An arrest is life-altering. It will interfere with various aspects of your life, including social, education, and career. However, you do not have to remain locked up before a court concludes your case. You need to carry on with your life up until the court determines your case. You also need enough time to prepare for the trial. That is why you might consider posting bail for your freedom.
In Texas, the law grants all defendants the right to secure their freedom from jail. It could be through paying a cash bond or by engaging the help of a bail bondsman. The latter is more common, as most bails are high. A reliable bond dealer in Houston will pay a surety bond to the court to secure your freedom for an affordable fee. At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we offer bail around the clock to ensure that you do not remain in incarceration more than you should.
What Happens After Arrest in Houston, TX
When the police arrest you in Texas, they book you in the local county jail. The arresting officer will forward the details of your case to a prosecutor, who opens charges against you in a criminal court. Meanwhile, the officer will grant your right to post bail to secure your freedom before trial.
Two things could happen, based on the details of your case. One, the officer will tell you the amount of bail you must pay to secure your freedom from jail. It happens in the case of a straightforward matter, whereby a court predetermines the bail. If you or your family member have the money, you’ll pay the cash bail, sign the required papers, and go home.
The second option is in case you have to make your first appearance before a judge, who determines your bail. In cases where bail is not predetermined, the judge must consider the severity of your offense to grant bail. If this is the case, the arresting officer will arraign you in court within 24 to 48 hours of your arrest. The judge will read the charges against you, set a bond and give you the court date for your second appearance.
With those details, you should be able to post bail to obtain your freedom. You do this by paying cash or through a bail bondsman. You could pay cash bail if the bail is not high, or you can raise the required amount within a short period. But if bail is set high and you desperately need your freedom, you could seek the help of a bail bondsman.
In some instances, the judge will let you go without paying any money to secure your freedom. This option usually is available for first offenders or those who’re facing charges for less severe offenses. If the judge chooses to release you from jail on personal recognizance, you’ll only need to sign an agreement that you’ll appear for trial on the date set by the court.
Note that not all defendants are eligible for bail. The judge could deny you bail, especially if you face charges for a serious violent felony. The idea is to keep members of the public safe. If your freedom from incarceration puts anyone at risk of harm, the judge could deny you bail. However, the law requires a speedy trial for cases like these. It ensures that defendants are only incarcerated once they are proven guilty.
What is Bail
Bail is the amount of money you pay to a court as security for your freedom from incarceration as you wait for trial. When you commit an offense in Texas and the police arrest you, the idea is usually to take you through trial to establish whether you are guilty or not. If not guilty, you are released and allowed to go back to your life. But if guilty, you are sentenced according to the state’s criminal laws.
However, the police cannot arraign you for trial the same day of your arrest. The prosecution needs enough time to gather evidence and prepare its case. You also need ample time to hire a lawyer and plan your defense. That is why you could be kept in incarceration much longer before the court concludes your case. But the law doesn’t allow the police or a local court to hold defendants if they have not been determined guilty.
That is why you are eligible for an early release awaiting trial. But you have to pay some money to secure your freedom. Courts in Texas set bail to discourage you from skipping trial. They set high bails to prevent serious offenders from securing their release. Again, you may not miss your trial if you knew you could lose so much money if you don’t attend the trial as required.
In Texas, bail setting is done by the local courts. Several factors come into play when determining the amount of bail for each case. Some of these factors are:
Standard Bail Schedule Within the Jurisdiction
The court will consider the standard bail schedule for the particular jurisdiction within which you committed the underlying offense. This schedule determines the amount of bail for every crime.
The Defendant’s Criminal Record
The court could be a little lenient to first offenders. If you have a serious or violent crime on your criminal record, you might be considered a risk to your community. Thus, your bail could be higher to make it hard for you to secure your freedom.
The Nature of the Offense
A severe offense will attract a higher bail than a lenient offense. The judge could even deny you bail if you’re facing charges for a more serious violent crime.
The Potential Penalty for the Underlying Charge
Some defendants could be tempted to flee and escape trial if the potential penalty for the charges they face is severe. For instance, if you’re likely to receive a life-in-prison sentence for your charges, escaping trial could sound like a good idea. Therefore, defendants facing serious charges could be denied bail, or their bail could be set high.
Family Ties
People with close family ties within the jurisdiction are less likely to flee. Therefore, the court may not set bail high for their cases since there is a higher possibility to appear for trial. The same goes for those who have a good employment history within the jurisdiction. The court considers how long you have lived in the community, how close you are to the people, and how much you stand to lose if you fled.
The Texas bail system is meant to be fair for all defendants. Therefore, the most critical factor would be the standard bail schedule within the state or county. However, courts may decide to customize their bail system to fit the individual situation of defendants.
Types of Bonds in Texas
Texas bail bonds companies offer all types of bonds, depending on the facts of your case. The most common of these are:
Surety Bonds
They are the most common types of bonds in Texas. Bail bond companies offer surety bonds to defendants that are unable to raise their bail. You contact a bond dealer if your bail is set high and is unaffordable to you or your family. The company offers to secure your release from jail on the condition that you’ll appear in court for trial. In exchange, you pay a fee, which is usually a small percentage of your bail. The company also takes some form of collateral. If you fail to appear in court and forfeit bail, the company will sell the collateral to recover its money. Collateral is usually something valuable, for instance, the title of valuable property.
