MARCH 23, 2020
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY- CHECK INS CAN NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED BY TEXT, VOICEMAIL, OR WEBSITE/E-MAIL. TEXT YOUR NAME TO 512-757-3537 AND A LINK TO OUR CHECK IN APP, ALONG WITH A REGISTRATION KEY WILL BE SENT TO YOU BY TEXT. THE KEY IS VALID FOR ONE HOUR. TEXT THE SAME # IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS CHANGE.
COVID- 19 AND YOUR BOND
*IMPORTANT NOTICE-PLEASE READ*
TO TRY AND REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE DRASTICALLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS BEING ARRESTED. ADDITIONALLY, MANY AGENCIES HAVE BEGUN MASS RELEASES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ALREADY CONFINED TO JAIL. UNFORTUNATELY, AND AS A RESULT, WE HAVE HAD TO GREATLY REDUCE OUR STAFF. AS OF NOW, WE ARE DOWN TO ONE EMPLOYEE, MOSTLY WORKING FROM HOME. MANY OF YOU HAVE ASKED HOW THE CURRENT SITUATION WILL AFFECT YOUR BONDS.
ALTHOUGH NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, WE HAVE ALWAYS MADE IT A PRIORITY TO CLOSELY MONITOR ALL OF OUR CLIENTS CASES, WHETHER THE DURATION OF THE BOND LASTED A FEW MONTHS, OR A FEW YEARS. THE MONITORING INCLUDED SUCH THINGS AS SEARCHING FOR COURT DATES FOR EVERY CLIENT ON A WEEKLY BASIS, NOTIFYING EVERY CLIENT OF ALL COURT DATES FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR BOND, AND REMINDING CLIENTS WHEN THEY WERE IN BOND VIOLATION. THIS WAS DONE TO ENSURE THAT OUR CLIENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THEIR CASE WITHOUT BEING RE-ARRESTED FOR MISSING A COURT DATE, OR FOR COMMITTING BOND VIOLATIONS.
DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN STAFF, OUR PENDING CASELOAD WILL NOW GREATLY OUTWEIGH OUR STAFFING ABILITIES AND WE MUST MAKE CHANGES TO OUR PROCEDURES IMMEDIATELY. THE CHANGES ARE MEANT TO STILL ENSURE THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE ALWAYS INFORMED OF THEIR DATES AND VIOLATIONS, BUT THE METHOD BY WHICH NOTIFICATIONS ARE DONE WILL BE CHANGING EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING IN THE MATTER.
MOVING FORWARD, CHECK INS MUST BE DONE THROUGH OUR APP AND CANNOT BE ACCEPTED BY TEXT, CALL, WEBSITE OR E-MAIL. THIS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE NO LONGER HAVE THE MANPOWER TO CLEAR OUT HUNDREDS OF TEXTS, CALLS, AND E-MAILS, OR TO MAKE PERSONAL CONTACT WHEN A BOND VIOLATION OCCURS.
* WHEN YOU CHECK IN THROUGH OUR APP, THE APP WILL AUTOMATICALLY CHECK YOU INTO OUR CASE FILE SYSTEM.
*THE APP WILL NOTIFY YOU OF YOUR COURT APPEARANCES. IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, WE MAY HAVE TO SCALE DOWN OR STOP THE PRACTICE OF PERSONALLY CONTACTING EACH CLIENT ABOUT EVERY COURT DATE THEY HAVE.
*THE APP WILL REMIND YOU IF YOU MISSED YOUR CHECK IN. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION REGARDING BOND VIOLATIONS WILL BE SCALED DOWN OR STOPPED.
***PLEASE KNOW THAT WE WILL STILL BE SEARCHING FOR COURT DATES EVERY SINGLE WEEK AND INPUTTING THOSE INTO OUR BOND FILE SYSTEM. AS LONG AS YOU ARE USING THE APP, YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT YOUR COURT DATES.***
WE REALIZE THAT NOT EVERYONE IS FULLY ON BOARD WITH APP TECHNOLOGY, BUT TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE BEST METHOD TO ENSURE THAT YOU COMPLETE YOUR CASE SUCCESSFULLY.
PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT MISSING A COURT DATE WILL RESULT IN THE COUNTY ISSUING A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST, AS WELL AS FILING A CIVIL SUIT IN WHICH YOUR SIGNER WILL BE HELD FINANCIALLY LIABLE. BEING IN BOND VIOLATION WILL ALSO CAUSE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST. WE WANT YOU TO SUCCESSFULLY FINISH YOUR CASE WITHOUT ANY DISRUPTIONS.
AS WITH MANY APPS, THE APP REQUIRES THAT LOCATION SERVICES BE ALLOWED WHILE YOU HAVE THE APP OPEN. YOU CAN SET IT SO THAT IT DOESN’T HAVE LOCATIONS SERVICES ON ALL THE TIME, BUT JUST WHILE THE APP IS OPEN. THE APP ALSO REQUIRES THAT YOU SNAP A PHOTO, HOWEVER, THE PHOTO CAN BE OF THE FLOOR. WE ARE NOT REQUIRING SELFIES.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE COVID-19 VIRUS IS CAUSING MANY COURTS TO CANCEL COURT DATES. YOU CAN ACCESS OUR COURT DATE SEARCH HERE. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH YOUR ATTORNEY, AS WELL AS CHECK PRESS RELEASES FOR YOUR PARTICULAR COURT. IF YOUR COURT DATE IS IN MARCH OR EARLY APRIL, THERE IS AN EXTREMELY HIGH CHANCE OF A CANCELLATION OCCURRING.
WE TRULY THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AS WE NAVIGATE THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE VIRUS. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS CHANGE, PLEASE TEXT THEM TO 512-757-3537.