tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post4523884633687695073..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Bail bondsmen fear losing business: Plan bitter fight vs. bail bill, litigationGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-65292280601736499052017-03-12T16:09:57.559-05:002017-03-12T16:09:57.559-05:00Whitmire gets what he wants so this is pretty much...Whitmire gets what he wants so this is pretty much a done deal. Looks like Texas Bondsman will have to focus on the dog pounds to make a buck. This reform is needed and welcomed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-71517592034284321842017-03-09T16:59:56.304-06:002017-03-09T16:59:56.304-06:00@1:36, there are other misdemeanors besides Class ...@1:36, there are other misdemeanors besides Class Cs, e.g., As and Bs.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-88007334310520058772017-03-09T13:36:41.331-06:002017-03-09T13:36:41.331-06:00If misdemeanors are "fine only" why the ...If misdemeanors are "fine only" why the bail reform ? Just make the "Law" clear no arrests on class "C" misdemeanors period !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-85039329733411297462017-03-09T10:37:18.197-06:002017-03-09T10:37:18.197-06:00"Whitmire/Murr bill is not the "fix"..."Whitmire/Murr bill is not the "fix" we need." <br /><br />Then please feel free to offer an effective alternative as the problem and abuse have been around for years. <br /><br />It seems that too many firmly belive that p*ssing on an electric fense ... twice ... will somehow result in a different outcome. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-48888539927218913482017-03-09T09:44:19.037-06:002017-03-09T09:44:19.037-06:00I bet the bail bondsman are against marijuana lega...I bet the bail bondsman are against marijuana legalization too. That must drive a lot of business their way. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-74850790073789094562017-03-09T07:37:50.181-06:002017-03-09T07:37:50.181-06:00I will begin with, I am not a bondsman, but I work...I will begin with, I am not a bondsman, but I worked in a large county in the criminal justice department for many years. The Whitmire/Murr bill is nothing more than an unfunded mandate created by the legislature and funded by the property owning citizens of Texas (property taxes are the primary source of all county funding). Most large counties in Texas have Pretrial bond offices. They are big and they are expensive. The bill will make them bigger and more expensive. The small counties will see the development of another county department with its layers of management and the cost that goes along with the bureaucracy. In most counties (even large counties) surety bond offices are small operations and they cost the tax payers nothing. If the purpose of the bill is to reduce jail population, then look at the large counties with huge pretrial service departments, they all experience jail over crowding. If you want to talk public safety (and I think that should be paramount) there were more defendants on PR bonds who were arrested for an additional offense while on bond then those on Surety bonds during my entire tenure at the county. In one year we had 2 defendants commit murder while on PR bond for misdemeanor offenses. After investigation we found that both of the defendants had been AWOL for months and this fact had not been reported to the court. If a defendant on a surety bond disappears, I can assure the bondsman informs the court ASAP. <br />In conclusion, I am not saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it" because the criminal justice system is definitely "broke" but the Whitmire/Murr bill is not the "fix" we need.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-72421861179145822142017-03-09T06:00:26.582-06:002017-03-09T06:00:26.582-06:00The Whitmire/Murr bill won't work.
Use Travis ...The Whitmire/Murr bill won't work.<br />Use Travis County for example... Travis County already uses similar jail release for both misdemeanor and felony cases through Pretrial bonds as in the proposed bill. Travis County releases approximately 80-85% of the people on Pretrial bonds... the results... both jails are still over crowded, Travis County has about 30k in outstanding warrants mostly from people missing court from Pretrial bonds and since 2010 has cost the Travis County taxpayers $50 million plus.<br />And to your low level, low risk misdemeanors comment... most people that miss court are in fact on misdemeanor charges.<br />This proposed bill will only make things worse because it will be a revolving door for people who commit crimes to simply be released over and over again only burdening the Texas taxpayers millions.<br />I suggest you look at the UT Dallas Jail Release study by Dr. Morris and look at the very bad things going on in New Jersey since the beginning of the year when they started bail reform. Research, understanding and common sense prove this bill won't work.<br />Yes I am a bondsman.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-60679103825121042552017-03-08T11:05:08.064-06:002017-03-08T11:05:08.064-06:00Like most systems in America, the bail bond system...Like most systems in America, the bail bond system is designed to be deceptively regressive against those least able to defend themselves from the regression.Phelpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06270536870200063563noreply@blogger.com