Once you have been arrested in Travis County, the criminal justice system's gears immediately start turning in your case. However, you may have to stay behind bars for a more extended period without the help of a bonds agent. At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we can ensure you are back on your feet rather than languish in jail, but you want to familiarize yourself with the bail bond process before we help. If you only understand the bail bond process from the knowledge you acquired by watching television, we can walk you through it to be ready in the unfortunate scenario that you find yourself in trouble with the law.
The Travis County Bail Process
If a police officer arrests you in Travis County, they will take you to the nearest local jail for booking. The booking process usually lasts one or two hours, and then you will be transferred to a holding cell to await to be arraigned in court so that the judge can read your criminal charges to you. After the court arraignment, you may opt to stay in custody until your case is resolved or secure your release before trial.
To secure your release from custody before your court trial, you may have to post bail. Bail assists in ensuring you will show up in court as required after you are released from custody. If you show up as required, the bail money will be refunded. If you do not, you will forfeit it. Your bail amount can fluctuate based on several factors, such as the nature of the offense you are alleged to commit. If the judge sets the bail amount too high that you cannot afford to pay it, your lawyer can negotiate the amount to have you released more quickly. If you opt to secure your release before trial by posting bail, you will have to reach out to a licensed bail agent/bail bondsman to post the bail for you or have your friend, loved one, or a member of your family do it for you, as we shall see later.
Bail Bonds In Travis County Are Different from Other Counties
Every Texas bail bond agency can only issue bonds in the county where they are licensed. A bail bond license does not extend across counties as is usual in most U.S states. If a bail agent wishes to operate in a given county, they must be licensed through that county's Bail Bond Board.
Determining and Setting Bail In Travis County
After you have been placed under arrest and booked, a probable cause affidavit will be filed in court. A probable cause affidavit is fundamentally an arresting officer's brief version of the accusations against you. A judge then reviews this affidavit and looks into your criminal history. After that, the judge determines and sets a bail value depending on how severe your supposed crime is and your prior criminal record.
Bail Amounts In Travis County
For misdemeanor crimes, the bail amount is usually set as lower as five thousand dollars for charges like passing a fraudulent check and as higher as ten thousand dollars or more for charges that involve assault or family violence.
The bail amount for most first driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) crimes will range from one thousand five hundred dollars to seven thousand five hundred dollars if the accused does not have any previous arrests. But the county does not have a set bail schedule; thus, the amount may be less or more based on the judge’s discretion.
A judge sets bail after they have reviewed your case. If the police did arrest you after one o'clock in the morning (which is mostly so with DWI cases), often, the judge will not set bail until the following day. After the judge sets bail, you have five ways through which you can secure your release from custody— surety bonds, personal bonds, property bonds, cash bonds, and cash deposit bonds.
Bail Bonds or Surety Bonds
As we mentioned, it could be necessary for you to retain a bonds agency in given cases to guarantee the set bail amount. Bail bond agencies usually charge 10% of the bail amount as the fee to secure your release from jail. For instance, if the judge has set your bail amount at five thousand dollars, you will pay five hundred dollars as the fee. However, it might be more (between 15% and 20%) in given cases. This fee is not refundable. This means that even if you make all the court appearances as required and prevail in the charges against you, the money will not be returned— it is the bail bond company's charges for their services.
Apart from the fee, the bail agent may also ask you to provide collateral for securing your bond before they post it. Collateral could be real estate, vehicles, valuable jewelry, or any other valuable property the agent can resell for the total bail amount the judge set. The collateral will be returned to you if you make all the court appearances, but, it is worth repeating, the 10% is still not refunded. Additionally, most bail bond agencies require you to have a cosigner consent to paying the bond value if you fail to show up in court.
Note that you do not have to pay this fee in cash. Most Travis County bond companies accept credit cards. Others even accept Western Union Money-Grams to process payments from co-signers who are not in the state. Most bail bond agencies will also offer loans to pay for the 10% fee if necessary, and re-payment is based on a set payment plan or collateral.
If you appear in court for hearings concerning your case and court trial as required, the bond amount will be refunded to the bail bond company. If you fail to show up in court as ordered, the bail bond company will forfeit the bond amount. The judge may also issue a bench warrant for your arrest.
The bail bond company will sell the collateral you provided as security to recover the bond amount lost. If you did not give any collateral, the company would go after your cosigner to pay the amount or hunt you down through a bounty hunter and make you pay the money.
Whether you are a co-signer or the defendant, you want to find the most reliable bondsman to help you post bail. Therefore, conducting extensive research before hiring a bail agent is worth it. Note that all bondsmen have to be licensed within the county they are providing bond services in, in this case, Travis County.
