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"I've been in regular contact with our Haitian legal team," he said. "They assure me that charges are or will soon be dismissed."
Haiti's No. 2 justice official, Claudy Gassent, said he talked to the Americans before their release and felt they understood they had made a mistake. "They know they broke the law," he said.
Judge Bernard Saint-Vil said he did not release Silsby, 40, or Coulter, 24, because the two had previously visited Haiti in December and planned even before the quake to open an orphanage. After the quake, Silsby rushed to pull together the rest of the group.
All the volunteers have denied the charges, and Haitian parents of some of the children have come forward to say they gave up their children in hopes they'd have a better life.
When they got to Kansas City on Thursday afternoon, the four men looked as if they'd just come home from a tiring camping trip. Each wore a backpack, with sunglasses and ball caps dangling from elastic cords.
In their left hands, all four men held Bibles. One passenger listening to the news conference whispered that he had watched them read their Bibles all the way from Atlanta.
In the crush of media Thursday, other passengers standing nearby whispered, "Who are they?" "We didn't know they were famous." "The pilots didn't announce it."
Stegall's hand was shaking as he held a statement to read. Stegall had taken on the case only five days earlier and had never met his clients in person.
He told the media that the four men were "deeply grateful to God" for their safe return, especially thanking their wives for bearing the burden of worry.
Stegall didn't want his clients speaking one word to anyone until he had "debriefed" them, discussing with them what to say and what not to say - largely because of the two volunteers still being held in Port-au-Prince.
He asked for privacy for the families, to "give them some breathing space," and then the families turned and left.
Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Legal Institute in Plano, Texas, which helped secure Allen's release, briefly described the conditions under which the 10 Americans were held. He said the men were held separately from the women.
"Jim had a hot meal a day, a roof over his head," Sasser said. "I'm sure he'd tell you he had it a lot better than a lot of people who are suffering in Haiti."
Jeff Mateer, also with Liberty Institute, said Allen would not discuss the case because it is pending and that it was unclear whether Allen would have to return to Haiti.
"We hope that never happens," he said.
The Associated Press and Lee Hill Kavanaugh contributed.
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