Felony Charges, First time in Trouble.

I was recently arrested ( was not read my Miranda rights, however before they would not even tell me ANYTHING about the case against me, they told people who had called the station to checked on me. I had my seven kids in the truck with me at the time so they called my husband, mother, brother, X husband and so on, I had to request to speak to the sheriff to get info about the case, By the time he got there I had already spoke with my husband by phone who kinda filled me in.) for Forgery of a financial Instrument and am out on bail/bond.. (I'm not sure what they call it) But anyways, I do not no what to do next. Last night while going to the store I was stopped by a County Policeman. During the time he was checking my ID, he asked me to come around to the back of my truck so that my kids would not see what was going on. When I got to the back, he said I was under arrest for forgery. I was shocked! No more than shocked... Devastated was more like it.
When I got to the police department I asked the sheriff what this was about, as I had NO IDEAL what was going on or WHEN,WHERE OR HOW I had committed felony forgery, I was told that it was in 11/2006 at a Dental Office and that my money order had been sent back from the bank. I was like OK. So then I started thinking. The only time I had ever paid in anything other than cash was when I gave the Dental Office an money order that had been given to me by my daughters' father for child support. I had NO IDEAL it had been returned, as I had not been contacted by the Dental office nor the Police dept. And as a matter of fact the girl at the Dental Office told me she had to verify funds before she could even take the money order from me. I assumed she had checked the money order when they accepted it as form of payment. During all this time, my home address and as well as my phone number have remained the same. I have never been in trouble before except for traffic tickets and have paid for those tickets right there in that Police Dept and no one ever said anything to me about these pending charges. My daughters' father has since moved to Lagos, Nigeria and I have no way to contact him except by Internet. Can someone please tell me what to do next and how do I prove that I do did not make this money order, nor did I know it was not real in the first place! Logically speaking, would I go to my family dentist that I have used for years and give my REAL information if I knew it was a fake??? This is all Disturbing and stressful for me... Please help.. Any advice is appreciated.
INFO: I live in DFW, Texas
Was arrested in Tarrant County
Date of Offense: 11/06
Charges: Forgery of a Financial Instrument
Bond/Bail: 5,000.00 paid 20% to be released
Amount of Money Order: 904.00

I am a bit confused about how a money order could be 'returned'. All money orders I know of are cash---you pay cash, and are given a money order in return. How was a money order "returned" from the bank of it was paid for with cash?

Or, (and I am assuming) since you were charged with forgery, that they are accusing you of making a fake money order? In other words--the issue isn't like a dishonored check ---the issue is that the document itself is fraudulent? Also you said your ex gave it to you for child support. If he gave it to you for child support, then it was made out to you, right? How did you then transfer it to someone else?

Another question--lets assume your name wasn't on the money order. And you just "signed" it over (put the Dental Office's name on it)---and it turned out to be fraudulent---how is it that the amount of the money order is the EXACT same amount you happened to owe the dental office?

I am not trying to be argumentative--I am trying to express to you how this doesn't make sense.

Can you provide more information or answer these questions I have asked?

In any regard, these charges are serious--and you need an attorney immediately to protect you and start working to establish some reasonable doubt about this case.

First of all I'd like to say "Thank you" for your reply. Secondly, I do understand the confusion in this matter, I too am very confused.
Yes the Money order was given to me by my X husband for child support. Since this was my family dentist that I had used for years they let me sign the back of the money order and said they would deposit it in the bank, she just had to verify funds, which I had assumed she done. The money order was for 904.00, I was told by the girl at the office that that would get me started, and the balance of which was paid in cash. Nothing has changed, name,address,phone number has remained the same. Even the P.D admitted they were negligent in contacting me. I have paid traffic tickets at this dept, and no one has ever said anything.
The police department is assuming that the money order was made. However I did not make the money order and had NO IDEAL it was a fake. I do not know how to go about choosing a good lawyer (nor can I afford one). I honestly did not know one could even "fake" a money order... How is that even done? I need some advice, I have tough skin so tell it like it is, if you have ever heard of any cases such as this please give me let me know.. I need to get this resolved. I have children to raise...To focus on. How dare he put me in this position. Thank you, Nikki Conner

I, too, am a mom of seven. So, I can imagine how distressing this is for you.