This is the most prevalent way to post bail. Firstly, it is affordable as you will only be required to pay a 10% fee, and the bail agent will deposit the rest of the bail amount for you. Secondly, with a bail company, you can post bail any time. Therefore, if arrested late at night or on the weekend, you can still reach out to a bail agent to seek their services. And thirdly, bail bond companies are reliable. They offer flexible payment plans and various payment options that meet your needs.
Cash Bonds
To secure cash bail, you will simply have to deposit the total bail value with the court or jail facility. Travis County Jail accepts only money orders and cashier's checks (not real cash) equivalent to the bail amount.
Generally, cash bail is not the ideal way of paying bail for several reasons. Firstly, since the bail amount is often set in thousands of dollars instead of hundreds of dollars for most crimes, most arrestees find it challenging to raise the entire cash amount as quickly as possible. If you cannot raise the bail amount, it means you will be forced to remain detained for a more extended period. Secondly, the money you deposit will be withheld until the court resolves your case, which may take several months or even years. Generally, this is not an ideal utilization of cash.
Property Bonds
A property bond is an option for arrestees with a significant bail amount. You could post your property as bail, but if you fail to appear in court, the court assumes ownership of the property title and initiates the foreclosure procedure on the property. Property bonds are rarely sought in Travis County since the process is time-consuming. For instance, before the court can accept a property as a bond, it has to appraise it to ensure its value is equivalent to the bail amount. This process takes an extended period, and most people want to secure their release as soon as possible.
Cash Deposit Bonds
Travis County is one of only two counties in Texas that offers cash deposit bonds. With this kind of bond, your lawyer may make a cash deposit— usually up to 10% of the set bail amount. A cash deposit bond is essentially a personal bond that requires collateral, and only a lawyer can post it.
Personal Bonds
Sooner or later, after your arrest, the Travis County Pre-Trial Services Office will interview you to establish if you qualify for release on a personal bond. If you do qualify, you will only have to pay a forty-dollar personal bond charge to the Pre-Trial Services Office.
This is one of the cheapest means of securing your release from custody. But it is usually not the ideal option for several reasons. Firstly, if you are placed under arrest later in the night, for instance, at two o'clock for driving while intoxicated, the judge will usually not set bail until the following day.
Secondly, based on how many people have been arrested on that day, the Pretrial Services Office may take beyond twelve hours to authorize release on a personal bond. It is not uncommon for someone arrested for any given crime at two o'clock in the morning to be approved for release on a personal bond between six and ten o'clock in the evening. Most arrestees want to secure their release sooner, if possible.
Thirdly, the Pre-Trial Services Office applies stringent criteria to establish the qualification for a personal bond. The office will often not approve an arrestee for this type of bond unless they hire an attorney.
Release on Own Recognizance (ROR)
In certain situations, a judge may release you on your own recognizance. If you are released on your own recognizance, you do not need to post bail. You will simply sign a note stating that you promise to make all court appearances as required. However, this form of release rarely happens.
Bail Conditions In Travis County
Note that in Travis County, bail is not guaranteed. The judge may deny you bail altogether. However, if they agree to release you on bail, they may set various conditions that you will have to comply with. If you disobey any imposed requirements, your bail may be revoked, and you will be rearrested.
Counseling is a prevalent condition for bail. The judge may order drug counseling if accused of a drug crime, alcohol counseling if charged with a driving-while-intoxicated or any other alcohol-related offense, and family violence counseling if charged with a domestic violence-related crime.
The judge may also order you not to contact the victim or complaining witness. This is separate and different from a protective order.
The judge may also require you to undergo one or several Caseload Programs. These programs involve mental health and regular supervision.
Another form of a Caseload Program is electronic monitoring. The authorities could monitor you with GPS or radio frequencies. Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) can also be used to establish whether you have consumed any alcohol.
Jail Information
Travis County Correctional Complex
Phone: 512-854-9889
Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center
Phone: 512-854-9244
Travis County Jail
Phone: 512-854-9889
Court Information
Travis County Criminal Court
Phone: 512-854-9244
Find Reliable Bail Bond Services Near Me
At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we are ready to assist you, so do not hesitate to contact us if you have been arrested in Travis County. If you are stuck in jail until your trial date, you will not be capable of working and earning money for your legal defense or gathering enough proof for it. That is why it is in your best interests to secure your release as soon as possible. To schedule a consultation with one of our bail bond agents, contact us right away at 512-890-1903