Peter Nicholas faces charges of assault of a pregnant person and deadly conduct.

A man out on bond after being accused of fatally shooting his wife in 2019 is back behind bars after police say he assaulted his pregnant fiancée.

Peter Noble Nicholas III, 33, was booked into the Dallas County jail June 11 on charges of assault of a pregnant person and deadly conduct stemming from a pair of incidents this month. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney for those charges.

On June 9, Nicholas began arguing with and verbally abusing his fiancée, who was 32 weeks pregnant with his twins, police allege in an arrest-warrant affidavit.

When the woman went to shower, Nicholas followed her and ordered her to perform a sex act on him. He choked her from behind and said, “You ready to do your job, you [expletive]?” the affidavit says.

The woman told Nicholas to stop touching her inappropriately. He said he was joking, but the woman “knew that the suspect was never joking,” police wrote.

After the woman got in the shower, Nicholas again choked her, then punched her in the stomach when she told him to stop, according to the affidavit.

The woman told him she feared there would be complications with her pregnancy as a result, to which Nicholas replied, “Well, all you gotta do is do as I say and everything will be easier for you,” the affidavit says.

The woman’s 6-year-old son was home at the time but did not witness the incident, police wrote in the affidavit.

‘Extreme measures’

Two days later, the woman called police to the home again about an incident that occurred while she was driving on Interstate 35E with Nicholas in the passenger seat. He got angry and pushed her arms to try to control the car, forcing her to jerk the vehicle to avoid a crash, an affidavit for a charge of deadly conduct says.

Her son was not in the vehicle, police said.

After they got home, Nicholas took “numerous extreme measures” to try and control his fiancée and her son — including disabling the internet, hiding the woman’s keys, locking her out of her bedroom, changing the passcode on her phone and disabling her car, police wrote in the document.

Nicholas and his fiancée have lived together since December 2020, police said, and got engaged in late May.

The woman also told officers about a number of other incidents that occurred between May 20 to June 11. Police wrote in an affidavit that five additional potential family-violence offenses were identified and will be investigated further; the status of those investigations is unclear.

Fatal 2019 shooting

Nicholas was arrested July 29, 2019, after police were called about a disturbance at Hotel ZaZa in Uptown Dallas.

According to an arrest-warrant affidavit, someone called 911 and said they heard a woman screaming.

Security guards who went to the room after getting a noise complaint said they heard a gunshot. They then heard a man cursing and screaming “Oh my god,” followed by crashing sounds.

When police arrived, Nicholas opened the door. He was partially covered in blood and had an extension cord wrapped around his neck, police wrote in the affidavit.

He appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was taken to a hospital.

His wife, 32-year-old Jacqueline-Rose Nicholas, was found dead in the room with a gunshot wound. A handgun was also found inside the room, according to the affidavit.

Nicholas was indicted on a murder charge in November 2019 and released from jail on $250,000 bond days later. Court records show he was indicted again in March on an aggravated assault charge for the same incident.

In April, prosecutors and Nicholas’ attorney in that case filed a joint motion seeking a continuance. Prosecutors cited a witness’ availability in their request; Nicholas’ attorney asked the judge for more time to secure an expert witness, noting that Nicholas and his wife had both ingested hallucinogens before the shooting, and to adjust the defense strategy to reflect the new charge.

Nicholas, who is being held in the Dallas County jail without bail, is scheduled to face trial for the aggravated assault charge in August.

HOUSTON – “I’ve never had any of these defendants we’ve profiled on Breaking Bond on parole and on a felony PR bond charged with murder,” said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers. “This is a first.”

30-year–old Quinnton Allen is a convicted armed robber. He spent almost a decade in prison.

“He just got paroled December 3, 2021, and within two weeks, he gets charged with felon in possession of a weapon a gun, blatant violation,” Kahan said.

Allen not only got to stay on parole, but 185th Criminal District Court Judge Jason Luong granted him a PR bond for his new felony charge of felon in possession of a weapon.

“How do you get a personal recognizance bond, a get out of jail free card, for a convicted felon just released from prison?” said Kahan.

That decision may have cost 29–year–old Luis Espinoza his life. Police say Allen shot and killed Espinoza on June 18. He’s back behind bars with no bond set.

“Someone who is already convicted of a felony, and also has a weapon, they’re not supposed to have that to begin with,” said Sydney Zuicker with Crime Stoppers.

In a Breaking Bond report last month, we told you how Raymond Young and Delvin Clemons were out on bond for felon in possession of a weapon. Both went on to allegedly commit murder.

Because there are so many cases like this, Crime Stoppers is now researching the problem.

“My prediction is that felon in possession of a weapon is going to be present in a lot of our homicide cases, a lot of our family violence cases, and therefore it’s something that has to be addressed,” Zuicker said.

According to court documents, Jones was out on five different bonds in Harris County when he allegedly shot Khylie Sorrells and her mom Brittany.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – 18-year-old Corey Hodge could be a poster guy for Breaking Bond.

