If a friend or family member has been arrested in Bexar County, posting bail will be one of their top priorities, and they probably need your help.

Posting bail typically isn’t difficult, but it usually involves obtaining cash, a money order, or a cashier’s check. 

The first steps are to figure out where your friend is being held and whether bail has been set. Here are the questions you need to ask to determine the next steps.

How to Bail Someone Out of Jail in Bexar County

Bexar County does not offer free phone calls for detainees. The City of San Antonio Detention Center also does not offer free calls. This means first you may have to accept a collect call, something many people these days have never experienced.

When someone calls collect, it means the call recipient must agree to pay the expenses for the call, and you will be asked this before you’re allowed to speak with the caller.

Gather the Important Details

Bexar County caps calls at 30 minutes. You will be notified when one minute of time is remaining. 

It’s important to use this call to gather as much information as possible.

It’s also crucial that you understand that all calls to anyone other than an inmate’s attorney of record are being recorded, so you must be extremely cautious about what you ask and say.

Any information provided during the call can be used as evidence against your friend or family member. 

Don’t ask any specifics about their arrest. If you’re dealing with a DUI or DWI arrest, don’t ask specifics about how much they had to drink. If it’s drug-related, don’t ask anything about what they may have been carrying or other questions that would require them to provide information that could be used against them. Parents in particular will be tempted to ask these questions, but they will do more harm than good.

Take notes and record as much information as you can. Stress can prevent you from retaining key information, and sometimes a detail that may seem unimportant at the time can be valuable information.

Ask:

• Their full legal name and date of birth
• Where they’re being held
• Their booking number
• Whether they’ve seen a judge to set bail
• If bail has been set, how much is it?

If they’re unsure where they’re being held, Bexar County maintains a searchable database or you can call (210) 335-5401.

READ MORE: How to find an inmate in Bexar County

Contact an Attorney

If your friend or family member hasn’t retained an attorney, suggest they contact one and offer to help them search. Make sure they choose someone experienced with criminal cases in Bexar County. 

Michael and Associates offers a free consultation 24/7 and we will help you navigate the bail process. We may even be able to help you obtain a personal bond, which, as we will explain, could potentially save you quite a bit of money on bail.

Do You Need to Go to the Jail?

Don’t immediately go to the jail unless you are certain bail has already been set. Sometimes the magistration process can take several hours – or even days – particularly if the arrest occurred overnight. You don’t want to have to spend several hours waiting at the jail.

Instead, spend this time finding an attorney, who may be able to expedite the release process.

If bail has already been set, cash bail typically needs to be paid in person, and you’ll need to show ID, which means you’ll likely need to go to the jail once you’ve obtained the money order or cashier’s check for the bond amount.

Post Bail

“Bail” is a dollar amount that must be paid to the county to release your friend or family member. It will be set by a judge or magistrate. Once bail has been posted, the inmate will be released. 

Bail is a security deposit to ensure that the person will appear in court as directed. If they fail to show up, the bail money is forfeited. 

There are three primary types of bail:

• Cash bonds: This means that a judge or magistrate sets a bail amount, and that amount will be paid by cash, a cashier’s check, or by money order, and that money is refunded when your case is resolved.
• Surety bonds: If you can’t afford to pay the full bail amount in cash, you will need to contact a bail bond company. The bail bond company will bail out your friend or family member, but will charge a fee of about 10% of the total bail amount, and that fee is not refundable.
• Personal bonds: Also called a PR (personal recognizance) bond. It requires meeting some specific criteria and paying a nominal fee. PR bonds are more common for misdemeanors and non-violent felony offenses. In Bexar County, that fee will typically be $20 or 3% of the total amount of bail set by the judge, whichever is greater.

Cash bail will be posted in person at the court or the law enforcement agency where your friend or family member is in custody. Note that Bexar County does not accept cash for cash bail. You will have to pay by certified check or money order.

READ MORE: Types of bail bonds

Average Bail in Bexar County

Capital offense: $719.565.22

First-degree felony: $79,749.79

Second-degree felony: $60,804.42

Third-degree felony: $30159.27

State jail felony: $21,242.36

Class A misdemeanor: $7,612.31

Class B misdemeanor: $3132.62

Class C misdemeanor: $2,481.25

Bail can be denied in cases involving a violent offense, where the accused is a repeat offender or a flight risk. If your relative has been arrested on a felony probation violation, they may have a “no bond” warrant. In either of these instances, the defendant must remain in jail until their case is resolved. 

What Happens If You Can’t Afford to Post Bail?

Sometimes, particularly for violent offenses, bond can seem incredibly high – even $1 million or more. In these cases, even the 10% fee for a bail bond is financially impossible. In Texas, nearly 70% of inmates – about 40,000 people – are pretrial detainees who can’t afford to post bail.

If you can’t afford the bail bond fees, your friend or family member will remain in custody until a plea deal is negotiated or their case is resolved.

What Happens After Bail Has Been Posted?

After bail is posted, it could still take several hours for your friend or family member to be released. At that point, they can go home.

However, the ordeal isn’t over. If they haven’t found an attorney, this must be done as soon as possible. 

Where Do People Go After They’re Arrested in Bexar County?

When someone is arrested in Bexar County, they are typically taken to the Bexar County Jail, also known as the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. It is located at:

Bexar County Adult Detention Center

200 N Comal St,

San Antonio, TX 78207

These buses have routes that pass near Bexar County Jail

Bus: 100, 20, 24, 3, 75

If someone was arrested in San Antonio on a minor offense such as public intoxication, they may be held at the City of San Antonio Detention Center, which is located at  401 S. Frio St, San Antonio, TX 78207

The closest bus stop is S. Frio, a 4-minute walk away. 

The following buses stop within reasonable walking distance: 100, 24, 26, 3, 46, 93