Travis County judge explains rights, sets bonds and release conditions in arraignment session

A presiding judge at Travis County Court reviewed defendants' constitutional rights, spelled out the four ways to obtain pretrial release and set bond amounts and release conditions for a series of defendants during an arraignment-style session.

The judge began by summarizing constitutional protections, saying, "Now in any criminal case, you have the right to remain silent," and repeated that defendants are "presumed innocent unless proven guilty." The judge also explained the options for getting out of jail: qualifying for a personal bond, paying the full bond in cash, hiring a bail bondsman, or hiring a lawyer.

The judge said personal bonds are offered when the case is "not too serious" and the court has reasonable certainty the defendant will appear and will not be a danger. The judge described the typical fee for private bail bond companies in Travis County as about 10 percent of the bond amount and advised defendants they may request a court-appointed attorney if they cannot afford counsel.

Case outcomes and conditions announced during the session included:

- Raetwon Hall — Charged with state-jail felony delivery of marijuana; bond set at $7,500. The judge denied a personal bond…