PBT- Testifying Before The Texas House Interim Committee Regarding the Implementation of SB6
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
On October 12, 2022, the Texas House Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform conducted a hearing on the implementation of SB6. The hearing was for invited testimony only.
Bronson Tucker who is the Curriculum Director for the Justice Training Center identified two issues that might need to be tweaked in SB6. First, dealt with the issue of warrants regarding when is a bond amount placed on a warrant mandatory vs discretionary. Second, he identified an issue regarding article 27.02 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure which applies to the situation where a defendant has a current felony case pending and then is arrested on a new felony case and is supposed to go back to the original judge to be magistrated when the two cases are pending in the same county.
Testimony of Ken W. Good on behalf of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas.
Our Resources:
Find the failure to appear rate for any misdemeanor court in Harris County for any date over the last two years at "HarrisCountyCourt Watch.com". (Year to date for 2022, the average is over 80% of the people set on the docket fail to appear for court and are not being held accountable.
In 2020, 2021, Harris County misdemeanor courts dismissed approximately 72% of all misdemeanor cases disposed according to data reported from Harris County to the State of Texas (according to the Houston Police Officers Union). See report by CLICKING HERE.
In August 2022, according to the report released from on the Harris County District Clerk's website, over 90% of the misdemeanor cases disposed were dismissed.
Are these actions a sign that the Criminal Justice System is in collapse or is it a sign that Harris County's elected officials are intentionally de-criminalizing misdemeanor crime? Neither conclusion is good. Harris County remains ground zero for Criminal Justice Reform. Wasn't decriminalization tried in California and was the result to say it lightly "bad." Why would any Texan think this was a good idea in Texas?
Other Testimony-
Testimony of Sheriff Hawthorne from Chambers County- CLICK HERE. Sheriff Hawthorne begins by agreeing with comments by PBT representative Ken W. Good.
Excerpt of testimony of Kevin Lawrence, Executive Director, Texas Municipal Police Association explaining the ramifications of decriminalizing misdemeanor crime- CLICK HERE.
Related:
Reformers continue to tout Harris County as the model for bail reform that should be implemented across the country. Yes you read that right. This is not a joke. Reforms want to do to the rest of the country what they did to Harris County.
Less than a year ago, life was good. I was the proud mother of two beautiful daughters and grandma to the sweetest eight-month old girl you'd ever seen. We were planning a gender-reveal for the arrival of Caitlynne's second baby when everything went wrong. My daughter's husband, Alex Guajardo, had been on a downward spiral. In May 2019, he was arrested for a second DWI and a hit-and-run. He received what is called a personal recognizance or free PR bond and was released from jail. In July, he was arrested again on a charge of assault-family violence for assaulting Caitlynne, who was then 17-weeks pregnant. My daughter made a brave move and filed criminal charges against Alex for beating her up. Immediately following Alex's arrest, I begged Caitlynne to stay with me so I could protect her and the babies. She refused. Caitlynne had convinced herself that the system would protect h...
Linda Lois Traylor, born August 17, 1947 in Houston, TX, passed away on August 21, 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 78. Linda was a beloved matriarch, a successful business owner for over 40 years, and a woman with a work ethic like no other. Tough but fair, she lived life with strength, humor, and generosity. Her quick wit and legendary joke-telling could light up any room. She believed in working hard and playing hard. She found joy in fishing and glamping by the lakes in her RV, as well as trips to the casino with friends. Cooking was her love language, and her southern-style dishes were cherished by all who gathered at her table. She entered and won many cooking contests, but her greatest reward was sharing meals with family and friends. Above all, Linda’s greatest pride and joy was her family. She survives and is deeply cherished by her children, David Yokem, Tammie Little and Michael Yokem. Her grandchildren Cody Yokem and wife Sarah, Brandon Little and wife Ti...
This is a summary of the bail bills or bills that may relate to the bail industry that were enacted in the 2025 Texas Legislative Session. HB 1522- This bill amended the Texas Open Meetings Act to change the notice requirement from 72 hours to 3 business days. The biggest impact of this change will impact Bail Bond Board meetings. The notice now must be posted 3 business days before the meeting. A weekend cannot be counted in that time period. To see the final bill CLICK HERE . HB 1778- This bill created Section 43.032 of the Texas Penal Code with creates a new offense "Continuous Promotion of Prostitution." Additionally, the bill amends article 17.081 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure to add 43.032 to the list of offenses. This section requires that for the list of offenses, the bail bond must include the address and driver's license number for the defendant and the surety. Additionally, article 17.465 (b) of the Texas Code of Crim...
In 2020, there were protests in Seattle, Washington following the death of George Floyd. For a period of 24 days, an area that became known as the Capitol Hill Occupation Protest (CHOP) was treated as an autonomous zone where the police did not respond to calls. As a result, the CHOP zone became an example of what happens when police stop policing. Dr. Eric Piza and Dr. Nathan T. Connealy largely used data from the City of Seattle Open Data portal, analyzing data from more than one year prior to CHOP with two microsynth models to understand average and seasonal crime trends. Dr. Piza and Dr. Connealy looked at the impact of crime in three areas: (1) the CHOP zone; (2) the two block radius around the CHOP zone; and (3) the precinct at large. The results showed a significant increase in crime within the CHOP zone, the encompassing two-block area, and the overall East precinct service area during the occupation period. The study suggests that call...
HB 2697- This bill amended article 17.19 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Article 17.19 authorizes a surety or bail bondsman to file a request for a warrant with the magistrate or the trial court based upon some action on the part of the defendant. The existing statute required the surety or bail bondsman to give notice of the request to the defense attorney if the defendant was represented by counsel. That notice must comply with Rule 21a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Further, the statute requires that the affidavit set out certain matters regarding the defendant including the reason why a warrant is needed. Section 17.19 states that if the request for a warrant meets the statutory requirements the trial court or magistrate must or shall issue a warrant of arrest for the defendant. If the trial court refuses to issue a warrant, then the surety or bail bondsman has an affirmative defense to any subsequent failure to appear...
Comments
Post a Comment