[JJ_Folderol]

It’s about time a lawyer stands up and does the right thing. Hopefully a bunch of other lawyers will see a few bucks at the end of the tunnel and launch their own lawsuits.

As to the JP, it’s a very interesting point that the local DA used the guy’s ignorance to set gigantic bails on everyone.

It will be interesting to see how big the “I’m a JP!” ego remains after the suits start rolling in.

[don-o]

From another lawyer I found...Click for source

The issue with a $1 million dollar bond was also mind boggling until now. The arrest warrants were issued by a Justice of the Peace, not a judge! A Justice of the Peace has the authority to hear misdemeanor cases if no jail time is sought and civil cases not exceeding $10,000 (small claims courts). The Justice of the Peace that issued the arrest warrants, Walter H. “Pete” Peterson, is a former Public Safety Trooper with no formal legal training; meaning he is not a judge nor an attorney! While I am no expert on 4th Amendment Illegal Search/Seizure law, I do have 16 years of experience in the law as an attorney, that of course after 3 years of law school and passing the Florida bar exam. I also teach 4th Amendment law at the undergraduate collegiate level, which means I definitely have more experience than Justice Peterson. With that being said, with cases as legally complex as this one, at a minimum, a judge with criminal law experience should have issued the warrants. My original question of what kind of a judge would issue a $1 million bond in these cases was finally answered- NO JUDGE! To have a Justice of the Peace with no formal legal education issue the arrest warrants in a high profile legally complex criminal case, makes a mockery of our legal system. Or, was Justice Peterson chosen because the Waco Police Department knew he would rubber stamp the arrest warrants?