Travis County Court reads rights, outlines bail options and protective orders in Spanish-language arraignments

Presiding Judge (speaking in Spanish) told defendants at a Travis County Court arraignment that they were charged based on a sworn complaint and that a judge had found probable cause to file charges, but that they remained presumed innocent unless proven guilty. “Ahora, esto no quiere decir que se le ha hallado culpable. Tiene usted la presunción de inocencia a no ser que se pueda aprobar que es culpable,” the judge said.

The judge explained defendants’ constitutional rights, the ability to consult counsel, and the four ways to secure pretrial release: release on one’s own recognizance, posting full cash bail, using a bail bond agency, or hiring an attorney to seek alternative release. “Hay cuatro formas disponibles para salir de la cárcel,” the judge said, and outlined that a defendant who qualifies for a personal-recognizance bond need not pay the set amount if they appear for future court dates.

The proceeding included case-specific bail amounts and conditions. The court told Andrés Orozco he faced a Class A misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge with a $2,000 bond and a regulated-substance possession charge with a $3,000 bond — a total bond of $5,000 — and that an immigration…