorney general's office and the Tama County attorney.

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Judge Cuts Teens Bail After NAACP Protests

A district court judge in Redford Township ordered $25,000 cash bail amounts reduced Tuesday for all but one of 16 teenagers arrested late last month on charges of disturbing the peace near Thurston High School.

The decision by 17th District Judge Karen Khalil came after protesters organized by the NAACP Western Wayne Branch marched outside the court prior to the scheduled hearing with signs reading: "No justice, no peace."

Most of the teens, who are from Inkster, Dearborn Heights and Redford Township, had been held since their arrest on misdemeanor charges April 30. Defense attorney Nabih Ayad, who has called the situation racial profiling because the teens are African American, said the youths were unable to afford the $25,000.

On Tuesday, Khalil reduced bail to amounts ranging from personal recognizance to $500. However, a request to withdraw guilty pleas to disturbing the peace entered earlier by some of the teens was rejected by the judge.

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Man Who Blackmailed Lettermen Arrested

A US television producer has been sentenced to six months in jail for blackmailing the American chat show host David Letterman for his sexual affairs. Robert Halderman was a former CBS employee. He pleaded guilty in March and was given 1,000 hours of community service.

Halderman had demanded $2m from Letterman last year for not exposing sexual relationship he had with female members of the staff. David Letterman has admitted the alleged affairs. He had tried to extort the $2m payment from Letterman after reading about his ex-girlfriend’s diary.

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Grand Jury Indicts N.M. Bounty Hunter

Carlsbad, N.M., bounty hunter Jarrod Neal Flaming, 41, was indicted for murder Thursday.

Flaming, 41, also was indicted by a Hale County grand jury for execution of capias or arrest warrant and unauthorized contract with bail bond surety.

His partner, Morgan E. Moore, 41, also of Carlsbad, was indicted for execution of capias or arrest warrant and unauthorized contract with bail bond surety.

Police said on Feb. 9, 2010, Moore, an employee of Bad Dog Bail Bonds Inc., of which Flaming is president and CEO, knocked on the door of an apartment at Central Apartments, 910 W. 28th, just before 8:30 p.m. and was allowed in by the resident.

When Moore attempted to take 31-year-old Derek Graves into custody, he reportedly jumped out the kitchen window where Flaming was waiting, police said. Graves then fled on 29th Street and into the backyard of a residence at 1111 W. 29th where he was found by officers with one gunshot wound from a 9mm handgun.

Graves, who was living in Amarillo but temporarily staying in Plainview with family, was wanted on a Potter County warrant of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

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Italian Police Arrest Top Mafia Fugitive

Italian police have arrested the head of a powerful Calabrian mafia clan who was listed among the country's 30 most dangerous fugitives.

Giovanni Tegano, on the run since 1993 and believed to be a high-profile member of the feared 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate, was arrested near the southern city of Reggio Calabria late on Monday.

"His capture is the hardest blow that we could inflict today to the 'Ndrangheta as he was the number one Calabrian fugitive," Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said.

Highlighting the hurdles authorities face in their fight against the mafia, more than 100 of Tegano's supporters blocked a street outside a police station in Reggio Calabria on Tuesday to cheer the 70-year old as he was escorted by police officers into a waiting car to be driven to prison.

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Bail Denied for Hotel 'Slay' Mom

It's more time in a psych jail for millionaire pharmaceutical exec Gigi Jordan -- who's awaiting trial on murder charges for allegedly feeding her son a fatal dose of RX drugs at the opulent Peninsula Hotel in Midtown.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon this morning denied Jordan's application to be freed to her Upper West Side townhouse on $5 million bail.

"In the Court's opinion, the risk of defendant's flight is extremely high," Solomon wrote, noting that the evidence against Jordan is "overwhelming," that the crime charged is "heinous," and that the prison sentence faced is "considerable."

"Defendant is charged with committing one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, the murder of her own child, an eight-year-old boy who was autistic and aparently incapable of speaking.

"While a person charged with intentional murder is eligible to be released on bail, the nature of the charge is nevertheless a factor for the court to consider," he wrote.

Jordan, 49, appeared shattered by the decision -- her expression set in a stoney frown as she sat in a gray correction uniform at the defense table.

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Actress Heather Locklear Arrested for Hit and Run

Heather Locklear was arrested for hit-and-run last Saturday, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ at around 4 AM, someone heard a crash near North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, CA.

