Travis County magistrate sets bail amounts, grants personal bonds and accepts plea in arraignment session

Magistrate Judge Myerson at the Travis County Court advised a group of defendants of constitutional rights, set specific bail amounts and announced personal-recognizance (PR) releases for several people during a magistrate arraignment session on Oct. 12, 2025.

The magistrate told the defendants what they were charged with, what their rights are and how bail works. “Bail is not a fine nor is it a punishment. Your bail represents the amount of money you're gonna have to come up with in order to get temporarily released from jail while your case is still pending in court,” Judge Myerson said. He also explained release options, including paying the full bail amount, hiring a bail bondsman, obtaining a personal bond, or talking to an attorney.

Judge Myerson set or confirmed bail amounts for multiple defendants, including a $100,000 bail in an aggravated-assault charge lodged out of Hays County and a combined $12,500 bail in a possession-with-intent-to-deliver plus tampering case. He said a group of people whose names he called — including Bolton Cox, Felicitas Cruz, Aroni Garcia Mejia, Carlos Juarez Duran and John Munguya Munguya — would receive personal bonds and be released within several hours with paperwork telling them when to appear in court. “You're gonna get released within about the next 6 hours or so,” he told them.

Other bail decisions and conditions recorded in the proceeding included:

- A $6,000 bail on a third-degree felony charge for Carlos Juarez Duran (leaving the scene of an accident with injury); the magistrate also required reporting to pretrial services with supervision while the case is pending.

- A $5,000 bail in a state-jail-felony theft case for Roy Hargrove.

- A $1,000 bail for resisting arrest for Nicholas Davidson.

- A combined $1,500 bail for Troy Davis (obstruction of a passageway and a resisting-arrest-related charge), and combined amounts of $3,000 for Bridal Phillips (resisting arrest and criminal trespass).

- A $1,000 bail set for Denise Watkins on a criminal trespass charge; during the hearing she entered a no-contest plea to a separate theft matter that predated the arraignment and the magistrate gave jail credit to cover the fine on that older theft charge.

- A $5,000 bail for a defendant arrested for driving while intoxicated; the magistrate ordered that, as a release condition, the person must install a vehicle ignition interlock device within 30 days of release and must not drive a vehicle without the device during that 30-day period.

- $500 bails for multiple driving-while-license-invalid matters (listed in the transcript as Scribe and John Paul Manjua), with one defendant entering a no-contest plea to outstanding traffic charges and receiving jail credit for time served on those counts.

Judge Myerson explained the mechanics and costs of commercial bonds: “A bail bondsman will typically charge 10 to 15% of whatever your bail is set at, and they will normally charge a minimum of 3 to $400,” he said, adding that money paid to a bondsman is not refundable. He also warned that failing to appear will lead to rearrest, forfeiture of posted money and additional charges for bail jumping.

The magistrate reviewed statutory exposure for charged offenses (class B misdemeanors through first-degree felonies), recited the right to counsel and to remain silent, and told noncitizen defendants about the option to have a consulate notified. “If you are not a U.S. citizen and you want me to notify your country's consulate that you're being held in this jail, let me know,” Judge Myerson said.

Several defendants said their private attorneys either were retained or were expected to come down to the court; the magistrate told defendants that if they cannot afford counsel and remain in custody, it is likely an appointed attorney will be assigned and should contact them within a day or two. He also said a defendant’s attorney could request a personal bond on their behalf.

The session covered routine magistrate advisals, individual bail determinations and the procedural steps defendants must take to avoid re-arrest — chiefly, to appear in court as directed. The judge repeatedly emphasized that if a defendant posts bail or obtains a PR bond and then fails to appear, they will be rearrested and could forfeit posted funds.

The arraignment closed with instructions about personal-bond paperwork and reminders that defendants are responsible for knowing upcoming court dates or contacting counsel to confirm them.