Jail Release & Warrant Checks Available
Travis County Arrest and Warrant Lawyers   

Having a friend or loved one arrested is a scary and frustrating time. Call Chris Dorbandt & Associates and we can execute a jail release which will save you time and money.  You may or may not need a bail bondsman, but often we can potentially save you hundreds of dollars by appearing before a judge and obtaining a reduced bond.  Call us first!  If you know someone who is presently incarcerated in a central Texas jail or if you have an outstanding warrant pending for your arrest, we can assist you.  You can also skip the embarrassment and drama of being arrested at home or at your place of business.  We can generally make the arrest and booking process at any correctional facility quick and easy - most of the time it will take one hour or less! Call us for assistance with a warrant or jail release in Travis, Williamson, Hays or Bastrop Counties. Our number is: 512.407.9700

Steps to Obtaining a Jail Release in Travis County

• To obtain information on where your loved one is being held, call the Travis County jail at (512) 854-9889.
  
• Call us at Chris Dorbandt & Associates to assist in obtaining a jail release at 512.407.9700.
  

Bail involves a process in which a person who is being held in custody is released in exchange for money or property.  By posting a sum of money with the correctional facility, one gives a type of “insurance” that he or she will appear for his/her court date(s). Bail exists because criminal cases and trials can take weeks, months or years to resolve through the court system and bail permits a defendant – who may be innocent – to remain out of custody while pursuing normal activities.

The Bail Process

When people are arrested for a crime they generally are taken to a local law enforcement correctional detention facility where they are booked; meaning they are held in custody until they see a magistrate who gives them basic legal warnings and sets their bail. This involves recording information about the crime that took place, as well as information about the person. During booking, a police officer or correctional staff member usually will take a mug shot and fingerprint the person. Then they will run a background check. The officer generally will allow the person to make a phone call and will check to see whether the person is intoxicated or ill. After the booking procedure, the person is incarcerated.  What happens next depends on a number of factors. For misdemeanor crimes which are not deemed "serious", the accused may be allowed to post bail immediately. In cases involving serious allegations such as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon or other serious offenses, the person may have to wait in jail – usually no more than 48 hours – for "magistration." At the short hearing for magistration, a judge generally decides whether the accused may be released on bail and may decide what the amount of bail will be.  A general range for bail bonds in and around central Texas correctional facilities is from $1,000.00 for minor offenses to $20,000.00 for Aggravated Assault, $75,000.00 for Sexual Assault, to over $250,000.00+ for Murder.

When determining bail for a suspect, the judge will consider such factors like the severity and nature of the crime, past criminal history, risk to others, whether he/she has ties to the local community (resident v. lives out of state), the stability of one's residence, work history.  The judge  may also consider whether the person is presently on probation for another crime. If a suspect has a lengthy criminal record or a history of failure to appears in court, that may affect a judge’s decision about not immediately granting bail. Ultimately, bail is at the judge’s discretion, although some jurisdictions have bail schedules, which set a standard bond amount.

Posting Bond

Once a judge determines the amount for bond, the suspect usually can be released if he or she posts the bond in cash or surety (an insurance policy). If the accused or the family of the accused does not have the money or the assets to pay for a bond, then they can apply to a bail bondsman.   The bondsman will take a percentage of the bond amount – usually between 10 and 15 percent of the bond, and post a surety bond with the sheriff's department.  The surety bond acts as an insurance policy and will pay the county the full amount of the bond if the accused fails to appear.

Understanding the Different Types of Bail Bonds

• Personal Bonds - Generally if the arrested individual qualifies under certain Pre-Trial Services rules, then they will be released on a Personal Recognizance Bond. This means that they may be released without the assistance of an Attorney or a Bondsman.  The arrestee will have to pay a "bond fee" once released and they may also be required to comply with other conditions as required by the judge on pre-trial release. The bonding process can take up to 12 hours without the help of a qualified Attorney. Hiring an Attorney can greatly speed up the process.
  
• Cash Bonds - This means you post the full amount of the bond via a cashiers check or money order with the County Sheriff. This can be beneficial if the person complies with the terms of the bond. You are likely to obtain a refund of the bond, less certain statutory administrative fees, once the case is completed. Be mindful that if the case takes a year to resolve, you won’t obtain the cash bond refund until the case is concluded. The downfall on posting a cash bond is that it can take months or years to complete a case, so you will not obtain a refund quickly. One other suggestion: Never post large amounts of cash! Certainly nothing more than $2,500.00. It can be forfeited if the defendant fails to appear even once and believe me, it will be forfeited. I had an experience once where a family lost $50,000 in cash because their father failed to appear in court. He thought his court date was the day after he was supposed to appear! A simple mistake could be very costly.
  
• Surety Bonds - These bonds are posted by a bail bond company with the help of an approved bondsman. Large surety bonds should be avoided. You are better to retain and seek help from an experienced lawyer who can appear in court and seek a reduction of the bond. Sometimes it is better to leave a person in jail than to spend thousands in order to get him/her out of custody only to have them placed back in custody at their first hearing.

Help with Clearing a Warrant for your Arrest in Travis County

• If you have an active warrant pending, call us immediately. You don't want the police to show up at your work or home and cause you unneeded embarrassment and inconvenience. We can schedule an appointment for you to come into our office at your convenience and perform a "Walk-Through" to clear the warrant. Our office is conveniently located adjacent to the Travis County Jail and we offer complimentary free parking. The walk-through process is generally very fast once we have all the paperwork processed. You will normally be in custody during the booking process from as little as 30 minutes to as long as a couple hours.

Contact our experienced Attorney at Chris Dorbandt & Associates today for a free consultation on how we can assist you.
512.407.9700 Local
1.877.205.3425 Toll Free
603 W. 12th Street
Austin, TX 78701-1717
www.criminallawintexas.com