Judge Al Jenkins of the Travis County Court told defendants at an arraignment hearing Jan. 2 that there are four ways to make bail and reviewed rights, then set or confirmed bond amounts and pretrial conditions in multiple cases.

Jenkins opened the virtual session by explaining, “There are 4 ways you could make bail,” describing (1) paying the full bond amount, (2) paying 10 percent to a bail bonds company, (3) obtaining a personal recognizance (PR) bond after a pretrial services interview, and (4) hiring an attorney who can arrange an attorney’s surety bond. He also reminded defendants of the right to remain silent and the right to counsel.

The judge issued or confirmed bonds and conditions across a roster of individual arraignments. Notable dispositions included a $300,000 bond in a capital-murder matter with no PR option; a personal bond and staggered payments for a defendant charged with a state-jail felony and a separate driving-while-intoxicated charge; and an emergency protection order in a family-violence case with a drug-evaluation condition tied to the personal bond.

Why it matters: bail and pretrial conditions determine who is released before trial and what supervision or restrictions apply. Several defendants received personal bonds that the judge said should lead to release within about eight hours; others were held on high monetary bonds or on out-of-county warrants that precluded PR release.

The court recorded these specific bond settings and conditions during the hearing:

- Jose Alejandro Alvarado Fuentes: Judge Jenkins said Fuentes faces a state-jail-felony possession allegation (maximum fine noted by the judge as $10,000 and jail range six months to two years). Jenkins set a $2,500 bond on that count and granted a personal bond, with an instruction to pay $40 within a week. Jenkins also described a separate driving-while-intoxicated allegation (class A, maximum fine discussed as $4,000, jail up to one year) with a $3,000 bond; Fuentes received a personal bond on that charge as well.

- Melissa Marie Capucino: Charged with a bond-condition violation (class A alleged). Bail was set at $5,000; the judge discussed options for counsel and payment plans.

- Carrie Hart: Jenkins announced a bond increase to $2,500 and imposed portable alcohol monitoring as a bond condition.

- Crystal Sturett: Charged with criminal mischief (class A alleged); Jenkins set bond at $2,000.

- James Tate: Charged with obstruction of a roadway (class A alleged); bond set at $2,000. Jenkins noted Mr. Tate is on probation in Jefferson County and advised counsel contact the issuing prosecutor or judge about transport and related issues.

- Anthony Ray Cardona: Jenkins said Cardona faces two state-jail-felony charges (unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and a related charge), with a combined bond of $36,000 ($18,000 each). The judge told Cardona there was no PR bond because the warrant was issued by the judge who must be seen in that court.

- Christopher Michael Chapman: Jenkins described two out-of-county matters (interference with an emergency call and assault family violence) with $2,500 bonds each, $5,000 total. Jenkins stated an out-of-county case prevented personal bond eligibility.

- Jeremy Jackson: Jenkins said Jackson’s bond had been increased to $6,000; he advised Jackson to have counsel confer with the judge who issued the increase.

- Edgar Massey: Jenkins noted a criminal trespass allegation (class B alleged) and stated the bond amount as $50,200 as recorded in the arraignment.

- Manuel Martinata: Jenkins described two second-degree felony-level matters with combined exposure discussed as $70,000 in bond (about $35,000 each) and noted a 10 percent option (approximately $7,000) may be possible depending on representation and arrangements.

- Mr. Bennett (given name not specified in the record): Charged with driving-while-intoxicated (class B alleged); Jenkins said Bennett received a personal bond and would be released within eight hours; a monetary bond figure of $2,500 was discussed.

- James Farmer: Charged with assault causing bodily injury (family-violence allegation, class A alleged). Jenkins set bond at $3,000 and issued an emergency protection order (EPO) naming the alleged victim and ordering no contact and a 100-yard stay-away (order effective immediately and listed to expire Feb. 15, 2025). Jenkins added a drug-evaluation condition to preserve the personal bond.

- Capital-murder arraignment (defendant not clearly identified in the transcript): Jenkins described a capital-murder allegation, recited aspects of the affidavit and an identification inquiry, and set bond at $300,000 with no PR bond available.

Jenkins repeatedly advised defendants that an attorney can seek alternative arrangements, including counsel requesting bond changes from the judge who issued the warrant or seeking out-of-custody conditions. He also directed several defendants to use available phones and to consult appointed or retained counsel for next steps.

The hearing also included procedural guidance from the judge on how jail credit, pleas, and municipal-court diversions could affect sentencing exposure and driver’s-license consequences in some traffic-related matters.

The court did not record any contested evidentiary rulings in this arraignment session; the judge’s statements were informational and the bond settings shown above reflect the judge’s immediate determinations for pretrial release or detention.

Looking ahead: many defendants were told to consult counsel and some were instructed to report for further evaluation or to complete conditions (for example, drug evaluation or portable monitoring) to maintain personal bonds. For cases arising from other counties, the judge directed counsel to seek resolution from the issuing judge or prosecutor.