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If a court issues someone a personal recognizance bond, the person is released from custody pending trial, and they do not have to put up any bail money or collateral upfront.
The court will first obtain some basic information from the accused individual, such as their name, occupation, address, and the number of years they lived in the county where the arrest took place. If the individual does not have a recent history of arrests or convictions on their record, and the court determines that they do not present a significant flight risk, then the court may release them on their recognizance, allowing them to go free.
In short, a PR bond offers an individual the best opportunity to get out of jail for the smallest amount of money possible. If you are currently facing arrest for a criminal charge, you must speak with an experienced Texas criminal defense attorney as quickly as possible about your legal matter – and your potential legal options.
The knowledgeable Texas criminal defense lawyers at The Law Office of David D. White, PLLC, will be able to determine if you are eligible for release on a PR bond and, if so, could help you secure that bond. We could also represent you at other legal proceedings throughout your case, including your criminal court trial or sentencing hearing. We will do everything possible to help you obtain a PR bond, along with a favorable result in your overall criminal case.
A defendant who qualifies for a PR bond must not pay any cash immediately to be released from jail. What is a PR bond? It’s a court agreement that the defendant will appear on all court dates and conditions set by the court.
Why would a PR bond be preferred over other kinds of bonds? PR bonds have some key advantages over cash and surety bonds:
No upfront payment is required, saving defendants and their families from financial strain.
With the right legal guidance, PR bonds can expedite the release process.
Avoid paying high fees or interest to third-party bondsmen.
The courts can also couple PR bonds with conditions such as substance abuse treatment or counseling, which provide an avenue for self-improvement.
These advantages make PR bonds especially appealing for non-violent offenders and those facing financial difficulties.
If you receive a PR bond, you do not have to pay any money upfront or deposit money with the court. However, you will typically need to pay an administrative fee to Pretrial Services within seven days after your release. This fee amounts to $40 – or three percent of the total bail amount.
Moreover, when an accused individual agrees to be released on their recognizance, they are required to appear in court on the specified date and to show up on time. If the accused person fails to appear for court – or if they show up late – then they will have to pay the entire bail amount. In addition, if they fail to appear, it is extremely unlikely that they will be able to obtain a release on their recognizance in the future. In fact, in that situation, it is more likely that the court will hold the accused person without bail.
If you were recently arrested on a criminal charge, our experienced lawyers could help you determine if you may be eligible to secure a release on your recognizance. If so, we could help you obtain a PR bond or some other type of bond that would allow you to be released while you are pending trial.
Eligibility is determined by the nature of the charges, criminal history, and the defendant’s risk to the community.
In Travis County, defendants charged with select nonviolent offenses are automatically considered for PR bonds; the ultimate decision is up to a judge. According to Williamson County’s guidelines, the process depends on the severity of the case:
An attorney may request the same from the magistrate, stating the defendant’s qualifications and attaching character references or employment records of the defendant.
The same request should be addressed to the judge of the assigned felony court. A defense attorney may be able to persuade him that the evidence and arguments present sufficient qualifications for a defendant’s release.
Common qualifications include:
If the Texas county in which you are arrested has a division of pretrial services, that division will handle your initial interview following your arrest. The purpose of this interview is to gather important personal information from you, including your address, job status, marital status, and other basic information. Upon arrest, it is usually a good idea to provide the pretrial services officer with this information. That way, they can determine if you may qualify for a personal recognizance bond.
At a pretrial hearing, the magistrate handling the case will have access to the accused individual’s personal information, along with their record of prior arrests and convictions (if any). The magistrate will then use all of this information to determine the PR bond amount. When determining who qualifies for a PR bond, several factors come into play. Those factors may include all the following:
Defendants granted release must follow specific court-established terms to remain out of custody. These conditions are designed to ensure compliance and accountability throughout the legal process.
Typical Conditions Include
Failure to meet these conditions can result in bond revocation or additional charges. An attorney can help ensure you fully understand and meet these obligations.
The amount of time that it takes for an accused individual to qualify for a PR bond – and be released on their recognizance – depends largely upon the county where the criminal case is pending. Some countries are quicker than others when it comes to releasing individuals on their recognizance.
To ensure that your paperwork gets processed promptly, it is a good idea to have a skilled Texas criminal defense attorney representing you throughout the process. The length of time it may take for pretrial services to handle the process can range anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. However, a criminal defense lawyer might be able to speed up the process to as little as two hours, depending on the situation.
Our legal team could represent you at your hearing and help you pursue a PR bond within a reasonable amount of time.
Violations can lead to immediate and serious repercussions, including arrest and additional charges.