The person who heard the crash didn't call the Ventura County Sheriff's Department until 7:48 PM that night. Deputies went out to the area and found a knocked over "no parking" sign and obvious signs of a car that went up the curb, striking the sign.

Deputies confirmed through investigation that the car in question was Locklear's black BMW. The collision was very close to Locklear's home.

Deputies then went to Locklear's home, saw damage to the BMW that was consistent with the collision, and arrested her for hit-and-run.

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Proposed law could increase bondsman revenue

LEE COUNTY: A program that could save you money and cut overcrowding in jails is in jeopardy. The program is called Pretrial Release. It allows non-violent offenders to stay out of jail while waiting for their court dates. And one group stands to gain greatly if the program goes away.

Each inmate processed, finger-printed, and fed at Lee County's Detention Center costs taxpayers $82 a day. That's nearly $5-million a month to care for about 2,000 inmates.           

Court administrators say a program called Pretrial Release prevents that cost from increasing.

"It does have that great benefit to it. If you're finding people who are safe to be out of the jail, who meet the criteria set forth, it works out very well in terms of saving money," says Sheila Mann, spokeswoman with the 20th Judicial Circuit.

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Danny Glover Arrested at Demo Against France's Sodexo

US actor Danny Glover and 11 others were arrested Friday at a protest outside the US headquarters of French company Sodexo, which workers accuse of union-bashing and poor working conditions.

Glover was taken away in handcuffs along with the outgoing head of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Andy Stern, former Sodexo canteen cashier Terry Shelley and several others, after crossing a police line outside the US offices of the food services firm.

The action brought together hourly-paid workers, students, and even union representatives from Britain and France who sought to show support for US workers like Shelley, who said she was fired after becoming active in a trade union.

"We're here today to say no more to deplorable pay and working conditions," Glover told the crowd of around 300 as they shouted "No Justice, No Pizza", a reference to cafeteria workers who claim they are underpaid and receive few benefits from Sodexo.

"This is a global corporation with global responsibility and we are going to hold them accountable to that responsibility," said Glover, who has starred in movies including "2012" and "Escape from Alcatraz."

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Another Warrant Issued For No-Show Quaids

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife are in trouble with the law again after failing to show up for a court date in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Monday.

Arrest warrants have again been issued for the couple in their ongoing legal battle over an unpaid hotel bill.

The couple is accused of burglary and defrauding an innkeeper.

The Quaids have had a number of warrants issued for their arrest over past court no-shows -- each one was later quashed.

The couple is charged with failing to settle a $10,000 bill after staying at the luxury San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara in September.

The pair ignored five orders to appear in court last year before pleading not guilty to all charges in December, and the husband and wife were each released on $40,000 bail.

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Police Union's Hiring of Former Bail Bondsman Causes Furor

The Austin police union has hired as a consultant a former bail bondsman who records show once owed the county more than $1 million in bonds from dozens of clients who failed to return to court.

Charles Kent Olson, 52, paid part of his bill to the county but declared bankruptcy in 2004 when officials tried to collect the remaining balance, according to records. He said he also voluntarily surrendered his license to work as a bondsman.

The hiring of Olson by the Austin Police Association, one of the most powerful organizations in local politics, has created a furor among officers in recent days after the American-Statesman began asking about his employment.

A board member resigned in protest Thursday, and this week the union's president sent an e-mail to the 1,600 members in which he accused two unnamed officers of "sneaking around to the media" to discuss their concerns.

Sgt. Wayne Vincent said in the e-mail that he had not attempted to conceal Olson's hiring but that "some business is best left done in a discreet manner."

"Whatever the reason, we are not going to be deterred, nor run from this latest attempt to embarrass us," Vincent wrote.

He did not name Olson in the e-mail.

The hiring exposes acrimony in what has been a cohesive political force, playing a major role in Austin City Council and mayoral elections and garnering pay raises for members in years when other city workers got no pay increases.

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Bondsmen Face Charges Of Impersonating Cops

Women Claim Bondsmen Terrorized Them

Two women said they were terrorized and thought a couple of men coming after them were police officers.

One man was arrested, and authorities said they're looking for another man.

Detectives said a couple of bail bondsmen, who are supposed to bring people in if they skip their court dates, went over the top when they went looking for clients who broke the rules.

Police said the bondsmen led people to believe they had more power than the law allows.

A 22-year-old woman was so scared that she asked not to have her identity revealed.

"I was more frightened than upset," the woman said.