“This is clearly you are breaking your bond conditions,” said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

On April 17, 2021, police say Hodge shot and killed a 17-year-old man, and wounded an 18-year-old at 1445 Lakeside Estates Drive.

Then on Aug. 19, 2021, he was charged with murder and aggravated assault.

Just two months later, in October of 2021, he had the resources to post bonds totaling $270,000.

But a month later, court documents state he can’t afford the monthly fee to obtain a GPS device.

“The monthly GPS fees aren’t that much, so in other words, he’s basically saying he doesn’t want to have a GPS on him, or he doesn’t want to have to pay for it,” said Houston City Councilmember Michael Kubosh.

“It’s clearly obvious by the documentation, he had zero intentions of abiding by any condition of his bond,” Kahan said.

In addition to a GPS monitor, Hodge was under 24-hour home confinement.

“You are supposed to be on a GPS, you are supposed to be under 24-hour house arrest. None of that happened within days and weeks of getting out on bond,” said Kahan.

In a bond condition violation report, Harris County Pre-trial Service tells 176th Criminal District Court Judge Nikita Harmon about 37 times Hodge violated his house arrest. But it took more than a month for anything to happen.

“If this would have happened in 2015, the first time he offended, the judge would have surrendered his bond, called him in. They would have had him arrested and brought to court,” said Kubosh.

In a statement, Harris County Pre-Trial Services tells us, “As a practical matter, we make every effort to bring non-compliant defendants into compliance as quickly as possible, including any necessary contact with the defendant.

“Mr. Hodge was repeatedly advised of his obligations by his pre-trial officer. He was also admonished by the judge on April 22 and was continued on supervision.”

“His further noncompliance resulted in revocation of bond.”

“How many others are out there like this that we don’t know about?” said Kahan.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Harris County‘s chief law enforcement officer is delivering the hard, painful truth.

“We are outmanned. We are outgunned. The release of repeat violent offenders leads to exactly what you would think it would – more crime and this type of public policy should end,” said Kim Ogg, Harris County District Attorney.

Speaking to a room of expert number crunchers, Ogg unloaded alarming figures.

22,606 alleged crimes were committed by offenders released on bond by reform judges in 2021. At least 14,000 additional offenses are projected this year, all likely perpetrated by those who made bail.

“This far left concept of just not performing our duty, I don’t think serves the public correctly. Crime is not partisan, and it shouldn’t be dealt with by the extremes on either side, like it is,” said Ogg.

Then there is the issue of the Harris County Jail, packed with more than 8,800 defendants awaiting trial, most of them for violent offenses.

Ogg’s 350 exhausted prosecutors buried beneath a backlog of 130,000 criminal cases.

“You have got to maintain public safety, and right now we are struggling. Houston is in crisis,” said Ogg.

With many in his crime weary congregation fearful of even going to the grocery store, Pastor Willie Davis was among the earliest to raise the alarm. His assessment of local leadership in the years since is scathing.

“People are afraid. This is reality out here. Those people who are in office now are doing nothing. The county is doing nothing. The city is doing nothing. It’s just smoke and mirrors,” said Davis who pastors at the Palm Church.

Ogg says given the current backlog the families of murder victims will be forced to wait years for the case against an accused killer to come up for trial.

“The heartbreak has to end for crime victims. It is horrible enough to think about losing a loved one. It is insult to injury to be told it will take four years to try a case,” said Ogg.

HOUSTON – 33-year-old Antjuan Dixon has six prior convictions, two for aggravated robbery.

“He actually gets 12 years in the penitentiary in 2008,” said Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers.

Dixon was released from prison in 2020. Little more than a year later, police say he returned to a life of crime.

“He’s charged with not one, not two, but three more aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and that means a firearm,” Kahan said.

Court documents show the DA’s office wanted Dixon’s bond set at $500,000.

“Which makes sense based on his criminal history, he’s obviously a known threat,” said Kahan.

Harris County 182nd Criminal District Court Judge Danny Lacayo ignored the DA’s request for the bond. He lowered it to just $5,000.

“All he had to do was cough up $500 for three counts of aggravated robbery, which he easily did,” Kahan said.

“So you let someone out for $500, where are they going to get the money to pay for their bond? They’ve already demonstrated their profession is I’m an armed robber,” said State Senator John Whitmire.

“I don’t know how you justify that,” said Kahan. “It simply defies logic and I’d love for someone to tell me why they thought this was in the best interest of public safety.”

“We’re seeing repeat armed robbers being released on cash bonds, we’re seeing, charged like carrying a gun when you’re a felon, which is very serious law violation. They are being released without looking at the risk assessment,” Whitmire said.

We’re noticing a disturbing trend with some criminal district court judges when it comes to granting small bond amounts for defendants charged with felon in possession of a weapon.

