Waco Judge: Waco attorney can live at his residence as long as he is not left alone with son

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Waco attorney Adam Hoffman, free on bond after his arrest on allegations he abused his son’s 10-year-old male friend, can live at home as long as he is not left alone with his son, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The judge’s order came in response to a motion filed by Hoffman’s attorneys, Stan Schwieger and Gerry Morris, who alleged that the amount of his bond and certain bond conditions were oppressive and destroying Hoffman’s family financially.

Judge Susan Kelly of Waco’s 54th State District Court changed the original bond condition that Hoffman can’t be around children younger than 17, including his own son. However, the judge required that Hoffman be supervised at all times around his son by his wife or another adult.

Hoffman’s attorneys told the judge that two Child Protective Service investigations have concluded that Hoffman poses no danger to his son and said that Hoffman has been living in hotels, with friends and with out-of-town relatives since his arrest June 24 on a continuous sexual abuse of a young child charge.

Schwieger offered hotel receipts to show the financial burden that living away from his family at their China Spring home has caused.

“He is bleeding cash every day and he also has been taken off the (court-appointed attorney) appointment list in McLennan County, your honor,” Schwieger said. “This all is crushing to his family.”

Prosecutor Tara Avants argued that despite the CPS reports, the allegations against Hoffman charge he abused his son’s friend over a three-year period beginning when he was 7 and that all the alleged incidents occurred at Hoffman’s home with his son present.

“In effect, he used his son as bait to get the victim to come to his house,” Avants said.

Hoffman was arrested again in July on charges that he violated his court-ordered bond conditions after he was spotted coming home with his wife, a teacher at China Spring High School, and their son. Hoffman would not have been in violation of the bond conditions if Kelly’s new order had been in place at that time.

Schwieger also asked Kelly to reduce Hoffman’s $500,000 bond, despite the fact that he was able to free himself from jail. Schwieger said Hoffman has not paid all he owes to the bail bondsman who assisted in his release and the lower bond would help him financially.

Kelly denied that request, but said she might reconsider on Thursday, when Hoffman is expected to be indicted by a McLennan County grand jury.

The judge also modified one of Hoffman’s bond conditions that prohibited him from being within view of China Spring Intermediary School, the allege victim’s school, or his home.

Schwieger argued that the major roads in and out of China Spring pass near schools. So the parties agreed for Hoffman to stay at least 1,000 feet from the school, the alleged victim’s home and potential witnesses in the case.

The judge kept in the condition that Hoffman must not be around children younger than 17, with the exception of his son.