Major Lanier is accused of grabbing the woman from her job and forcing her into a car for hours. She had signed for a bail bond for a friend, and when the bondsman went looking for him, police said they illegally used her to try to locate her friend.

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Mailbox-Bomb Suspect Arrested in Texas

People in East Texas are breathing a bit easier today after authorities announced the arrest of a suspect accused of possession of a pipe bomb.

Federal authorities will detail their case against Larry Gene North of Henderson today, the Associated Press reports.

An indictment filed in federal court mentions only one case of possessing a bomb March 23 -- the same day an apparent pipe bomb was found in a mailbox in a small town near Tyler.

At least 16 explosive devices or lookalikes have turned up in East Texas mailboxes. None has blown up and no one has been injured, the AP says.

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Bail set for Kiel basketball coach accused of sexual contact with students

MANITOWOC — Bail has been set at $100,000 for a 32-year-old former teacher and girls basketball coach at Kiel High School for allegedly having sexual contact with multiple female students, ordered Wednesday by Manitowoc County Circuit Court Commissioner Raymond Greig.

Ryan Zellner allegedly used his position of authority at the school to “manipulate and intimidate” students, primarily girls younger than 16, said Kiel Police Chief David Funkhouser.

Funkhouser said police believe Zellner’s behavior was pre-meditated and predatory based on significant amounts of evidence brought forth from several 

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Atlanta Bail Bondsman Jailed for Robbery

A local bail bondsman was behind bars Monday night and denied bond. Robert Brewer, who runs his own ankle monitoring company, is now charged with armed robbery.

"As he was walking around, he was bringing the gun up like this," said the alleged victim Demetrius Jackson.

Jackson said he and his friends were held at gunpoint outside Lenox Square Mall two weeks ago. Jackson said he screamed and started running.

"Since I did know he had a gun, I was afraid he was going to shoot me in my back. So I hid under a car," recalled Jackson.

Police said the man with the gun was local bail bondsman Robbie Brewer. According to officials at the Fulton County jail, Brewer runs the Atlanta Ankle Monitoring company. Back in November, in an interview with FOX 5, Brewer said his company uses bracelets to keep accused criminals on house arrest.

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Oklahoma Bail Bondsman Wanted in Southeast Kansas

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) - A southeast Kansas sheriff's department has placed an Oklahoma bail bondsman on its Most Wanted list after he failed to show up for a court appearance.

The Joplin Globe reported that the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department has issued an arrest warrant for Gregory Alex Sawin.

The 34-year-old Vinita, Okla., man failed to appear in court last month on misdemeanor charges of criminal restraint, assault and impersonating police

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NFL Lineman Arrested With Loaded Gun at Airport

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers has been arrested for carrying a loaded gun in his carry-on luggage at Cleveland's Hopkins International Airport, according to Ohio media reports Thursday.

The NFL star, who had been at the team's suburban training facility in recent days, was stopped at a security checkpoint when officials spotted a loaded .45-caliber hand gun in his carry-on luggage, police said in a statement.

Rogers apparently told police he'd forgotten the handgun was in his bag, 19 Action News reported.

He was arrested carrying a concealed weapon, which is a third degree felony, but has yet to be charged, according to ABC's WEWS-TV.

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No Bail For Man Charged in Baby Death

Alexander Stolte will remain in a Vermont prison while awaiting trial in the death of 1-year-old Kyleigh McDaniel of Andover, a judge ruled today.

Judge Thomas Devine denied bail for Stolte, who is charged with second-degree murder in the girl's death.

Stolte and his attorney, Daniel Sedon, appeared yesterday in Orange County District Court in Chelsea, Vt., and requested bail. Stolte has been in custody since March 18, and was denied bail at his arraignment the next day.


Sedon said yesterday that the evidence against Stolte is “circumstantial” and insufficient to justify holding him without bail.

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Christian Militia Plot Suspects Seek Bail

Several members of a Christian militia that prosecutors claim plotted to kill police officers were scheduled to be in a Detroit court Wednesday to determine if they will be allowed to go free on bail.

Bond hearings are scheduled for the alleged ringleader, David Brian Stone, and other members of the Hutaree militia, a small group that was preparing to fight what it believes is the Antichrist.

Stone, 44, of Clayton, Michigan, was among nine members arrested after a series of raids in three Midwestern states, which U.S. federal officials said they carried out after monitoring the group since last summer and learning it planned to launch its attack next month.

Each of the suspects is being held without bail and each has requested a public defender. Bond hearings are scheduled Wednesday for Stone and other Hutaree members.

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