Legal Question in Criminal Law in Texas

I was Bonded out of jail in Houston, TX for an extremely small amount of marijuana possession. My court date was set and I headed back home to Austin, TX to continue the spring semester of school. Thinking my court date was on the 16th of May(after school was through) I looked at my court documents and realized it had read the 6th of May the entire time! It was the 8th of May when I realized this, and so I immediately called the Courthouse and they said "no problem, just come in and pay what you owe and we'll be fine." This was great to hear because my court date (6th of May) was on a school day that I had finals in Austin, TX and would not have been able to make it to Houston that day. I was able to drive to Houston and pay the remaining fees to finalize everything with the court house. However, since I missed my initial court date the Bondsmen is now suing me for the remainder of the bond unless I can write a legal document stating why I missed that day. Please Help!


Asked on 5/26/10, 2:40 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Mark Dunn Mark D. Dunn

Has the bondsman actually sued you? Or is he just saying he will?

If he hasn't yet sued you:

Ask the bondsman (IN WRITING - don't use a telephone!) how much money he actually lost due to your failure to appear on May 6 (the answer, by the way, is ZERO). Put your address on the letter. Keep a copy. Don't put a phone number on the letter. DON'T TAKE ANY TELEPHONE CALLS FROM HIM; you want all communication to be in writing.

You might want to send the letter by certified mail; the postage is $5.50.

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Answered on 5/27/10, 10:47 am


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