It was great to spend time with @HillaryClinton @TeamPelosi and @DebraMessing last night talking about how important it is to support women running for local offices. On International Women’s Day, I’m grateful for those who have paved the way. pic.twitter.com/vPZRTLHjWj

— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) March 9, 2022

HOUSTON The recommendation of the Harris County Commissioners Court to require that bonding companies collect a minimum percentage of bail before posting a surety bond was voted down Wednesday night.

The breakdown of votes was 4-4. Five votes were needed to pass the proposal.

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia joined the Harris County Bail Bond Board meeting Wednesday evening to discuss a proposal requiring 10% minimum of assessed bail to be paid down for certain people accused of violent crimes.

The proposal was made to help mitigate the rise of crime over the past years in the city of Houston and Harris County.

Supporters of the proposal said a standard percentage of what needs to be required by bail bond companies should be at least 10% of the bail. They believe this would stop the undercutting of the high bails being set by judges in violent cases, making it a little harder.

The opponents argued that the move was politically motivated and maintained that the bail bond board lacks the authority to implement such a rule change, saying that doing so would violate existing statutes or constitutional provisions.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis also spoke in favor of the plan, and representatives of Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the two high-ranking officials are in support as well.

During her opening statement, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the nation is experiencing a gun violence pandemic and is alarmed this proposal is being pushed off. She said the board has the opportunity today to make a difference.

Garcia urged the board to do the right thing, stating it's not about politics but families impacted by this. He said the loved ones of the victims are put in a state of fear when the suspects are back on the streets after they were given a 1% to 2% minimum bond. He said enforcing a 10% standard should be a no-brainer to help protect victims and keep neighborhoods safe.

Families of victims also spoke at the board meeting, including the family of Diamond Alvarez, a 16-year-old girl who was killed after police say her boyfriend shot her 22 times on Feb. 11. The boyfriend, Frank Deleon Jr., 17, was taken into custody and charged with murder but bonded out of jail after a $250,000 bond was set, according to court records. The family said since Deleon's release, they have been receiving threats and are scared for their lives.

"I think it's unfair, my family has been harassed, threatened continuously since Jan. 11. Since this happened, they've been ran off from the field and harassed in their homes. think its unfair that this man is out free," Alvarez's aunt said.

READ: Inside the Houston area's violent year: 12 stories offer a glimpse into trauma, loss experienced in our area in 2021

A family member of David Castro, a teen who was killed after leaving an Astros game with his family during a road rage incident in July, was also in attendance. They, too, support the proposal. The suspect, Gerald Wayne Williams, the man accused in David's death, turned himself into police after a month-long manhunt. Two months later, Williams made bail.

Many lawmakers in attendance said that there are many other additional improvements that need to be made to the criminal justice system but this would definitely be a good starting point.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the meeting is just the beginning of change in the community but that it also starts with accountability in the community.

"In my opinion, bail bond companies shouldn't be used as a scapegoat, it's an entire system," Gonzalez said. "We have to be sure that we don't have tunnel vision on this meeting and think this will solve everything ... we can't paint everyone with a broad brush and say it's the entire industry cause it's not."

The board went into a close session to review the matter further before taking a final note of the decision.

****ing communist

Jackal99 said:

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Am I reading that right? Garcia, Ellis, and Hidalgo were in favor of it and it didn't pass? Who TF is voting against it?

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Activist idiots.

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Bail bondsman Ken Good argued Harris County doesn't have the authority to make that change.

"You are acting as the Texas legislature," Good said, "If you want to set what we should charge that should be done, if it can, at the Texas legislature, not here."

Bondsmen argue whether they collect 1 percent or 10 percent, they forfeit the entire bond if the defendant doesn't show. They point out they are extremely motivated to get the suspect to appear for court dates.

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Here is the breakdown:

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Of the eight members present on the 11-person board, four Kathryn Kase, legal counsel for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo; Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez; Harris County Treasurer Dylan Osborne; and Wes McCoy, representing Harris County District Clerk Marilyn Burgess voted in favor of the minimum fee.

Defense attorney Troy McKinney and Mario Garza, president of the Harris County Professional Bonding Association, voted against the measure, while Judge Angela Rodriguez and Michael Butera, a representative for the Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, abstained. Judges Amy Martin, Shannon Baldwin and J. Elaine Marshall were not present for the vote.

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For sure they abstained on Boss Oggs orders.

Also, I agree with Chip

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I think I will enjoy the intra-left fight between bail reformers and democrats trying to get re-elected in the middle of a crime wave.

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The minimum bond initiative was just window dressing, of dubious legality at that.

As has been pointed out, the origin of the problem is the bench- (1) low bonds, (2) no bond forfeitures, and (3) few/no trials forcing bail reductions and/or release. Passing that initiative would have given the democrat judges and commissioners court cover without fixing the underlying root problems, all while inviting a suit against the County.

Ag_07 said:

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So you mean to tell me this young upstanding gentleman committed additional felonies while out on bond? No way

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At least he's reppin' for the Astros.

Oh dear. Sad story. Very very sad.

This should not go into the murder numbers, correct?

https://abc13.com/car-burglary-shooting-southwest-houston-shots-fired-man-run-over-burglar-killed/11642342/

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"So my brother calls, and he's like, 'What are you doing?' And then he calls my other brothers for backup, so that's when everything else happened," Ulysses said. "And I hear my brothers, and I see that it's my brothers, so they are telling me, 'Call 911. Call 911. He just got ran over.' And I'm like, 'Who?'"

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Ulysses was hard to follow.

Jackal99 said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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Ulysses was hard to follow.

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Sounds like ol' Ulysses was on a crazy odyssey of dialogue.

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