HOUSTON — William Parker has seen his fair share of judges and courtrooms.
In December 2022, the 50-year-old was arrested for assault-family violence. This was his second time being accused of committing the crime, according to court records.
Judge Te’iva Bell gave Parker a $1 bond for the offense.
Just a month after being released from jail on the $1 bond, Parker picked up two other charges -- criminal trespassing and violating a protective order, a bond violation report showed.
For the two new charges, Parker was given PR bonds, meaning Parker didn’t have to pay a cash bond.
“It’s literally an insult to injury for clients and survivors we serve," said Chau Nguyen, a Trauma Therapist with JEM Wellness and Counseling. “When we hear about cases in which abusers, perpetrators on little to no, these paltry bonds, it’s astonishing."
The family of one of Parker's victims said they were shocked to hear Parker got a $1 bond. They said they've had problems with him for years.
“Texas law doesn’t allow a judge to deny bond, except in very limited situations," said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a criminal law professor at the University of Houston.
Thompson is also a court-appointed monitor. In 2020, she began gathering data on Harris County’s compliance with a federal lawsuit settlement that aimed at fixing an age-old problem.
“Anyone with access to money could get released and the poorest people did not," said Guerra Thompson.
The settlement only pertained to misdemeanor cases.
Guerra Thompson says even though Parker’s two new charges were misdemeanors, it does not mean automatic PR bonds. She says domestic violence cases were carved out.
“They are going to go for a hearing and typically the judge is going to impose more strenuous conditions in cases where they have concerns about family violence," she said.
KHOU 11 reached out to Judge Bell but has not heard back. Parker is out of jail on bond and due back in court next week.
Prosecutors with the Harris County Sheriff's Office fought for a higher bond. They presented Parker's criminal history to the judge, which goes back 30 years, according to court records.
Earlier this year, a Katy man was released from jail on two $1 bonds on charges of kidnapping and choking a woman he was dating. H was back in jail within days after he threatened the same woman.
The story made national headlines and caught the attention of Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott.
"Repeat offender accused of beating woman gets $1 bond. Horrific," Abbott tweeted. "Texans must feel safe in their communities. This session, we will eliminate the easy bail policies that allow dangerous criminals back onto our streets."
A judge KHOU 11 spoke to back in January about this case said in these cases, judges follow the law as it’s laid out by the legislature.
"So when they say we can’t give a personal bond in these cases, we don’t. But wherever it’s appropriate to give a bond a person can make, if $1 is what it is, and generally the parties are going to agree, that’s what we do," Judge Chris Morton said.