Cash Bonds
Defendants or their families post cash bonds to secure their freedom from jail. If you’re eligible for bail, the arresting officer gives you the option of posting cash bail. However, it only works if the bail is affordable to you or your family. Some families fundraise the money to secure the release of their loved one from jail quickly. Cash bonds are not so common, mainly because bail is set high. That is why the court allows other alternatives, like the use of a bail bondsman, to help with bail payment.
Appeal Bonds
They are usually available for defendants who’ve already been sentenced but choose to appeal the judge’s verdict. Your lawyer can request the court to grant you bail so you won’t have to stay behind bars during the entire appeal period. Appeal bonds are more like cash bonds than surety bonds. The court will require you to pay the total amount of collateral in cash, letter of credit, or certificate of deposit. If your appeal is granted or denied, the court will refund the entire bail amount. However, if you’re granted bail and don’t appear in court, you’ll be rearrested and could forfeit the whole bail amount.
Immigration Bonds
Immigration bonds work the same as surety bonds but are a bit more complicated. You’ll be required to post an immigration bond to the Immigration and Naturalization Service and not in jail, as is the case with the other bonds discussed above. Additionally, a bond dealer offering immigration bonds must be a special license holder, which allows them to handle immigration cases. If you’re granted an immigration bond and don’t appear in court, you forfeit the total amount.
The Bail Bond Process in Houston, TX
It is crucial to understand how the bail bond process works inTexas. It will save your time and enable you to remain calm after your arrest. Most bail bonds dealers in the city work the same. Therefore, the process might stay the same for all.
Once you determine your bail, the police will leave it up to you to determine how you’ll secure your freedom. If you and your family cannot raise the required bail, you’ll contact a reliable bail bonds dealer. If you are lucky, a 24-hour online bond dealer will secure your freedom the same day.
A bail bond agent will contact you right away to gather details of your arrest and case. He/she will want to know your full name and other personal information, where the police are holding you, and the amount of bail. If you do not have all these details, an experienced bail bonds dealer will have a way to find the information.
The agent will prepare all the documents, which you can sign online to speed up the process. Once the paperwork is ready and you agree with the terms of the bail, the agent will forward the details to the local jail, where you are held to secure your freedom.
Confidentiality is paramount as far as bond dealers are concerned. You can be sure that the agent handling your case will not share the details of your case with any third party.
Why Hire a Houston Bail Bond Company
You cannot underestimate the help a bail bondsman offers defendants. It is the quickest way through which you can be released from jail after an arrest in Texas. The bail bondsman will secure your freedom from incarceration and ensure that you show up for trial for the conclusion of your case. Therefore, if you or your loved one has been arrested in or around the city, here are reasons to seek the help of a reliable bail bond company.
Quick Processing of Bail
An arrest affects so many aspects of a person’s life. Thus, you do not want to stay in incarceration longer than you should. You could post cash bail and obtain your freedom soon after arrest. But if you do not have enough cash, you might have to source alternative ways to raise the required money. Fundraising from family and friends takes more time, which means that you could stay a little longer in jail before raising the needed money.
A bail bondsman offers a quick solution to your bail needs. Bond dealers do not take time to raise the bail as they are always prepared to serve their clients. The right bail agent will act fast to secure your freedom without wasting more time. Thus, the arrest will not interfere with so much of your life. You can quickly go back to work, school, or your family, as if nothing happened.
Higher Affordability
You are never ready for an arrest or to post bail. Thus, you might not have all the money the court needs to release you before trial. Some cases have higher bail requirements than others. It means that your bail could even be higher if you face charges for a rather serious offense.
Bail bonds companies offer an affordable alternative to defendants who are unable to raise bail. When working with a bond dealer, you’ll only be expected to raise a small portion of your bail, say 10%. It is the premium paid for the bail bond services and the fee the bail bondsman will charge you. It is easier to raise a small percentage like that than the entire bail.
Online and Over phone Bail
The worry for most defendants nowadays is that they or their family members have to physically seek the help of a bail bondsman. Remember that the longer you remain in jail, the more your life is destabilized. It helps to work with a bail bonds company that offers online or over-the-phone bail. Reliable bond dealers operate online or on the phone to make the process even quicker for their clients.
Once you contact the bail bonds company, an agent is quickly assigned your case. The agent will start the process right away. He/she can obtain crucial information and fill in documents that you need to sign for the court to grant your freedom.
24/7 Availability
No one knows the day or time for their arrest. It happens when you least expect it. In Texas, you can be arrested any time, during the day or at night. It could be in the morning while leaving for work or school, in the middle of the day, or at night. When that happens, you need to engage the help of a bail bondsman who operates round the clock. Reliable bond dealers should offer bail services throughout the day and night. It gives you peace of mind knowing that you can still find help despite the day or time.
Houston Courthouse and Jail Information
Houston County Courthouse
401 East Houston Avenue
Crockett, TX 75835
Phone: (936) 544-3255
Fax: (936) 544-8053
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Houston County Clerk
Crockett, TX 75835-0370
P.O. Box 370
Phone: (936) 544-3255 x241
The County Sheriff’s Office
700A South 4th Street
Crockett, Texas 75835
Phone: (936) 544-2862
Fax: (936) 544-8061
Find 24 Hour Online Houston Bail Bonds Near Me
If the police have arrested you in Houston, TX, it helps to know that you can benefit significantly from the services of a reliable bail bonds company. The court may not release you on personal recognizance, which means that you’ll be required to raise the entire bail. However, this could be a challenge, especially if your bail is set high. 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds will ensure that you are released from jail soon after arrest, without paying more money than you can afford. Call us at 512-890-1903 us soon after your arrest, and we’ll immediately begin the bail process.