No person charged with a violent crime should be allowed to use this PTR program. Typical abuse and misuse of programs that are meant to help low-income non violent offenders. Who do we complain to via a letter? This is completely wrong.
April 13, 2005 at 1:03 p.m.
By Juan Montoya
Comments to this blog such as the one above by "Teresa" have said that the use of the cut-rate bonds issued by the Cameron County Pre-Trial Release Program to bail out persons charged with violent crimes, physical or sexual assaults against children or assaults against public servants are not justified.
In previous posts we have shown how defendants accused of Family Violence Assaults, injury to children, abandonment, intoxicated vehicular manslaughter and aggravated assaults have been freed after posting the low bonds offered by the PTRP.
The PTRP was originally meant to help poor people put up the bonds and at the same time relieve jail overcrowding. But as these comments clearly sate, the original mission might have been in the zeal to pile up numbers for their ledger sheet and justify the program's existence.
Anonymous said...
This is so ridiculous and upsetting. Individuals charged with crimes against children should not be allowed these PTR privileges! April 12, 2015, at 8:28 p.m.
The PTRP was originally meant to help poor people put up the bonds and at the same time relieve jail overcrowding. But as these comments clearly sate, the original mission might have been in the zeal to pile up numbers for their ledger sheet and justify the program's existence.
Anonymous said...
This is so ridiculous and upsetting. Individuals charged with crimes against children should not be allowed these PTR privileges! April 12, 2015, at 8:28 p.m.
This reader was reacting to a partial list of defendants released under program with offenses against children. In our previous post we listed just a few of the bonds issued from January 2014 to February 2015. A few of the ones we listed included:
*On January 17, 2014, a 26-year-old woman was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and a judge set a $20,000 bond on her. Her spouse paid $600 the same day and she was released pending trial.
*On February 13, 2014 a 59-year-old woman was arrested and charged with endangering a child. She paid the $107 on a $3,000 bond and was free the same day.
*On April 15, 2014, a 51-year-old Brownsville Independent School District maintenance department employee was arrested and charged with two counts of indecency with a child through sexual contact. A judge set his bond at $40,000 and he paid $1,202 the same day to regain his freedom.
On June 12, 2014, a 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with kidnapping. His sister paid the $102 on a $10,000 bond and he was released that same day.
*On January 7, 2015, for example, a 39-year old was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and given a $30,000 bond. His mother paid the PTRP $909 and he was set free the same day.
Likewise, another reader questioned the release for $122 of the defendant charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter listed below.
On February 26, a 24-year-old man man was arrested and charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter.
His bond was set at $10,000 by Judge Benjamin Euresti.
That same day, a Pre-Trial Release Program employee interviewed the man and arranged for his release at the cut-rate 3 percent and his cousin paid $102 to set him free to await trial.
As far as Family Violence Assault, we listed a partial number of the low-cost bonds that released the defendants.
the PTRD revolving door are listed below:
1. On January 7, a 22-year-old was assessed a $2,500 bond after he was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and was released two days later after his mother paid $77.
2. On January 8, a 54-year-old was assessed a $10,000 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault with a deadly weapon charge and released the next day after her boyfriend paid $102.
4. On April 29, a 36-year-old was assessed a $5,000 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and released the next day after her sister-in-law paid $152.
5. On May 6, a 23-year-old was assessed a $1,000 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and was released one day later after her husband paid $52.
5. On June 8, a 51-year-old was assessed a $7,500 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and released after her daughter paid $227.
6. On June 11, an 18-year-old was assessed a $5,000 bond after he was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and released the next day after his mother paid $152.
To contact Cameron County to voice your ocncerns about the implementation of this program, contact your county commissioners listed below.
*On January 17, 2014, a 26-year-old woman was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and a judge set a $20,000 bond on her. Her spouse paid $600 the same day and she was released pending trial.
*On February 13, 2014 a 59-year-old woman was arrested and charged with endangering a child. She paid the $107 on a $3,000 bond and was free the same day.
*On April 15, 2014, a 51-year-old Brownsville Independent School District maintenance department employee was arrested and charged with two counts of indecency with a child through sexual contact. A judge set his bond at $40,000 and he paid $1,202 the same day to regain his freedom.
On June 12, 2014, a 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with kidnapping. His sister paid the $102 on a $10,000 bond and he was released that same day.
*On January 7, 2015, for example, a 39-year old was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and given a $30,000 bond. His mother paid the PTRP $909 and he was set free the same day.
Likewise, another reader questioned the release for $122 of the defendant charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter listed below.
On February 26, a 24-year-old man man was arrested and charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter.
His bond was set at $10,000 by Judge Benjamin Euresti.
That same day, a Pre-Trial Release Program employee interviewed the man and arranged for his release at the cut-rate 3 percent and his cousin paid $102 to set him free to await trial.
As far as Family Violence Assault, we listed a partial number of the low-cost bonds that released the defendants.
the PTRD revolving door are listed below:
1. On January 7, a 22-year-old was assessed a $2,500 bond after he was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and was released two days later after his mother paid $77.
2. On January 8, a 54-year-old was assessed a $10,000 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault with a deadly weapon charge and released the next day after her boyfriend paid $102.
4. On April 29, a 36-year-old was assessed a $5,000 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and released the next day after her sister-in-law paid $152.
5. On May 6, a 23-year-old was assessed a $1,000 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and was released one day later after her husband paid $52.
5. On June 8, a 51-year-old was assessed a $7,500 bond after she was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and released after her daughter paid $227.
6. On June 11, an 18-year-old was assessed a $5,000 bond after he was arrested on a Family Violence Assault charge and released the next day after his mother paid $152.
To contact Cameron County to voice your ocncerns about the implementation of this program, contact your county commissioners listed below.
Cameron County Judge and Commissioners
County Judge Pete Sepulveda Ph: (956) 544-0830 Carlos.Cascos@co.cameron.tx.us
Pct. 1 Sofia Beanvides Ph: (956) 574-8167 Email: sofia.benavides@co.cameron.tx.us
Pct. 2 Alex Dominguez Ph: (956) 983-5092 Email: alex.dominguez@co.cameron.tx.us
Pct. 3 David Garza Ph: (956) 361-8209 Email: dagarza@co.cameron.tx.us
Pct. 4 David Sanchez Ph: (956) 427-8069 Email: dan.sanchez@co.cameron.tx.us
Address: 1100 E. Monroe Street
Dancy Building
Brownsville, Texas 78520
1 comment:
It's also worth noting that Kevin Saenz was integral on Nelson's campaign, either as treasurer or manager. What are his qualifications to run this program and, what, if any, county hiring procedures were bypassed in rewarding him with this job for political support of another elected official?
Is this program really needed with the existence of bail bond companies, and doesn't it tortuously interfere with the bond companies?
Isn't the county creating for itself a liability that one of these violent offenders will commit another offense while out on bail?
Why do Cameron taxpayers pay so much to lockup and prosecute offenders for them to be released for pennies on the dollar?
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