“The stakeholders and some of the judges get very upset with your program and Andy, but I think putting a face on it, identifying the problem, is the first step to solving the problem,” Whitmire said.

Already under fire after her court reporter filed a complaint against her this week and abruptly quit, County Court-at-Law No. 2 Judge Grace M. Uzomba has been stripped of her court cases by an administrative judge.

A memo by Judge John Longoria, dated Thursday and addressed to all 15 county courts-at-law judges, alleged a “serious and egregious lack of attention” by Uzomba regarding pretrial violation reports, probation matters, family violence cases and other misdemeanors.

The county courts handle misdemeanor cases. Uzomba lost a bid for reelection in the March 1 Democratic primary but her successorwon’t be elected until November, to take office Jan. 1.

In the memo, Longoria said more than 1,700 cases in her court are without current settings.

“As judges, we have an obligation to this community to ensure that justice is served, not only for the victims, but also for the defendants, who have a right to have their cases heard and to get their day in court,” he wrote.

Uzomba did not immediately return a text message and a call to her cellphone Thursday afternoon.

Reached via text on Thursday, Senior District Judge Sid Harle, who oversees a multi-county administrative judicial region and has been a jurist in Bexar County for more than three decades, said he had never seen this type of action taken against a judge here.

Invoking his authority as administrative judge, Longoria ordered 177 pending family violence cases on Uzomba’s docket be “immediately” distributed among county courts-at-law Nos. 7, 8, 11 and 13; and sent the approximately 1,656 cases he says are without current settings to courts-at-law Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11,12, 14, and 15, amounting to about 166 cases per court.

He also ordered that Uzomba’s court be removed from the arraignment rotation for the criminal courts “as soon as possible.” He added that any outstanding civil matters requiring signature that were sent to her court would be distributed to county courts-at-law Nos. 3 and 10, equally.

Longoria declined to provide a copy of the memo, which the Express-News obtained from a courthouse source.

It came days after Uzomba’s court reporter filed a complaint with courthouse security, alleging that the judge prevented the employee from leaving an office while she scolded her.

On Monday, court reporter Veronica Velez filed a complaint with a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy accusing Uzomba of cornering Velez in her office, blocking the entrance and belittling her because Velez had resigned effective immediately to take another job.

The officer’s report called it a verbal disagreement. Uzomba on Tuesday said that “no sort of altercation occurred.”

Courthouse sources have long said Uzomba was hard to work with and has had three or four court coordinators and about as many court reporters. A retired U.S. Army major, she was elected in 2018.

Court coordinators and court reporters work directly for the judges. Most stay until they or the judge retires, or the judge is voted out of office.

When asked Tuesday about the rumors of staffing issues, Uzomba spoke about her work ethic: “I stay late, I come in early.”

“As far as staff, staff has come and gone,” she said. “They come and go and seek what is in their best interest, or they may not be performing. If they aren’t meeting expectations, that is an issue as well.”

In February 2020, Uzomba clashed with Bexar County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark, who pulled her deputy clerks and all of the case files from the court and alleged that Uzomba was mistreating the employees and not handling files correctly.

The issue was resolved days later, Longoria said at the time.

Reached Thursday, Longoria said his action removing Uzomba’s court cases was “separate and apart” from the complaint filed earlier this week by her court reporter.

“This is a caseload issue,” he said, adding that his decision to remove the cases from Uzomba came “with significant support from all judges.”

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Raymond Young and Delvin Clemons have a lot in common. Both men are 44 and have many mugshots.

“Both of them have lengthy criminal histories, both have been convicted of violent offenses,” said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

Clemons has 17 felony convictions.

In October 2021, 232nd Criminal District Court Judge Josh Hill granted him bond for felon in possession of a weapon.

“A month later, he gets charged again for felon in possession of a weapon,” Kahan said. “You would have thought that would have been the end of the story, he gets out on bond again.”

Last month, police said Clemons shot and killed Keishan Betts at an apartment complex at 270 El Dorado Blvd.

There was a time when judges were hesitant to grant bond to defendants charged with felon in possession of a weapon.

“That’s absolutely true,” said Ray Hunt, Executive Director of the Houston Police Union. “I talked to the District Attorney in Montgomery County. He says he remembers one time when something like that happened.”

But some Harris County Criminal Court Judges grant bond all the time for defendants charged with felon in possession of a weapon.

“Very low bonds, where it’s only going to take maybe $1,000 to get out,” said Kahan.

Raymond Young, a convicted sex offender has a dozen convictions, including felon in possession of a weapon.

On May 7, 180th Criminal District Court Judge Desean Jones granted him a $10,000 bond for assault of a family member.

14 days later, police say Young shot and killed 17-year-old John Smith at 1329 East 35th Street.

“When you’ve got people who are felons in possession of a firearm out on multiple bonds, getting arrested again, that person should get a no bond or at least a million dollar bond,” Hunt said.