How Do Bail Bonds Work in Texas?

Do you have a loved one that’s been arrested for a DWI in Houston? If so, you might be wondering what happens next.

How can you bail them out of jail and start preparing for their court date? What does that process look like in Texas?

There are several different things you’ll need to know to find the right bail bondsman for your loved one’s case. Not only do they play a factor in providing the bail, but with the trial process as well.

So… How do bail bonds work in Texas? Read below for more information on the entire process.

They’ve Been Arrested for DWI… Now What?

First, if your loved one has been arrested for a DWI, then they need to comply with everything that the officer tells them to do.

Once the process has been completed, they will be assigned an amount to post bail and be released. While the bail amount might be jaw-dropping, it’s important to consider two things:

The bail amount has to be significant. The more money that the bail amount costs, the likelier the defendant will be to show up in court

You won’t be expected to come up with that much cash on your own. You can contact a bail bondsman who will cover the bail upfront

The bail bondsman is in charge of holding the convicted accountable for showing up for their court appearances. The judge will determine dates for the defendant to appear in court.

What Is the Benefit of Bail Bonds?

Everyone makes mistakes; some are more costly than others. As previously mentioned, If your loved one was arrested for a DWI, then the judge will set a considerable amount to hold them accountable to the process moving forward.

It’s not likely that your loved one has that amount of cash in savings to post the bail on their own. Even if they did, doing so would put them in a financial bind.

Even worse, they might ask you to pitch in or pay for the bail, putting yourself in a financial emergency because of your loved one’s mistake. Thanks to a bail bondsman, you don’t have to get involved.

They agree to take on the financial responsibility of paying for the bail amount if the defendant doesn’t show up for their court dates. It also provides your loved one with someone to oversee their situation so that you don’t have to.

The bail bondsman will do all they can to encourage your loved one to make all of their court dates. If they don’t make the court date(s) assigned to them, then the bail bondsman will cover the upfront cost of the bond.

However, they will then seek repayment for that bond from your loved one, which is an added incentive for your loved one to comply. Not only that, but your loved one will end up paying more in repayment than what the bondsman originally paid to cover it.

What Other Legal Assistance Do They Need?

One common misconception about a bail bondsman is how they comply with the court process for a DWI case. The bondsman is not an attorney. They are meant to act as accountability for your loved one to show up in court, but not represent them.

For that reason, you’ll want to find a trusted DWI attorney for your loved one’s trial process.

What many people don’t realize is that the DWI process begins as soon as they’re stopped for a traffic violation. The officer can gain reasonable suspicion of a DWI before they pull you over or as they’re talking with you after pulling you over.

If they do suspect alcohol to be involved, they can start an investigation by having you take several field sobriety tests. If they’ve seen enough evidence, they’ll make an arrest and start the process of breath tests, blood tests, and book you in jail.

Once that happens, the person convicted of a DWI should reach out and hire an attorney to represent them. If they’re too intoxicated to do so, a loved one can start to reach out to attorneys to find the right one.

If the attorney feels a bail bondsman is necessary, they can offer a few recommendations on which Houston bondsman to refer you to.

Is a Bail Bondsman Necessary If You’ve Hired an Attorney?

Every DWI case is different, but generally, yes, it would be advantageous for your loved one to have a bail bondsman.

Even if they hire an attorney for their case, they still need to find a way to cover the bail amount to be released from jail. Attorneys aren’t responsible for posting bail for their clients, so you’ll need a bondsman.

Better yet, the bondsman can act as a reinforcement with the attorney to ensure your loved one knows every step of the process. The attorney will prepare the case and the bondsman will keep open communication on what dates the client should be aware of.