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Mom's in Jail and lawyer won't call back!!

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lostinbubbles

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Texas

I have an interesting issue that I am hoping someone may be able to shed some light on.

My mother was arrested in Denton County at the end of April. While in Denton, a warrant was issued for unrelated offenses in Dallas County. She “has” a lawyer in Dallas County, but he was not able to work with the Denton County offense so she was appointed an attorney in Denton.

After discussing with both lawyers in each county, the consensus was to bail her from Denton to go over to Dallas County. Her lawyer in Dallas assured me that he could set up a court date almost immediately once she was there as opposed to sitting in Denton County for 3 months to get a date.

Well as of this past Monday (5th), she has been transferred to Dallas County and her lawyer will not call me back and has not gotten in touch with her.

I am completely confused on what to do now. I am currently caring for her home as well as my younger, underage sister. I don’t know what to do and I have been sent in about a million loops to try and find the right path. The bottom line is that my mother is bipolar and needs help, badly. Her lawyer had a pretty clear understanding of her issues and told me he was doing his best to help get her in a rehabilitation type facility – which I’ve been hearing from many is next to impossible. Now since I can’t get a hold of him, I am very concerned on what to do. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I am more than happy to give more details if necessary. Thanks!!
 


CavemanLawyer

Senior Member
You could always call the clerk's office and explain that your mom was supposed to get a court date set immediately after being brought back there. The clerk probably will not set a court date based on your call, but he/she will call the attorney and schedule one with him.
 

lostinbubbles

Junior Member
Thanks for the suggestion! The clerk wasn't the most friendly, but I must admit I am pretty clueless with all of this... Making that call did seem to jostle the lawyer becasue he finally called me back. He told me they are trying to get the courts to evaluate her. I am not exactlly sure what that means, but he did say the best place for her right now is to just stay put. Here bond is extremely high, so that was not an option anyways. Do you know how long an evaluation process usually takes or entails? I am hoping for the chance to have her sentenced to a rehabilataon type program.
 

xylene

Senior Member
Have you been appointed custody of your sister or is this an informal arrangement?

Have the relevant social service agencies been involved?

Do you have support?

Do you have a lawyer? Not your mom's lawyer, I mean yours.

While your family duty is laudable, you need to realize that serious criminal charges are not going to be resolved soon or quickly, and that a suffer of a severe and chronic mental illness will not be cured, only recovered and will need continuous mental health care for life.

You are not your mother. If mom is incapacitated, stepping in is right, but you need to come up with a plan for a permanent arrangement for yourself and your sister, whatever that may be.

You and sister should be in counseling to deal with these changes and strong emotions.
Also there is strong evidence Bipolar disorder in potentially inheritable.
Be clear about mom's condition, and listen to what a doctor tells you about yourself and sis. If your are diagnosed, start treatment immediately and take medication.

How old are you and how old is sister?

Where is father? Do you and sis have same father?
 

lostinbubbles

Junior Member
At the moment, it is an informal arrangement. I wouldn't even know how to go about making it formal. I am 27 and my sister is 17, still in highschool. We do have the same father, however he lives in Houston and is helping from a far for his girls only. I myself do not have a lawyer and wasn't really sure if I would need one. Currently living two seperate lives (paying my mothers bills, groceries as well as my own) has really cut into my financials.

When I was younger, I had a pretty bad bout with depression, but was not considered bipolar. My mother has been diagnoised as bipolar. She has been unemployeed for about 4 years now and her mortgage is being paid for by her mother. I have commited her 3 times in the past 2 years and have not been able to get the right help. She's pretty dang manipulative and can talk her way out of some pretty outlandish situations. It's been a very rocky rollercoaster, and I just want to try and get her the help she needs and this has not been her first go round in the slammer. At the moment, we are trying to finish out the school year (June 6th) before making any permanent changes to the living arrangement but now having to start considering selling her home, putting belongings in storage and things of that nature.
 

CavemanLawyer

Senior Member
If she's being evaluated than that means there are concerns about her competency to stand trial. I'm sorry to say that many defendants have to remain in jail for quite sometime before the evaluation is complete and the criminal proceedings have to be put on hold until she is deemed competent. In my county it takes at a minimum one month for an evaluation to be completed.
 

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