Lake Worth's Police Chief is furious over what he views as too-lenient rules governing bail for offenses ranging from drunk driving to sexual assault.
Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian pulls no punches in a new social media post, mentioning a woman his officers arrested on DWI charges last week.
According to police, they arrested her for being under the influence even though it was only 9 a.m. Then they found out she was already out on bond for a previous drunk-driving arrest following a fatal DWI crash that killed her own elderly mother.
Court records show she was charged with manslaughter and, in fact, was on her way to court for that last Thursday when she again arrested. And for that, she was given a bond totaling just $650.
Manoushagian also mentions a case where a man is close to bailing out on a charge of drugging, sexually assaulting and trafficking a 14-year-old girl.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says bail reform will be on the agenda for the upcoming special legislative session.
Manoushagian says he hopes lawmakers will focus on common sense, equitable bail reform that sanctions those who potentially harm the community while still protecting those who are too poor to make cash bail.
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