Bondsman felony case dismissed

Bondsman felony case dismissed
By RENEE BROWN, T-R Staff Writer


A criminal case involving a Summit County bail bondsman and fugitive recovery agent has been dismissed in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court at New Philadelphia.

Chris W. Nickolas, 49, of Silver Lake was indicted last year on a felony count of burglary and a misdemeanor count of criminal damaging. The charges arose from an incident on Dec. 21, 2005, in which Nickolas kicked in the door of a New Philadelphia apartment.

Nickolas, an employee of ABC Bail Bonds, was looking for a man who had not appeared in New Philadelphia Municipal Court after ABC had posted the surety to get the man out of jail.

Those charges were dismissed Monday by Assistant County Prosecutor Scott J. Mastin. A trial had been set to begin Tuesday.

“We looked into his background and he has a good record as a bail bondsman,” Mastin said. “He wasn’t some rogue guy out there – he did make calls to the police department that day and tried to do things the right way in trying to apprehend a fugitive. However, the info that led him there was a little faulty.

“Our goal from the outset was to make him responsible for the damages to the door he kicked in but we did not want him to lose his job.”

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Mastin said Nickolas agreed to forfeit the bail money posted for him to pay about $700 restitution for the door and court costs in the case.

Defense attorney Paul Hervey was satisfied with the outcome of the case. He said Nickolas, who also is a part time pastor, was just “trying to uphold the law.”

“All the guys he’s going after know they are going to jail and they are putting up a fight,” Hervey said. “The first time Chris was there, the guy ran out the back door and into a car and left. He’d gotten another call the vehicle was at the apartment so he went back.”

The man Nickolas was searching for was not at the residence in the 600 block of W. High Ave. Hervey said the man remains at large.

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

Looks like someone's reputatuion preceeded them . . . and it was a good one.

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

That and plain ol common sense on the part of the prosecutors. they got what they wanted anyway..money.

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River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

ugh! you are SO pessimistic

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

NOPE ! Just realistic.......

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River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

I am glad the charges got dropped, reflecting the bondsman's rights, but we still have a long way to go.

Right or wrong, we all have to fight the money issue as well as our constitutional rights and T vs. T. This is a good local win, but someone still needs the right case and money to support T v T n the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club