In jurisdictions the nation over, criminal court judges and magistrates have to spend time dealing with criminal [felony and misdemeanor] offenders, who in often cases, have an absent mind when it comes to preventing the actions that led to their arrest in the first place, and an absent mind when it comes to owning up to whatever the situation was that led to their arrest in the first place. Then, or coarse, there is that part about owning up to the criminal offense you committed.
This syndrome is commonly referred to as ignorance.
In the state of Texas, criminal penalties are serious for anyone convicted of a serious felony act; involving drugs or assaultive offenses. In most of the cases when people are arrested for violent assaultive offenses, its due to a spur of the moment situation when tempers flared and actions followed. When tempers flare, bad decisions can be made which can have life long detrimental effects that will likely stymie any future attempts you might make to better your career situation, living conditions, and educational possibilities.
Going To Jail in Houston
One of the main things that can throw your life into a tailspin is being carted off to jail by the police in the Houston area for a crime that they allege you committed. Every day in Houston, TX people are arrested, some innocent and some guilty, and the stress of the situation is always apparent to the suspected criminal and their families.
One of the more aggravatingly inconvenient things that can happen to you if you are arrested and jailed, is having your vehicle jailed for the purpose of siphoning profit dollars from you by using a quasi-governmental vehicle storage lot to ring your register.
The Vehicle Impound Racket: Fascism Incarnate
Once your car is in the impound lot, the cost to recover it can and will skyrocket the longer it is being held for ransom in a “privately run” police storage lot at the behest of the State of Texas.
When it comes to purely running a facility for profit, at the expense of the “not yet proven guilty”, it reeks of the underlying corruption in the lower cellular levels of the local decision making apparatchik in local government here in Houston.
It has always been my option that when tyranny becomes the normal no-longer hidden way of doing business in America, it will rear its ugly head in the traffic system first. Why not? The personal automobile is the most obvious form of freedom there is.
But that’s quickly coming to a close if you ask me.
As bad as it may seem, recovering your vehicle [that you’ve worked your ass off for] is the most liberating part of getting out of jail, aside from the “Bonding Out” part where you get to walk out of the release area and reclaim your freedom.
Bonding Out of Jail
Regardless of your other experiences in life, no feeling is as liberating as bonding out, or being released from jail and getting another chance to inhale that “free world” air. The experience of being incarcerated is like that of no other.
You can’t leave when you want, you don’t get to choose who you bunk with, and there may be situations where you may have to defend yourself at a risk of being criminally charged by the law enforcement staff in the jail with new assaultive charges.
Talk about making a bad situation worse. Unfortunately, people too stupid to stay out of jail are experts at making bad situations worse than what they may currently be.
In order for you to bail out of jail, you’ll need to know if the State of Texas has issued a bond for your case, and what the dollar amount of that bond is.
Once you become aware of what your bond amount is, you’ll need to find a bail bondsman that will cover the bond amount so you can walk free. In some jurisdictions you can post your own bond with any money you came to jail with, but in Harris County, TX you’ll need to get someone on the outside to post bond on your behalf regardless of if you have money in your property or not.
If no one on the outside has the money to post a bond for you, and you were arrested with money that is now apart of your property, there are options that will allow you to release your property to someone on the outside who can make good use of it [the money] by bonding you out.
By bonding out of jail you put yourself in a good position to stage a response to the criminal charges against you and you’ll also get a head start when it comes to re-stabilizing your affairs.
Stabilizing Your Affairs
When a person is in jail, they’re separated from their life which results in a day to day degradation of their familial relationships, careers, jobs, education if enrolled in an educational institution, finances, credit standing, communal respect, the lawn can get out of hand, and more.
Once you bond out, and if I haven’t given you enough reasons to bond out I have failed, it marks the beginning of the campaign you’ll need to mount to save what you’ve worked so hard to build, your life.
Once you’ve added a sense of stability to the void you left during your absence, you can then begin preparing your family for the possibility for multiple court appearances, witness testimony if needed, or your absence in the event that you know that you are going to jail.
Preparing The Family
Preparing your family and loved ones by informing them of the challenges that come along with fighting criminal charges, or by you admitting your guilt and having to serve a jail sentence as a result, is the highest form of responsibility that you can execute with your loved ones during these trying times.
By taking steps to prepare your loved ones, the members of your family will be better prepared to make the needed sacrifices that a supportive family should be prepared to make, and to handle the strain that comes with these type of situations.
By this point you’ve probably sought the services of a criminal defense attorney in Houston with the experience, skills, and the know-how, to help you brief your family on the situation and to prepare them for all the possibilities that come along with it.
Consulting With a Criminal Defense Expert
If you were arrested in the general Harris County area, talking with an experienced lawyer when it comes to matters involving the process of Texas criminal defense litigation in Houston, is the best decision you can make if you intend to either fight your case as a wrongfully accused innocent, or you intend to plead guilty and work with the prosecution in hopes of getting a lesser sentence, or a lesser charge in a deal.
A well known criminal defense lawyer in Houston will likely have preexisting relationships with court-room prosecutors that may serve as an unforeseen benefit to your situation. The clout of your lawyer will likely help with the process of getting a lower charge for your case.
This could possibly end up being no more challenging for your lawyer than a conversation between friends depending on how well your lawyer knows how to work the court circuits during recesses, and how well they maintain relationships with local Harris County prosecutors.
Preparing For a Court Appearance
Another benefit of having a smart criminal defense attorney in your corner is the expert court & pre-trial preparation advice you’ll have paid for, and the coaching you may receive in the event that your lawyer deems it necessary.
Even the small things like attire, posture, facial gestures, and attitude may need to be managed by your attorney in order for you to have the best chance at getting what you want from the court. If you have a good attorney on your side, it makes the whole process a little bit easier and less stressful.
Acceptance
Having an appreciation for the situation you are in is something that no one can teach you to have. It comes with maturation and wisdom.