tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post113050311579219499..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Vote 'No' on Travis County Jail BondsGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1168605171943187752007-01-12T06:32:00.000-06:002007-01-12T06:32:00.000-06:00i know someone sitting in travis co jail right now...i know someone sitting in travis co jail right now.what he's being charge with was solved 5 years ago.the evidence pointing to others not him, but they picked him up last week.he has to wait two months to see a jugde so he can say to the jugde that the case has been solved so someone will look and realize they held him for two months on nothing. real smart right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1130914113411694122005-11-02T00:48:00.000-06:002005-11-02T00:48:00.000-06:00I take your point. But the county jail is the plac...I take your point. <BR/><BR/>But the county jail is the place where you wait for trial. Lots of those waiting for trial are accused of serious crimes (and therefore unlikely to recieve personal bond) and have to wait a long while because rushing to trial isn't advisable.<BR/><BR/>Most inmates awaiting trial for misdemeanors get one within 6 weeks. Most of these have no local contacts, and records. Also, Travis County holds many people for trial, misdemeanor or felony, who have parole holds and aren't eligible for release at all. Likewise probationers awaiting trial on new charges, although these can get personal bond with good facts.<BR/><BR/>I'd argue that one answer to the problem would be to provide quicker trials. You'd get hurried lawyering, but it would make it easier for the accused to agree to wait for defense and possible acquital rather than plead now for time served.<BR/><BR/>Make sure you factor in that some percentage, surely in the double digits, of PR releasees fail to appear. That helps the argument for restraint in granting bond.<BR/><BR/>And expressed as a percentage in comparison with larger counties, the higher population awaiting trial reflects a lower population serving sentences. <BR/><BR/>Do you know about Travis County's "Jail Reduction Docket"? Distressing stuff, all about processing people out for misdemeanors, making sausage. Folks get to court within about a week of arrest, and are usually offered low sentences, which, combined with the standard 2-for-1 jail credit, gets lots out that day. Lots of people plead guilty to stuff they either didn't do or which could be defended. But trials are two to three weeks away, and people want out today.<BR/><BR/>This happens at 1:30 every day, in one of the County Courts at Law. 20 to 80 inmates are brought from the jails. Many meet their lawyers for the first time in this setting. Often the lawyer has already worked out the case before the meeting the guy. Lawyers recieve the appointments two or three days ahead of the setting. Lots of lawyers attend, even without a client, because of the prospect of bench appointments.<BR/><BR/>And one last gem. Travis County pays court appointed lawyers according to a fee schedule. The schedule provides that a misdemeanor resolved with a plea pays $175. Cases resolved by dismissal pay $150. It takes alot more work to get a case dismissed than to fill out plea paperwork. Lawyers don't complain because the expected response involves paying less for pleas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1130632969632160132005-10-29T19:42:00.000-05:002005-10-29T19:42:00.000-05:00Thanks, that's interesting - I knew they had a pre...Thanks, that's interesting - I knew they had a pretrial screening program, but my understanding was they don't interview everybody. I've never seen detailed documentation, though, and appreciate the first-hand account. <BR/><BR/>That said, if Travis' pretrial program works so well, I wish I understood how greater than 60 percent of jail inmates could be there awaiting trial. What's more, I don't understand how much-larger Harris County (Houston) could have FEWER misdemeanants in jail awaiting trial than Travis. Those figures tell me there's more Travis' pretrial services could do to release low-level offenders on personal bond.<BR/><BR/>I'm sure Travis' pretrial screening looks good compared to rural counties where they don't do it at all, but comparing them to other large counties, it looks to me like Travis can do a lot more in this area.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1130624283282034222005-10-29T17:18:00.000-05:002005-10-29T17:18:00.000-05:00Travis County pre-trial services, an agency of the...Travis County pre-trial services, an agency of the courts, screens new arrestees and makes recommendations regarding personal bond. Their screening includes interviews with arrestees and calls to contacts provided by the arrestee. The agency also runs a routine TCIC and NCIC check. Lots of people are released through this program before they hire or are appointed counsel. PTS does not interview defendants charged with serious crimes, because folks charged with, say, murder, are gonna have to pony up for pre-trial release.<BR/><BR/>Even when pre-trail services does not recommend personal bond, often a lawyer's intervention with a judge can do the trick. Pre-trial services freely shares information with lawyers, and is generally helpful even when they don't recommend personal bond.<BR/><BR/>I practice criminal defense in Travis and Hays counties. I wish Hays had Travis's program. In Hays county very few personal bonds are granted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com