CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Former Nueces County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Adel Shaker appeared in court via Zoom on Tuesday to ask that his bond conditions be modified.
Defense attorney Terry Shamsie requested Shaker be allowed to travel out of state to visit family, "counsel on other matters," and to be able to practice his religion.
Shamsie asserts Shaker should be allowed since he has not yet been indicted. Shamsie also is requesting that Shaker be allowed to seek employment outside of Texas.
As KRIS 6 News has previously reported, Shaker was arrested in April, and charged with 17 violations of the Texas Occupations Code.
Nueces County First Asst. District Attorney Angelica Hernandez objected to any modification of Shaker's conditions, noting the seriousness of his charges.
"I don't know where his family live, I don't know where his other attorneys are, I don't know what his other causes are," Hernandez said. "This is an ongoing criminal investigation. (Shaker) does have numerous pretrial felonies that he has been arrested for. They're very serious in allegation, and so right now, I don't believe there's been enough evidence put on that would warrant the court just giving him free rein to go all over the United States and possibly even out of the country."
319th District Court Judge David Stith said Shaker would not be allowed to leave the country and was unwilling to modify bond conditions for Shaker to visit family, but said he would continue to review the matter. He did modify conditions to allow him to visit with attorneys and practice his religion.
"If he needs to travel to visit his counsel for any other cases, that will be allowed," Stith said. "If he needs to travel specifically for the purpose of his religion, obviously that would be allowed. I'm certainly not going to impinge on those two rights."
Stith said Shaker will be required to notify probation anytime he leaves the state.
