TX - Moriah Wilson, Cyclist Fatally Shot Before Race, Austin, #4

[Gypsy Road]

I have to laugh at how true this is. About 30 years ago, Buddhist me and my peaceful yogi friend were both going through major breakups, with our respective partners leaving long relationships for younger women. I can't tell you how many revenge fantasies we entertained, like would it be better to kill him outright, or kill the new GF to cause him more suffering. Of course it never went beyond the fantasy stage and we both eventually healed over time and remarried, but when you're in the throes of profound loss and betrayal, the mind does crazy things.
For those who might be in a similar situation, I came across this book twenty years later, with insights on that time of great trauma: Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewal by Vikki Stark

Being betrayed hurts so bad! I don’t think I ever wanted to kill the other woman, but I did want to punch her in the face REALLY HARD, but I never did. She wasn’t worth my time or going to jail. Thank goodness for reasoning skills! Lol

 

[SteveP]

Looks like KA has filed a motion for a speedy trial and an indigence form.

Register of Actions

odysseyweb.traviscountytx.gov

So if she is claiming indigence, unless her high-profile attorney is taking her case, pro bono, how can she keep him as opposed to getting a court-appointed attorney? Can the state be made to pay for him? JMO

 

[Gypsy Road]

Looks like KA has filed a motion for a speedy trial and an indigence form.

Register of Actions

odysseyweb.traviscountytx.gov

That’s interesting. Doesn’t look like she’ll be able to cough up the bail money.

When a defendant is indigent, do tax payers pay her defense? Does the attorney waive fees? How does this work?

 

[Mrspratcher]

So if she is claiming indigence, unless her high-profile attorney is taking her case, pro bono, how can she keep him as opposed to getting a court-appointed attorney? Can the state be made to pay for him? JMO

She will likely request the state pay his fees. Usually at a discounted rate.

 

[Mrspratcher]

That’s interesting. Doesn’t look like she’ll be able to cough up the bail money.

When a defendant is indigent, do tax payers pay her defense? Does the attorney waive fees? How does this work?

State pays.

 

[SteveP]

She will likely request the state pay his fees. Usually at a discounted rate.

What happened to the whole, "if you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one for you..." Are indigents normally allowed to hand-pick their attorney, and expect the state to pay? If so, it seems every defendant would request a top attorney.

 

[Gypsy Road]

So she gets to pick the best defense attorney in Texas and tax payers then get to foot the bill? How come she isn’t appointed a public defender?

 

[Sundog]

So if she is claiming indigence, unless her high-profile attorney is taking her case, pro bono, how can she keep him as opposed to getting a court-appointed attorney? Can the state be made to pay for him? JMO

Also, if she is asking for a speedy trial, then this may indicate that she is not expecting bail, or that she is not able to post bail. If she believed she had a chance to be out on bail, I don't think she would ask for a speedy trial.

 

[Sundog]

What happened to the whole, "if you are unable to afford an attorney, the court will appoint one for you..." Are indigents normally allowed to hand-pick their attorney, and expect the state to pay? If so, it seems every defendant would request a top attorney.

But not every top attorney would agree to cut their fees to represent them.

 

[SteveP]

Also, if she is asking for a speedy trial, then this may indicate that she is not expecting bail, or that she is not able to post bail. If she believed she had a chance to be out on bail, I don't think she would ask for a speedy trial.

I'm not sure how much of it is that she can't bail out and wants a speedy trial because of that. I think it is more to push the prosecution to trial in hopes of them being unprepared. JMO

 

[Gypsy Road]

I wonder if she even had to money to pay Ric Cofer and Naomi Howard’s retainer fee?

 

[WingsOverTX]

So if she is claiming indigence, unless her high-profile attorney is taking her case, pro bono, how can she keep him as opposed to getting a court-appointed attorney? Can the state be made to pay for him? JMO

I question the indigence. With the escalation of real estate prices in Austin, she may not be a millionaire if she sells her Austin properties but it could be a tidy sum.

Also, why would her expensive attorney have agreed to represent her? I can't see him going pro bono or taking a state-paid rate.

Unless she's planning to plea out, avoiding a trial.

But IANAL!

 

[Sundog]

So she gets to pick the best defense attorney in Texas and tax payers then get to foot the bill? How come she isn’t appointed a public defender?

If this attorney agrees to represent her at the indigent standard attorney fee that is established, then why not? If she has Rick Cofer as her attorney, or Joe Court Appointed Attorney, if the rate is the same then taxpayers are not paying anymore for RC than for Joe, Esquire.

edited for spelling

 

[Sundog]

I'm not sure how much of it is that she can't bail out and wants a speedy trial because of that. I think it is more to push the prosecution to trial in hopes of them being unprepared. JMO

But if she could afford bail/post bond, then she would have months or years to get her things in order, experience her freedom, maybe even earn some money if worked online under a pseudonym, etc. Plus, with time, her case would fade in the news and she might get a less tainted jury pool.

I guess we will know eventually.

 

[SteveP]

I wonder if she even had to money to pay Ric Cofer and Naomi Howard’s retainer fee?

"Um, your honor, I can't afford an attorney. I spent all my money on a month-long Costa Rica vacation and plastic surgery..."

 

[Sundog]

I wonder if she even had to money to pay Ric Cofer and Naomi Howard’s retainer fee?

She may have just paid them by the hour, or they reduced the cost of the initial retainer fee while they worked things out.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Maybe she wants a speedy trial in hopes that the prosecution has less time to prepare. Also, maybe she is deciding to plea guilty to avoid all the details coming out during trial. Who knows. Well just have to see.

 

[Mrspratcher]

What happened to the whole, "if you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one for you..." Are indigents normally allowed to hand-pick their attorney, and expect the state to pay? If so, it seems every defendant would request a top attorney.

So she gets to pick the best defense attorney in Texas and tax payers then get to foot the bill? How come she isn’t appointed a public defender?

Not sure how it works in Texas. But it’s not just a public defender that can represent indigent defendants. There are private attorneys that contract with the state to provide their services at a discounted rate.

For all we know her current attorney may be court appointed. I agree she shouldn’t be able to hand pick.

 

[Mrspratcher]

Also, if she is asking for a speedy trial, then this may indicate that she is not expecting bail, or that she is not able to post bail. If she believed she had a chance to be out on bail, I don't think she would ask for a speedy trial.

Agreed!

 

[Gypsy Road]

Co

She may have just paid them by the hour, or they reduced the cost of the initial retainer fee while they worked things out.

Could be, we will never know. I know someone personally who was arrested on a simple battery charge and his retainer here locally was $15,000. This is a murder case so the retainer would be a lot more. Cofer and Howard may have taken on the case with no money upfront however - just for the publicity alone. Who knows.