Magistrate at Travis County Court reads Spanish-language rights, explains bail options and ICE detainer risk

A magistrate at Travis County Court read defendants their charges, legal rights and bail options in Spanish and warned that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer can keep noncitizen defendants in custody even after bail is posted.

The magistrate explained criminal classifications and maximum sentences, described the four ways a defendant can secure pretrial release, outlined costs tied to commercial bail bonds and the timeline for appointed counsel, and noted the option to request consular notification for noncitizens. The magistrate also called individual defendants by name to state their charges and their set bail amounts; one defendant charged with resisting arrest was told his bail was $2,500.

The magistrate opened the advisement by saying in Spanish that the people before the court had been accused of misdemeanors or felonies and that “si a usted se le ha acusado de un delito menor de clase B y es declarado culpable, lo…