Here’s what typically happens:
Courts are alerted if you miss a hearing, fail to meet conditions, or commit another offense. This notification triggers a review of your bond status by the court. The notification may also include a request for further clarification on the circumstances of the violation.
Judges may revoke your PR bond, resulting in jail time until your case is resolved. Revocation can also mean the loss of other opportunities, such as negotiating bond conditions or reducing penalties in future hearings. Addressing violations promptly through legal counsel can sometimes mitigate these outcomes.
Defendants may lose the opportunity to qualify for a PR bond in the future.
To avoid such consequences, work closely with your attorney, who can help address any issues proactively—such as requesting extensions or clarifying misunderstandings about bond terms.
Preparation and representation are critical. Here are practical tips:
A knowledgeable Austin criminal defense lawyer will advocate for your release, presenting evidence highlighting your stability and low flight risk.
Provide proof of employment, family responsibilities, or community involvement, which shows your commitment to remaining in the area.
If possible, demonstrate that you have no prior convictions or failures to appear in court.
Demonstrating cooperation, such as attending an initial hearing promptly, strengthens your case.
Letters from employers, family, or community leaders can attest to your character and reliability.
Following these steps ensures a well-supported argument for release during your PR bond hearing.
If the court releases you on your recognizance at a bond hearing, you will still have to appear for your future court date.
Following your bond hearing, our legal team could assist you with the various steps in your legal matter. First, we could ensure that your legal and constitutional rights remain protected throughout the entire criminal process. We can also review the circumstances of your arrest with you, as well as your charging documents, and determine if you may be eligible to raise one or more legal defenses to your pending criminal charge or charges.
In a criminal case, the state prosecutor has to satisfy their legal burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. However, a strong legal defense may prevent the state prosecutor from establishing their legal burden, resulting in a complete dismissal of your criminal case.
Potential defenses that an accused individual might be able to raise at trial will depend upon the specific criminal charge or charges that they’re pending. In a homicide or assault case, for example, the accused might be able to argue that they acted in self-defense or that they were not even present on the scene at the time of the alleged incident. However, in response to a drug possession charge, the accused person might be able to allege that they were unaware of the drug’s presence in a specific location, such as a home or motor vehicle.
In addition to formulating potential legal defenses to raise at trial, we could handle plea deal negotiations with state prosecutors on your behalf. In a plea deal arrangement, the prosecutor might be willing to reduce the pending criminal charge against you or offer you a period of probation in exchange for a guilty plea. In some scenarios, plea deals are worth accepting, while at other times, you may be better off taking your criminal case to trial. The trial option is usually better if you have one or more strong legal defenses to raise in response to your pending charge(s).
We could also represent you and advocate on your behalf at your criminal court trial and other hearings that may occur throughout your case, including a sentencing hearing.
If you are ultimately found guilty and convicted on a criminal charge, your case will proceed to sentencing. At a sentencing hearing, a judge will determine what, if any, penalties to impose against you by the Texas Penal Code. We could represent you at your sentencing hearing and argue for the lightest possible penalties in your case.
“When you hire me, you get me. Not my admin, not my associates. I’ll meet, talk, text, and work with you directly to get you the best possible outcome in your case.”
David D. White
Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are currently pending one or more criminal charges in Texas, you must secure experienced legal counsel to represent you in your case as quickly as possible. If you show up to a hearing in your case without having an attorney present, the presiding magistrate or judge is not under any obligation to postpone your hearing. Instead, they could make you go forward with your hearing without having a lawyer present to represent you.
At the Law Office of David D. White, PLLC, our experienced and compassionate lawyers could review the circumstances of your arrest, as well as your prior criminal record, and determine whether you can secure a PR bond in your criminal case. In those circumstances, we could help you obtain the PR bond that you need to be released while you’re pending trial. We could also assist you throughout the remainder of your criminal case by protecting your legal and constitutional rights, representing you at court proceedings, and helping you obtain the best possible result in your case.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Texas criminal defense lawyer, please call us at 512-886-8428 or contact us online today.
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The founder of the Law Office of David D. White, PLLC: Austin Criminal Lawyer, has been defending the rights of criminal defendants in Austin, Texas since 2008. We are a client-centered law firm where we fight to preserve the presumption of innocence on behalf of our clients in every criminal case we take. We believe that everyone is entitled to a fair trial and we strive to provide our clients with the best possible defense to ensure that this is true.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney, David D. White who has more than 20 years of legal experience as an Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer.
608 West 12th Street, Suite B Austin, TX 78701
legalassistant@wm-attorneys.com 512-369-3737
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