DNA Test in Exchange for Dropped Case

Orange County, California is certainly taking a creative approach to those arrested for nonviolent misdemeanors:  a $75 fee and DNA sample, in exchange for their case being dropped. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas says extending the option to give a DNA sample for those who have yet to plea one way or the other will help with the cost of testing DNA. For those who decide to pay the fee and donate their DNA, their case will be handled “informally,” meaning the case will be dropped and defendants will be given the option of paying restitution... Read more

Orange County Jails Infected with Swine Flu

Orange County Jail Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals temporarily suspended the constitutional rights of inmates in the Orange County jail system due to an outbreak of the swine flu. The jail system was on lockdown with visitation rights  suspended to prevent further spreading of disease. The jail quarantined 25  inmates due to infection. The quarantine was lifted July 30, 2009, and inmates were once again allowed to go to their court hearings.  Read More →

Police Bills Bondsman for Recovery

A California bail agent was surprised to receive a bill for $8,200 from the Bakersfield police department after he contacted them to recover a fugitive in Arkansas. While Glen Pierce says he doesn’t mind paying the expenses of the police officers, he thought that $6,000 for air fare for two police officers and the fugitive was too much. Pierce plans to settle this dispute in court. Other California bondsmen report that certain counties began charging for these recovery fees four months ago.  Read More →

Family Duped by Fake “Bail-Bonds Specialist”

Two California families were scammed out of thousands of dollars after being referred to a “bail bonds specialist” by Catholic Charities.  The “specialist”, Estrella Hernandez, stopped returning the families’ calls after $1,300 had been wired to Oregon by one family, $2,000 by another.  The Ochoa family later found out the defendant was not even eligible for bail a month after they had wired to money to Hernandez. Catholic Charities had obtained Hernandez’s number after she had called offering free bail service... Read more