WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — UPDATE: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 4:25 p.m.
On Tuesday afternoon, Senior District Judge Bob Brotherton granted the prosecutor’s motion to revoke murder defendant Justin Love’s bail, and send him back to jail without bond.
Brotherton ruled that Love had violated several conditions he had set for Love’s $500,000 bond.
They include numerous violations of his house arrest and curfew hours, operating a motor vehicle during prohibited hours and that Love committed harassment with repeated phone calls and derogatory texts to his estranged wife.
He ordered Love be immediately turned over to the sheriff to be returned to jail.
Prosecutor Kyle Lessor argued for the motion to revoke saying Love flagrantly and repeatedly disregarded his conditions from December to January, with 24 instances of curfew violations, putting the community at risk.
Love’s defense attorney Mark Barber argued no one involved ever felt threatened including Love’s wife.
He said the alleged violations did not merit revocation, but if the judge felt Love needed to be punished, he suggested raising the bond or making him spend some weekends in jail.
Testimony in the zoom hearing Tuesday centered on Wichita Falls locations love repeatedly visited while on curfew, including his wife’s and girlfriend’s homes, and whether on some trips he was picking up tools needed for his work.
Love’s bondsman Max Green testified he is allowing Love to pay off his $40,000 bond fee by doing odd jobs at various properties.
He said he earns $10 an hour for 40 hours a week which is credited to his fee.
He said he does not consider Love a flight risk, despite Love allegedly sending a text to his wife he was going to cut off his ankle monitor.
Adult Probation Director Kirk Wolf testified he did consider Love a risk to the community from his juvenile and adult criminal records.
Green said Love’s bond was secured, with collateral being a house on Wilson that Love’s grandmother owns.
That home is rented by love’s wife, Tamilyn, who lives there with her four daughters. She filed for divorce from Love last week.
Love’s bond requires him to live at his grandmother’s home, under house arrest, with an ankle monitor at all times.
His grandmother testified she realizes she could lose the house on Wilson if Love’s bond is revoked or he does not pay the fees.
She said she and her husband adopted Love and that he has been a great help around her house, doing cleaning, repairs, cooking, and caring for her husband who has alzheimer’s.
Love’s mother testified her son has been very good with his kids and her mother and is not a flight risk. She said she has stage 4 cancer and only has a few more months to spend with her son.
She said in her opinion the only harassment, in this case, has been of her son by the district attorney.
The defense tried to show that Love’s repeated trips to his girlfriend’s house were to pick up tools, while the prosecutor argued Love stayed at the house far too long just to be picking up tools and could have stored the few tools he uses elsewhere.
Judge Brotherton said while some of Love’s trips and outings might be considered performing household or family duties such as taking his kids to school, the vast majority, such as doing chores for his girlfriend, going to a daughter’s birthday party, or taking his kids to the park, did not.
Love was also charged with violating bond conditions in December by working at a job outside his curfew. He was then ordered to wear an ankle monitor.
UPDATE: Monday, January 25, 2021 at 5:40 p.m.
Testimony began Monday afternoon in a hearing on whether murder defendant Justin Love should be jailed without bond, and witnesses for the defense will return tomorrow.
This hearing comes just two days after Love bonded out of jail on his latest charge of harassment.
Love is currently out of jail on a $500,000 bond awaiting his retrial.
The bond motion lists about two dozen alleged trips to addresses in Wichita Falls in violation of his curfew, including his estranged wife’s workplace, her home, the home of a potential witness, and to his girlfriend’s house on numerous occasions.
Witnesses for the State of Texas Monday included Love’s wife, her mother and Love’s girlfriend.
The harassment complaint was filed Friday, January 22 on behalf of his wife, who filed for a divorce from Love last week.
Love’s wife testified Monday about repeated calls and texts from Love of a harassing nature, including one saying he wished she would get cancer.
Love’s wife said he was angry because she had blocked his phone number and she would not resume their romantic relationship.
Love’s attorney Mark Barber pressed her to say if she ever felt she was in danger or threatened enough to call police or get a protective order.
Love’s wife said no, because Love is what she calls a punk who doesn’t do what he threatens.
Stick with Texoma’s Homepage for more updates as they become available.
Murder defendant Justin Love may found out Monday, if his murder appeal bond will be revoked and he will be returned to jail, just two days after bonding out on his latest charge of harassment.
Love was arrested by District Attorney investigators and booked into jail Friday afternoon and bonded out on a $2,500 bond Saturday.
This arrest came two days before a court hearing to consider a motion to withdraw his $500,000 appeal bond. That motion list about two dozen alleged trips to addresses in Wichita Falls in violation of his curfew, including his estranged wife’s workplace and the home of a witness.
The bond hearing will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday with time also reserved for Tuesday if it is not completed. The harassment complaint was filed on January 22 by Love’s estranged wife, who last week filed for a divorce.
She told D.A. Investigators she had taken her daughter to Texas Roadhouse for her birthday and Love arrived and caused a scene because he was angry she was not romantically involved with him.
She said after he was asked to leave he began calling and texting her repeatedly with expletive-laced messages, including that he would come to her place of work and that he hoped she would get cancer.
The affidavit lists 44 calls and 84 texts. While out on bond Love is under house arrest at his grandmother’s house, and is required to wear an ankle monitor.
Murder defendant Justin Love has bonded out of jail following his recent arrest over harassment charges.
Love bonded out of Wichita County jail yesterday, Jan. 23, just two days before a court hearing is scheduled to consider a motion to withdraw his $500,000 appeal bond.
In Monday’s court hearing, the district attorney is seeking to have Love’s $500,000 bond revoked and listed more than two dozen violations, including contact with a witness from his first trial in 2018.
For more on tomorrow’s court hearing, click here.
