Magistrate explains rights, sets bonds and screening requirements for multiple defendants in Travis County Court

A magistrate judge at Travis County Court read defendants their constitutional rights, described options for release and set bond amounts for four people during a magistration session.

The magistrate told those in custody that “you’re presumed innocent unless proven guilty” and explained options for release, including a personal bond, paying the full cash amount, using a bail‑bond company (commonly charging about 10 percent), or seeking representation from a private or court‑appointed lawyer. “If you give up your right to remain silent, whatever you say can be used against you,” the magistrate said.

The magistrate said defendants must appear at all court dates to avoid rearrest and described additional conditions attached to release. In multiple cases the judge required defendants be screened for drug‑court eligibility and for drug counseling, noting that completion of drug court can, in some cases, lead to dismissal of a felony drug charge.

Bond amounts and conditions set at the hearing included:

- Brandy Steele: The magistrate set separate bond amounts of $12,500 for a second‑degree felony (possession of a controlled substance) and $5,000 for a third‑degree felony (possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility), for a total bond of $17,500. The magistrate said Steele would not be eligible for a personal bond because of prior criminal history and noted that, if a bail bond company charged a 10 percent fee, the fee would be in the neighborhood of the amount stated at the hearing. The magistrate also ordered screening for the drug‑court program and for drug counseling as conditions of release.

- Quincy Moore: Charged with a third‑degree felony for repeated violation of bond conditions in a family‑violence case related to GPS monitor boundary violations, Moore’s bond was set at $10,000. The magistrate said Moore would not receive a personal bond and would need to secure release through a bail bond company or an attorney. The magistrate noted the common practice that a bail bond company may charge about 10 percent of the bond amount.

- Yolanda Cruz: Charged with a state‑jail felony for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, Cruz’s bond was set at $10,000. The magistrate told Cruz she would not be eligible for a personal bond because she is currently on felony probation and warned that probation authorities could later file a motion to revoke probation if they learn of the new charge; that process, the magistrate said, could lead to a warrant for arrest if invoked. The magistrate repeated that Cruz must be screened for drug counseling and must appear for court dates.

- Brandon Baker: The magistrate set bond at $20,000 for an alleged first‑degree offense—possession with intent to deliver—based on the amount alleged in the charging documents. The magistrate described bail‑bond company fees (about 10 percent) and asked whether Baker wanted a court‑appointed attorney.

Throughout the magistration the magistrate emphasized defendants’ options to request a court‑appointed lawyer if they could not afford private counsel and explained the difference between a preliminary (examining) hearing and a full trial: an examining trial is a preliminary hearing to challenge probable cause, not a full trial. The magistrate said drug court can be a lengthy program—potentially about a year—and that completing it can, in some cases described by the judge, result in dismissal of certain drug charges.

Remarks and procedural directions in the hearing were delivered by the magistrate; defendants were given opportunities to ask brief questions and to indicate whether they wanted a court‑appointed attorney.

Defendants were instructed to keep and follow their release paperwork, to attend all court dates, and to comply with screening and counseling requirements where ordered. The magistrate closed the session after confirming each defendant’s bond and counsel choice.