How Can I Get Someone Out Of Jail In Travis County?
– TG, Texas
Answer:
Everyone who is arrested in Travis County is taken to the central booking facility downtown. If the person is charged with a new offense, the police will file paperwork alleging a crime has been committed. The paperwork will be reviewed by a judge and the judge will set a bond amount based on the seriousness of the crime.
Until the bond amount has been set the person cannot be released on bond. It usually takes several hours for the bond to be set. The person charged must then see a judge who will them what they are charged with and what the bond amount has been set at (this is called magistration).
If you are charged with DWI it may be possible to be released to an attorney’s custody until the following morning. This is called a Hobby release (named after the former Lt. Governor). Only an attorney may obtain a Hobby release. An attorney is also the only one who can waive magistration. An attorney can also try to have the bond amount reduced.
Most individuals charged with a crime will been by pretrial services after a bond amount is set. If that person qualifies the person may be released on personal bond. An attorney can help in this process by verifying references and employment and other positive factors.
A second type of bond is a cash deposit bond. An attorney may ask a judge to allow to an accused person to deposit a percentage of the bond amount. That percentage is usually five to fifteen percent. Unlike a bail bond or surety bond, that money is returned (minus a small fee) at the conclusion of the case. Of course someone could deposit the whole amount of the bond.
The third type of bond is a surety bond. This is usually done by a bail bond company and usually costs 20% of the bond amount. This money is not returned at the end of the case.
Someone charged with a felony could spend up to 90 days in jail before they even go to court after magistration. They could spend over a year waiting to go to trial.
Someone charged with a misdemeanor will generally go to court within five days. If that person rejects a plea offer, they will spend a minimum of thirty days before they must be released. A person out of jail has many more options than someone in jail.
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