Have a loved one stuck in the Kaufman county jail? Want to know what the charges are and how much bail is set at?
Where is the Kaufman County Jail Located?
1900 U.S. 175, Kaufman, TX 75142. If you got to 175 and 34 and take the service road East, it’s on the right, past the new Whataburger and Walmart, just keep going.
For a class B misdemeanor in Texas the range of punishment is up to 180 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000. ROPs are the legislatures way of telling us exactly how outraged they are at particular conduct. They are in no way reflective of the harm caused to society or the victim.
Can you think of a reason that any person should serve 180 days in jail for-
DWI 1st?
At any given time a few of my clients are in jail. Every defendant experiences the humilation of being booked in and bonded out, but a few are trapped in the county jail for extended periods of time. One things counties hate spending money on is inmate health care. Providng free health care for “criminals” is not a winning political theme.
I get a few questions from inmates and their families on what to do if they don’t receive proper medical attention. I advise them to ask for a nurse as frequently as possible, and in writing, until something is done. Each county jail has different policies for dropping off prescriptions etc. But the jail is ultimately responsible for providing a minimum level of treatment for their inmates.
What happens when a county inmate is denied medical care, and suffers irreperable harm as a result? Recently Dallas county’s notoriously mismanaged and dangerous jail met the working end of a 1983 civil suit. The defendant won at trial, and the county appealed. Dallas would rather pay lawyers than pay an inmate they almost killed.
Recently, I was appointed to a misdemeanor pot case in Kaufman. Yet another reason you should support HB 902, so you can quit paying me to fight this nonsense. The appointment sheet listed the charge as possession of marijuana under 2 ounces; a class B misdemeanor and that bail was set at $100,000.
Convinced this was a typo, I called the jail to confirm. It’s true. This defendant has no holds, no blue warrants, no probation revocation, no other charges and the magistrate set a $100,000 bail for a joint.
One of two things is at play here. Either the defendant royally pissed off the magistrate, or he has some prior criminal history. The former is a fairly rare circumstance. As to the latter. Does arrest for non violent meaningless victimless “crime” + criminal history= trapped in jail with a ridiculously high bond. Is that an equation for justice?
No one plans on getting arrested in Kaufman County. If you do, be sure and check out this recommended bond schedule for Kaufman County.
Kaufman County Recommended Bond Schedule
Are you considering possessing marijuana in Forney? If you get caught and have no prior convictions your recommend bond amount will be $750.
Have a loved one stuck in the Kaufman County Jail with bond set too high? Here is some information on the typical bond issues in Kaufman.
First, bail is set once a day in Kaufman, between 8-10AM. If you are unlucky enough to get arrested at noon, you may be stuck until the next morning. Our 4 JP judges rotate setting bail and follow a suggested bail schedule (I will post a copy tomorrow).
Once bail is set you can either post a cash bond (put up all the money yourself) or contact a bail bondsmen. In Texas attorneys can write bonds but it’s not a service I offer. Bail bondsmen in Kaufman charge around 10% of the total bond. For example, if your bond is set at $5,000 you can either put up $5,000 in cash, or hire a bondsmen for around $500.
An attorney with the Wichita County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association has informed me that attorney client conversations are being recorded at the jail. The WCCDLA has pled with Sheriff Tom Callahan to end this practice to no avail.
My first job out of law school was with the Wichita County Public Defender. I remember three things about the Wichita County Jail.
1. It was disgusting.
Kaufman County has the nicest county jail I’ve ever been in. It is new, clean, devoid of foul odors and has a great staff. If you have to do county jail time, do it in Kaufman.
Here is basic information on the Kaufman County Jail.
Where Is It?
Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog