DWI / Intoxication Cases—That’s All I Do
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Types of Bonds
You will pay a fee to the lawyer or bondsman who will then post the bond in your case. The fee is often 10% of the total bond amount. For example, if your bond amount is $20,000.00, you would pay $2000.00 to the bondsman to secure your release. That fee is non-refundable. In many cases, I charge a reduced fee or no fee at all to post your DWI bond.
With this type of bond, you will pay the full amount of the bond to the jail. For example, if your bond is $20,000.00, you would be required to pay that $20,000.00 in full to guarantee you will appear at all of your court dates. The bond amount will remain on deposit with the county for as long as your case is pending. Once your case is completed, as long as you never missed a court date, you will receive most of your money back. If you choose to post a cash bond, you will want to secure representation as soon as possible to begin your defense and make sure you do not violate any term or condition of your bond or miss your court date. I can help protect your cash bond as we defend your DWI case.
If you qualify for this type of bond, you may be released on your own promise to appear in court and payment of a small fee. However, PR bonds also make life more difficult for you. In Bexar County, you will be required to complete an interview to determine what other conditions of bond you will have. For example, you could be required to report to a pre-trial services officer every week/month while your case is pending, to take drug/alcohol testing, and to comply with other conditions the pre-trial services department requires. Additionally, to qualify for this bond, the pretrial service department may need to verify your address and reference information before you will be released. This can increase the amount of time you will be in jail before your release.
Bail Bonds
3 Reasons to Hire San Antonio DWI Lawyer Tim Rountree Instead of a Bonding Company for a DWI Case
When you pay a bail bond company their fee, that amount is non-refundable.
Depending on your bond amount, that could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars that you will not get back and will not go toward anything but securing your release from jail. Once released, you will still need an attorney to immediately begin working on your DWI case.
As a DWI lawyer here in San Antonio, Texas, I can post the bond for my clients. My bond fee is lower than the fee many bonding companies charge. In some cases, there are no additional fees at all. Either way, you will save money and have the benefit of retaining an aggressive and experienced DWI attorney working on your case as soon as possible. For your convenience, I offer payment plans and accept all major credit cards.
The ALR Hearing – 15 Day Deadline
After a driving while intoxicated arrest, you only have fifteen (15) days from the date of your arrest to ask for an Administrative License Revocation hearing. If a person arrested for DWI in San Antonio does not ask for an ALR hearing, then their driver’s license is automatically suspended (on the 40th day following arrest) for up to 6 months, and in some cases, up to 2 years.
After I post your bond, I will properly request your ALR hearing and defend you from the driver license suspension. Most people in San Antonio need to drive if they are going to work or take care of their family. In many cases, I can prevent your Texas driver’s license from getting suspended.
The ALR hearing also gives us a chance to build your DWI defense by cross-examining the arresting officer on the witness stand. He or she is under oath at the State Office of Administrative Hearings court. The hearing judge will record that testimony. We can request a transcript of that officer’s testimony and use it in your DWI case.
Securing Your Evidence
You need an experienced DWI attorney to help identify witnesses and other evidence that may need to be preserved for your defense. For example, if you were involved in an accident, that may have affected your ability to perform the standardized field sobriety tests. You may have bruises, seatbelt or air bag burns, or other injuries, which need to be documented immediately. This situation is just one of many where having a skilled DWI attorney involved in your case as soon as possible can make a critical difference to your defense.
No one is prepared to face a DWI arrest. Anything that I can do to make your life easier after your arrest will help.
Bail bond companies often have strict reporting requirements. They may require you to report in person or by phone monthly, weekly, or even multiple times each week. You will need to rearrange your schedule to make sure you do not miss one of these appointments. If you miss your appointment, the bondsman can ask the judge to go off of your bond and issue a warrant for your arrest. Once arrested, you would be required to post a new bond.
As a DWI attorney, I would never require you to report weekly or even in person. However, I would like to stay in contact with you by phone, or in person, if you prefer. Most people actually want to speak with their attorney regularly and keep up with what is going on in their case.
Once you’ve been released from jail, you will probably also have questions about what you can do. You may need permission from the court for vacation or work travel you have planned. Having an attorney involved from the very beginning can reduce your stress. I can give you the legal advice that you need to go forward with your life while I defend your case. A bonding company cannot give legal advice.
Tim Rountree offers flexible payment plans and accepts all major credit cards. Tim Rountree only posts bonds for clients with Bexar County DWI cases.
Before you make any bond decision, call me to discuss your options.
I will be glad to discuss how I can help you get out of jail and defend your DWI case!
Call now for a free consultation via phone, video or in person
