You Have Been Arrested, Now What Should You Do? (based on true story)

You just arrived home from a hard day at work in the Texas heat.  You are exhausted as you enter your home, putting your keys and wallet on the table and pour yourself a glass of tea to cool off.  Just as you sit down and take your shoes off there is a loud obnoxious knocking at your front door.  As you open the door, you are surprised to see there is a police officer standing in your doorway, hand on her gun, telling you to state your name. After you respond, and as you are asking, “what’s this is all about”,  you are commanded, “Step outside, it will be explained to you later”. “Put your hands behind your back!” And you are placed in handcuffs that are so tight you’re sure you are bleeding. As you are escorted to one of the several police cars parked all over your yard, you look around and you see your neighbors have gather around and are gawking at the spectacle.

You are taken to the police department and booked for aggravated assault, family violence alleged by your wife!  Your head is spinning. Finally you are told the magistrate will come in the morning to set your bond; you are spending the night in jail. You do not have your phone that has everyone’s numbers programed into it and you do not know anyone’s number. In the morning it gets worse. You have no wallet or money or phone numbers of those you know. Thankfully the magistrate gives you a PR bond.  However, when you are finally released from jail at 11:00 a.m. you are sternly warned you cannot go back to your home.  A judge, without even hearing from you, has issued a TRO against you based on allegations from your loving wife that you physically assaulted her, so now you cannot go back to your home.

So now that you are out of the jail, with no money, no wallet, no shoes, where do you go?  Your sister lives about 5 miles away from the police station so you walk to her house, barefoot.  You finally make it to your sister house and soon discover your wife is now living with someone else, not even in your house but you still cannot go home because of the TRO! You wife has your vehicle and your work tools so even if you could go to work you have no tools so you can make money to hire a lawyer to assist your situation.  You will never look at the world the same.  You must depend on the kindness and charity of others.

You have no money, your bank account has been cleaned out, you cannot go home to get your clothes or car or your work tools because of the TRO. You have no money to pay a lawyer to help you.  What are you going to do? Who can you turn to for help?  You do NOT deserve this!

First, take a deep breath and know there are lawyers that will help you.  They may be difficult to find but find them you must. Hopefully you have a family that can assist in some way but it will take some time to recover from such a $%$#@@#$$$ and a good, compassionate, hardworking lawyer that will fight for you.

Next, am I know I am asking the impossible, please resist the temptation to discuss your case with anyone but your lawyer. Discussing the details of your case with family members in particular is a mistake. Family members can be subpoenaed by the DA under threat of perjury to testify what you have discussed about your situation.  Do not discuss your case on any social media site either, no blogging about it, writing or tweeting about it.

PART TWO (later)

Believe it or not, “this too shall pass”.

TEXAS WORKERS COMPENSATION NEEDS AN OVERHAUL

In 1989 the legislature made sweeping changes to the WC laws in Texas, and it was needed. Now, in 2016, the system has become grossly unfair to injured workers of Texas, due in part to constant tweaking by those in control over the years. Almost every change has been in favor of the employers or insurance carriers. More recently “Networks” have been established so that ICs can control which medical providers the IW can “select”. In order to gain access as a provider in the “network” the provider must (with limited exceptions) be approved by the IC. Consequently the IW may select only the medical provider demanded by the IC to be selected. After the IW makes the “choice”, the IW may change treating doctors, one time, without approval. Who gets o approve, the IC of course. DWC has determined it has no jurisdiction over “networks”, even though it is the administrative body the government established to regulate WC issues. This is only the tip of the iceberg or IWs in Texas.