PCS Bail Bonds (www.PCSBailBonds.com), Fort Worth, Texas’ most trusted bail bond service, is weighing in on the bail conditions of a Fort Worth inmate with tuberculosis.
Fort Worth resident Jimmy Trondle, 25, is dealing with more than just charges stemming from car theft and possession of small amounts of meth; he is also suffering from a contagious string of tuberculosis (TB). His $7,500 bail comes with the condition that he be treated by the JPS Health Network within the correction center’s infirmary so he can be properly treated for his illness. (Source: Nagy, M.S., “Fort Worth man with tuberculosis poses public health risk,” Star-Telegram.com, July 28, 2015; http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article29258974.html.)
“These aren’t what would be considered normal conditions of bail,” says Paul Schuder, owner of PCS Bail Bonds. “But Trondle has a history of not taking the steps required for treatment and because this strain of tuberculosis is contagious, applying admission into JPS as a condition of his bail seems necessary.”
In an odd coincidence, Trondle was released from custody on his own recognizance so he can get the treatment he needed after it was discovered while in jail that he had tuberculosis. A day later, he was hit by a car and taken to hospital where the TB was again discovered. Against the advice of the doctors, Trondle left the hospital that evening before finally attending a scheduled appointment approximately two weeks later.
“Common sense says that anyone afflicted with a disease that could potentially be fatal would want to get better, but this hasn’t been the case with this particular inmate, which is why he is essentially being forced into the treatment,” Schuder adds. “This is not just for his protection, however; other people’s health is at stake, too.”
There is no direct crime for not wanting to take medication for an illness, but because the lives of other staff and inmates are at risk, it’s important to get a contagious disease like tuberculosis under control as quickly as possible before it has a chance to spread.
“The purpose of any bond is to ensure the defendant shows up to court and follows regulations that are for the general safety of the public, such as house arrest,” Schuder concludes. “This is certainly a rare case, but one where the presiding judge has made conditions to suit its nature.”
For all information on the types of bail options and precisely what those options entail, visit the PCS Bail Bonds web site at www.PCSBailBonds.com.