The process for getting someone released from jail in Houston can seem overwhelming to anyone.
When a criminal defendant is charged with a Class A or B misdemeanor or a felony the process of getting the defendant released from jail must go through the Harris County Sheriff’s Department at 49 San Jacinto. This is the Bail Bond Division in downtown Houston.
This is a process that can sometimes be overwhelming. There are many different scenarios that can surround the reasons for someone’s incarceration, here are a few; hopefully this will provide some answers.
1. When someone is charged with an offense that falls under the jurisdiction of a Harris County Justice of the Peace Court, a Harris County ‘County Court’, or a State District Court within Harris County.
A. Someone is incarcerated and they are ‘in’ the Harris County Jail.
In this instance if the person is charged with a Class C misdemeanor, which would fall under the jurisdiction of a Justice of the Peace Court, the defendant will be released from the Harris County Jail within 24 hours without requiring the services of a bail bond company in Harris County, ‘in most cases’. It is also possible to utilize the services of a Houston bail bond company to insure the defendants release from jail; this simply comes down to personal choice. If the person remains in jail they are taken in front of a magistrate and if they plead guilty they are typically released for time served. If the defendant pleads not guilty they are typically released on a personal bond and are given a court date to appear at a later date. The reasons some choose to use the services of a bail bond company is to get the person released as quickly as possible. Once the bond is acknowledged by the Sheriff’s Department the release time for the defendant is between 6 and 12 hours.
Next would be a person charged with a Class A or B misdemeanor which would fall under the jurisdiction of a County Court, or a Felony offense, which would fall under the jurisdiction of a State District Court. After a person has been arrested a formal complaint is filed with the District Attorney’s Office, and if the charges are accepted by the District Attorney’s Office then a bond amount is given, this process typically takes between 8 and 12 hours. Once a person is formally charged and a bond amount is set it typically takes between 8 and 12 hours to get released from the Harris County Jail.