Category Archives: Bail Bonds

Bail after Federal Arrest in Texas and The Bail Reform Act of 1984

Bail after an arrest by federal law enforcement is very different than when someone enters the state criminal justice system.  Texas bail is allowed much more often than it is in federal court.  It’s not that bail is not routinely considered a part of federal matters.  News coverage is filled with federal bail stories. This…


New University of Chicago Study’s Shocking Revelations of Federal Bail Injustice: Systemic Errors and the “Culture of Detention”

Arrests are always serious. After all, individual freedom is taken away.  A permanent and public criminal record is created (or grows).  Careers can be lost, and relationships can end — just because of an arrest. Experienced criminal defense lawyers have seen all too often how “innocent until proven guilty” may not matter to supervisors, deans,…


Coronavirus in Texas Jails and Federal Prisons: Release Pending Trial

The Coronavirus Pandemic is unprecedented in its impact upon our lives, and this includes the criminal justice system.  The danger of coming into contact with COVID-19 is so great that “Stay at Home” Orders have been issued for Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant Counties as well as other communities across the state. The Incarcerated are…


ICE Holds, Bail Bonds, and Getting Freed from Jail in Texas

Arrests are not the same as being charged with a crime.  For instance, a police officer (or sheriff’s deputy or state trooper) can pull someone over here in Texas and place them under arrest.  Here is when the Miranda rights must be given to the accused, which include explaining that the person has a right…


Dallas County Bond Schedule 2017

The latest Dallas County Bond Schedule has been placed into Michael Lowe’s Digital Library on Scribd. It’s provided for free as a public service. The Dallas County Bond Schedule is effective February 2017. As explained in the document:  “These are recommended amounts. Bonds may be set higher or lower than the amounts shown if justified…


2017 Dallas RIGHT Program: Mentally Ill Avoid Bail and Jail

Mental illness often leads to arrest here in Dallas and North Texas.  All too often, people suffering from any number of psychological issues find themselves behind bars of local state and county jails. Frequently they remain in jail, and without treatment, because they are unable to make bail.  This isn’t news.  It’s a problem that…


Loss of Privacy And Arrest in Texas: Hurting Your Job, Your Relationships, Your Life

You can be arrested under either federal or state law here in Texas. We’ve discussed how those two systems work side by side here in Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas. For more on the process of being detained, arrested, and released on bail, read: Out on Bail: Pre-Trial Conditions in Dallas, Fort Worth, and…


Out on Bail: Pre-Trial Conditions in Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas

We’ve discussed being detained versus being arrested, and the process of getting out of jail on bail if you are arrested here in Texas. Far too many people sit in jail here in Dallas, Fort Worth, and the rest of North Texas because they cannot make bail. That’s why there’s a big movement today for…


Brendan Dassey Motion for Release from Jail During Appeal of Wrongful Conviction Ruling

The Motion to Release Brendan Dassey on his own recognizance (no bail bond) has been filed with the federal court that ruled he was the victim of a wrongful conviction.  Both the motion and its memorandum in support (which has all the legal arguments) have been placed in the Michael Lowe Digital Library. This supplements…


Bail in Texas: What’s All This About Bail Reform? Can You Get Out of Jail?

Bail is not guaranteed to you in the constitution. It’s a process that has been created by legislatures and courts to help people get out of jail after they’ve been arrested. Defendants in Texas do not have a legal right to being released after arrest. Innocence doesn’t matter. Federal vs. Texas Bail Process Bail is…