If a member of the family or friend has been arrested in Texas, and you are attempting to obtain a Jail Release from County Jail for them, please contact a Texas defense attorney immediately for immediate assistance.
You have every right to be concerned if you have been investigated or jailed for any criminal offense, such as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or any Felony Charge. Being charged with a crime may be one of the scariest things you’ve ever experienced. A DWI conviction may result in the restriction or loss of a driver’s license, an increase in insurance costs, fines, court costs, a Driver’s License service charge of between $3,000.00 and $6,000.00, and even the potential of jail time. in Texas, Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) is a serious offense.
Nobody wants to be on either end of that collect phone call made from jail.
The person calling from jail is terrified, perplexed, embarrassed, concerned, desperate, and alone. The person answering the phone is also extremely worried and scared, and they may not know where to turn to help a loved one in crisis.
When someone is arrested, the first priority is to get out of jail as soon as possible. Equally important is legal protection – preserving legal rights, investigating and mitigating damage as soon as possible, and, whenever possible, working to prevent the case from proceeding.
Criminal defense attorneys can best assist clients when they are involved from the start, meeting with them as soon as they are arrested and advising them on their rights and the criminal process. Attorneys frequently have answers and access that other agencies, such as bondsmen, do not. By gathering information, investigating the circumstances of the arrest, and halting interrogation while they get your loved one out of jail, they may be able to secure a more favorable position for the defense from the start of the case.
What you should know about a release from jail
Once the judge signs the bond and the lawyer turns the bond into Central Booking, it usually takes the Sheriff 4 – 6 hours to release someone from custody. This does not include the time it takes for the client to be booked into jail by police. This does not include the time it takes the lawyer to interview the client, obtain background checks, complete bond paperwork, and meet with the judge. Please keep in mind that the person will most likely be detained for at least 6 hours before being released.
Texas Jails
Texas’ county jails are kept very busy, as the state has the second highest inmate population in the country. Texas is well-known for its tough stance on crime, so it’s no surprise that it has one of the highest per capita inmate populations in the country.
Why are there so many people imprisoned in Texas county jails?
To begin with, Texas has a large number of counties. There are 254 counties in total, more than any other state in the United States. While some of these counties are extremely small (Loving County, for example, has only 74 residents), Texas also has some enormous counties. Harris County (home of Houston) has a population of over 3.5 million people.
Dallas, Tarrant, and Bexar counties each have over a million people. When there are a lot of people, there are bound to be a lot more people to lock up.
County jails versus state prisons
If you committed a particularly serious crime (for example, murder, grand theft auto, armed robbery, etc.), you will most likely not spend much time in a county jail. You’ll be held in a county jail until you’re sentenced, and then you’ll spend the rest of your time (and possibly your life) in prison.
Prisons are harsher than jails because inmates are charged with more serious crimes and spend a longer period of time behind bars. It is extremely rare for someone to spend more than a year in a county jail (during any single stay). Inmates generally don’t want to risk being charged with another crime in county jail, so they don’t fight as much and try to be model inmates.
Why hire a lawyer over a bail bondsman?
Nobody anticipates being arrested. Most of our clients have never had to arrange for someone to be released from jail, and they understand that it can be a sensitive and, at times, embarrassing situation. It’s just as awkward for the person behind bars. People who have just been arrested have a lot of legal questions that a Texas bail bondsman can’t answer because of everything that has just happened. Even at 4:00 a.m., they believe that meeting with a client during their most difficult time is critical.
First and foremost, you will pay less.
When you hire a bail bondsman, you will pay 10% to 20% of the bond amount plus guaranteed security and collateral in the amount of twice the bond amount.
Second, it’s a better financial investment.
A bail bondsman makes 99 percent of his or her money within the first few hours of getting you out of jail. They’re betting money on whether or not their client will appear in court in the future. For example, if you pay a bail bondsman $4,000 to get you out of jail, you are paying them $1,000-$2,000 per hour. The bondsman will hold the bond until the end of your case, but you will never get your money back, and it cannot be used to pay your attorney’s fees. This money would be better spent on a good defense lawyer than on a hasty decision to use a bail bondsman to get someone out of jail.
