Jail Releases
If a friend or loved one is in jail, it is important to get them out as quickly as possible. Jail is distressing, keeps them away from their families and job, and delays the ability to work with a defense attorney. Scott Smith has over 20 years of experience with arranging Texas jail releases, and can help your loved one get out of jail as quickly and affordably as possible.
If someone you love has been arrested, it’s important to get them out of jail as quickly as possible. There are several reasons for that. First, they need to start preparing a defense as soon as possible. In order to do that, they need to be able to work freely with a defense attorney. Second, the longer someone is in jail, the more likely they will accept a plea bargain under pressure. Finally, being in jail disrupts people’s lives. For example, the longer your loved one is in jail, the more likely they are to lose their job. Additionally, being in jail disrupts life activities like attending classes or caring for children. Clearly, the less time that your loved one has to spend in jail, the better.
According to The United States and Texas Constitutions, everyone has a right to have a reasonable bail. Only when your loved one can afford to get out of jail can they get a fair chance to defend themselves. There are several ways to arrange a pretrial jail release including personal bonds, cash bonds, security bonds.
When a person is arrested, almost always a judge will set a bail that requires paying a certain amount of money. When this money is paid, it is called a cash bond. After the person accused makes all court appearances required for his case, that money is refunded, minus a small fee.
A personal bond, also referred to as a personal recognizance bond or a “PR bond”, is a judge’s decision to release a person from jail based on the accused’s promise to appear in court whenever summoned to do so. Personal bonds often tend to be the least expensive way to secure a person’s release from jail in Austin, Texas, before trial since they do not require posting money with the jail to be held as security. In Travis County in Austin, the Pretrial Services office will typically interview all persons arrested and held in a Travis County Jail and then make recommendations to judges regarding whether to grant or deny personal bonds for jail release. In order to qualify for one, generally a person must show they have established connections in the county, will appear in court whenever directed to do so, and do not constitute a hazard to the community.
If a person cannot afford to post a cash bond, or secure a personal bond, the accused may hire a surety who will charge a fee to guarantee payment of the bail amount if the person accused fails to appear in court as required. Typically sureties will charge from ten to twenty per cent of the full bail amount. The money paid to the surety is a fee that they charge for this service and is usually nor refunded when the case is concluded. This tends to be the most expensive way to secure a release from jail, however, when a Personal Recognizance bond or a cash bond cannot be arranged, it is usually much better to spend this money than sit in jail for months or years awaiting trial.
If you would like to arrange for someone you know to be released from jail, call us at any time at 512-474-6484.