In your defense, two things need to be done.

First of all, reasonable doubt. This means that there needs to be a reasonable doubt that you KNEW that the document was a forgery. This means that you need to look for things that support this premise. An defense attorney looks for things like ( example ) has the BF ever paid child support with a money order before? If he has --then GOOD. It makes it more reasonable to assume if he had in the past, that he did it this time, too. Note--you don't need to prove HE DID it, you just need to prove that YOU did NOT. Raising the possibility that HE did would help establish reasonable doubt.

Secondly, why is he out of the country? Work? Has he left permanently? If so, why? Perhaps there is something there you can use to prove he intended to do this and then leave the country, thereby presumably escaping prosecution. Also, is he an AMERICAN citizen? He can be deported and extradited, especially for a felony charge.

Have you tried legal aid? They often have income based scales for fees, instead of the usual attorney's fees. Also, be frank with the Public Defender. Make an appointment, or better yet just show up in person. Sit across the table, make eye contact, tell him what has happened and ask for a rigorous defense ( not a hall way five minute 'meeting' before the trial). Also, ask him to give this information to the police and insist they investigate further.

Tell me why your ex is out of the country and for how long. Maybe something you say will give me more ideas to help in establishing reasonable suspicion .

One big question still---when she called to verify the funds, what was she told?

In the past he had given me money order as well as cash. Without difficulty, so I had no reason to assume this time would differ.
About him leaving the Country. I was told that the inspection station that he had owned partly was busted and the police found drugs there. He and I were not together at the time so I am not positive. Everything I knew about this man has turned out to be fraudulent from his name, citizenship status etc. I don't know what to think anymore. I no longer receive anything from him in the form of child support. That was the last payment he made. He left the country as told to me by a friend of his to avoid going to jail on drug charges(he had been before) and sexual misconduct, something about offering a undercover officer an inspection sticker in exchange for ***). (I had no
Ideal he had left, until months later when I tried to contact him for payment and was told he was in Nigeria.I did not believe it, so I went to his apt complex and knocked on the door.. Someone else answered and said they had lived there for a month already, Also his shop was closed. It is now reopened by a friend of his, I have to wonder where exactly does Reginald (the X's name) equate in this)
The receptionist never told me what she was told when she verified payment. Just that she could accept the money order.
Is there a way I can check on pending charges against someone?
I now know his real name as well as the one he used while here in the U.S.

If he has paid you before in money orders, then it is reasonable to assume he could have this time and it is also reasonable to assume you had no reason NOT to trust him. There is a lot of reasonable suspicion in this case, if everything you are saying is accurate. Have you talked to the police at all about this? I am not suggesting you should, just asking you if you had. If the ex has a questionable past, especially as it relates to money matters, and he was/is wanted on other charges, then it is reasonable to identify him as a person of interest not only in determining from whence the check came, but also in establishing your innocence.

Try legal aid, or legal services in your area. They often do pro bono work.

Grace, I would like to extend many thanks to you for your help. I deeply appreciate having someone to talk to with some knowledge on the subject and although I still have a " Snowy Mountain to climb while wearing Flip Flops" (as my teen-aged daughter would say), Your information has given me a bit of direction and hope. THANK YOU, once again.

You know, many times, when it comes right down to it, so to speak, courts are reluctant to actually GO to trial. My feeling is ( if everything you say is an accurate reflection of how things really are) they will drop the charges for lack of evidence. If they know you can raise reasonable doubt, they know you can obtain an acquittal---and it wouldn't behoove them to proceed.

Those states where the DA is an elected position, especially---no one wants to 'lose'. When all the periphery is peeled way, I suspect there will be very little left, assuming you haven't left out any glaring details.

Let me know what happens.

The best.