Texas Attorney Ken Good is Interviewed on the Saving America Podcast

Texas attorney, Ken W. Good, a member of the Board of Directors of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas, spent some time talking with Dr. David D. Shine on the Saving America Podcast. Good, author of the practice guide Good on Bail, discusses the ongoing debate over bail reform and its impact on public safety. The conversation covers how recent political developments, including statements on cash bail for violent offenders, have intensified activist efforts while drawing greater attention to the real-world consequences of soft-on-crime policies. Good argues that these reforms often harm the very communities they claim to help, citing rising crime, high failure-to-appear rates, and cases where defendants released with minimal accountability go on to commit new offenses or flee.

The interview examines specific examples, including a Houston murder suspect who cut off an ankle monitor, fled the country using a forged passport, and later sought asylum, as well as a manslaughter case involving a defendant already out on bail for a prior offense. Good explains Texas legislative responses to these problems, such as laws restricting certain magistrates from setting bonds in serious cases and constitutional amendments that expand judges’ ability to deny bail. He also highlights the political nature of bail decisions in places like Harris County, where public backlash against low bonds and high-risk releases has influenced judicial elections.

Throughout the discussion, Good emphasizes that traditional surety bail creates stronger accountability than many reform alternatives. He notes that failures to appear are rising in jurisdictions that have weakened financial conditions of release and criticizes efforts to redefine non-appearance as only “willful.” The interview concludes with practical advice for citizens, including filing judicial ethics complaints over improper bail decisions, and directs listeners to resources from the Professional Bondsmen of Texas. Below is a link to the interview.

Ken W. Good, Board of Directors, Professional Bondsmen of Texas, visits the Saving America Podcast