Collin County Attorney Writ Bond Procedure
If one has posted an Attorney Writ Bond in Collin County, it generally means that the person has bypassed being arraigned by a Magistrate Judge in order for them to set a bond amount. To read more about Writ Bonds in general in Dallas and Collin County, please read more HERE.
If a person has posted a bond for a charge relating to Driving While Intoxicated in Collin County, because they did not appear before a Judge where possible bond conditions are set, upon release from jail a person is usually given a form indicating that their presence is required at the Collin County courthouse 7 days after the next Monday. This means if you post bail with an Attorney Writ Bond on a Thursday, for example, you would not be required to appear the following Monday, but the one after.
The need for this is because specific bond conditions exist with charges of DWI. Specifically, it could be required that a person must comply with the bond condition of having ignition interlock, or a "Deep-Lung" device, on their vehicle while their case is pending. This situation exists if a person has a prior conviction for a DWI (it is mandatory), if the alleged BAC is a .15 or higher, and in some situations if an accident occurred in relation to the incident. To read more about bond conditions for charges of DWI, please read HERE.
The purpose of the hearing is for one of the county court judges in Collin County to determine whether ignition interlock will be required as a condition of bond. The case will be randomly assigned to a courtroom, and typically speaking a person's driving record history will be in an envelope. The Judge will then ask if they have permission to open and view the driving record history, and if it is given, they will review it to try and determine if there are any possible DWI convictions in the past. If this answer is in the affirmative, they will then order ignition-interlock to be installed as a condition of bond. If permission is not given to view the driving record history, the Judge will almost certainly order ignition-interlock to be installed.
Some Judges also require ignition-interlock to be installed if there was an accident involved relating to the incident. If a blood test was obtained, some Judges also will inquire as to whether the person gave their consent or refused to give a sample. If it was a refusal, some Judges require ignition-interlock pending the outcome of the BAC results.
In all, the entire process is very quick and relatively painless. Many individuals are confused, scared, and frightened at the prospect of having to appear formally in court so soon after an arrest. There is no need to be alarmed at the nature of this hearing. It is perfunctory in nature, and is required with all DWI charges if a person posts bail through an Attorney Writ Bond, irrespective of if it is a first DWI offense, or if it is a subsequent arrest.
Contact Us Now
An experienced Collin County Writ Bond Attorney is available to discuss your case 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can contact The Law Offices of Carl David Ceder at any time for assistance at 214.702.CARL(2275) or at 469.2000.DWI(394). You can also e-mail Carl directly, at CDC@DFWDefender.com; or to the office for general inquiries at Info@DFWDefenders.com. Phones will be answered 24 hours a day/7 days a week for immediate and prompt assistance. E-mail messages will try to be responded to with 24-48 hours, depending on whether Carl and his team is in trial and/or is busy working on a case for a contested hearing.
