'Dr. Phil' producer oversteps bounds

TAMPA, Fla., April 13 (UPI) -- A bail bondsman in Florida claims a producer for TV talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw bailed out a girl suspected of posting a fight on YouTube.

The unidentified bondsman said a "Dr. Phil" producer bailed out Mercades Nichols, who has been accused of orchestrating a severe beating of a fellow teenager that was recorded and posted on the Web site, TMZ.com reported Saturday.

Bond for Nichols had been set at $33,000 and a man who identified himself as a "Dr. Phil" producer helped the teen leave a Florida jail with her mother this week.

The bond posting came in the wake of comments from the teenager's grandmother, who told reporters she did not have the money to free the girl.

A "Dr. Phil" representative issued an exclusive statement to TMZ.com saying a show on the popularized case would not occur as planned.

"We have helped guests and potential guests in the past when they need financial assistance to come on the show -- assisting with clothing allowance, lost wages, accommodations, travel and necessities," the statement said. "In this case, certain staff members went beyond our guidelines (re: the bail being paid)."