Collin County: An Attorney Writ Bond

What do you do when the handcuffs go on?Unless you have been in trouble with the law before, you may find yourself in a state of shock should this ever happen to you.  You may have committed an offense, and find yourself under arrest.  Most people who have not had this experience before have no idea what to expect within the US justice system.When you are arrested, the procedures to be followed under Texas law in Collin County usually pursue the following course:    The Miranda rights are read, that is, you should be informed that you have the right to remain silent and that anything you say can be held against you in a court of law.    Before you are questioned at all, you have the right to your own lawyer, or one may be appointed for you if you cannot afford your own.  This is not necessarily automatic.  It is up to you to exercise this right and to ask for one.    In most cases, if you are arrested without a warrant, you may be held in custody for not longer than forty eight hours.  Before this time expires, you need to make a ‘first appearance’, also called an ‘arraignment’, in court.    During this time, you will normally be fingerprinted and photographed.  Usually an investigation will be made of any previous record as well.    In cases that are considered less serious, you may not be arrested, but required by citation to appear in court.  Should you ignore this, it could lead to your being arrested.Being arrested is virtually always a traumatic experience, especially if it has never happened to you before.  The thing is, not to panic.  Keep your head, take note that the proper procedures have been followed, and contact your attorney as soon as possible.The attorney you appoint will try to get you out of jail as quickly as possible.  He will most probably file an attorney writ bond.An attorney writ bond is also known as a ‘writ of habeas corpus’.This is just a gentle reminder to everyone concerned that if you are not taken before a magistrate or a judge and charged with a specific crime or offense within the prescribed time limit, your arrest is illegal.Of course everyone knows this already, but issuing the writ sometimes has the practical value of speeding things up a bit.  This is especially important when there is a backlog of cases awaiting attention by the courts.It should be remembered that only certain offenses qualify for a writ bond.  These are usually Misdemeanor Offenses Classes A or B.These include such offenses as driving under the influence of alcohol, certain drug offenses or theft.  They are lesser charges than felonies, but are still criminal charges and carry penalties of fines and/or jail terms.At your preliminary hearing in court, the judge or magistrate will decide whether you should be charged, and what sort of crime or offense you will be charged with.It can happen that no case is to be made against you, and this is why it is so important for you to be in immediate contact with a competent attorney. If you are in Collin County you should approach a Collin County Writ Bond Lawyer. He or she will be able to give you a better idea of how serious the charges, if any, are likely to be against you.The judge or magistrate is the official who will make the decision to set the bail or bond amount, and whether he or she should allow you to leave jail until the trial date, if the matter is to go to trial.