Third, a lawyer can begin working on your case at this critical juncture.
When you are arrested, the investigation begins. Once someone is arrested and in jail, the clock starts ticking in terms of locating witnesses, obtaining witness statements, gathering evidence, and mounting an effective defense in order to prevent a case from being filed or even being indicted. When someone is released from jail, they usually take it easy and wait for their court date. This is a terrible idea! If you are serious about contesting your case and keeping a conviction off your record, you should hire a lawyer as soon as you step foot in jail. Because they spend so much time conducting interviews and gathering evidence, that lawyer will be able to obtain a very detailed statement from you. They can start working on the case right away to see if there is any evidence that has been lost or destroyed. Furthermore, by involving a lawyer from the start, they are sometimes able to obtain affidavits, non-prosecution agreements, or witness statements that would not be as valuable if obtained weeks or months after the arrest. The police officers are likely already in possession of the witness statements from the day of or the day before the arrest, and it is critical, if not critical, for us to be on a level playing field with them. Because they have such a time advantage, our clients who use our services to get them out of jail are often able to mount a very effective defense.
Finally, hiring a lawyer to handle your jail release will save you time and stress.
If you hire a lawyer for a jail release, you will have one less person to tell about your arrest’s traumatic events. Hiring an attorney will no longer be on your “to-do” list if a lawyer is involved from the start. Aside from the fact that they will credit a portion of your jail release fee toward your defense, they will be in a better position to advise you on what to do once you are out of jail, particularly in cases involving protective orders, pretrial release, personal bonds, or different conditions of those bonds. They can advise you on where to stay and what you should do to limit your exposure to the criminal system. You will save money on attorney’s fees if they are able to resolve your case before trial or even before indictment.
Get Texas Jail Information Now
This resource is your one-stop info center to tell you everything you know to help your friend or loved one in jail: location, visitation info, options for release, how to send them letters and money, and more.
How To Choose An Attorney
Picking the right attorney is a tough process. Keep these things in mind.
- Do they practice locally? You want them to be somewhat familiar with the court where you are being tried.
- Do they seem knowledgeable? You want them to know what they are doing.
- Can you afford the attorney? Make sure that you can afford the attorney and if they offer payment plans will you be able to afford the payments.
Check out our local Texas jail pages to find an attorney that is familiar with your current courts, you feel comfortable with, and seems intelligent and well-informed.
Do not settle and ask questions.
Recommended Texas DWI Lawyers
To begin fighting your DWI in Texas, please see the list below to find a Texas DWI Attorney in your county.
Criminal Defense Attorney Joe Cannon
6614 Barronton Dr
Spring, TX 77389
{713) 960-0777
DWI Lawyer Serving Harris County
But do it right away, because time is of the essence in a Texas DWI case. Please keep in mind that just because you were arrested for DWI in Texas does not mean you are guilty. For example, if you are arrested for DWI in Houston, the police can arrest you even if your breath test results are less than the legal limit of.08. – LinkedIn
How To Choose A Bail Bondsman
Often, when a loved one or family member is arrested, there is little time to research how to pick a bondsman. But these simple rules have helped many people pick the right one.
- Go Local. Pick a bail bondsman that is familiar with the jail where your loved one is being held.
- Easy To Talk With. When you called, did the person you spoke with make you feel comfortable, and did they answer all of your questions? You should feel comfortable asking him or her any of your questions.
- Fee. Ask for the fees upfront. Usually, but not always, the bond amount for a felony is 10% and the bond amount for a misdemeanor is 20%. These are rough estimates only.
Jails Made Simple
JailStuff.org is a private organization that makes it easy to get government-related information about jails and penitentiaries across different counties and states.
We created this resource because they know how worrisome it is to have a friend or loved one be in jail and wanted to provide you with the most accurate information possible. Every jail has different procedures and rules so we’ve put all the necessary information about specific jails for you to use when someone is arrested.
We aren’t government employees; we just want to use the Internet to make helping your friends and family in a tough situation better. If you want to skip the hassle and get answers quick, check out JailStuff.org to get the people you love the help they need.