CTY., PRE-TRIAL RELEASE CIRCLES WAGONS ON PUBLIC INFO

By Juan Montoya
Earlier this year we filed and information request on the bonds issued in 2014 by the Pre-Trial Release Program operated by Cameron County.
It took us a few tries and dry runs until we got what we wanted, a copy (minus redacted personal info) of the actual bond issued for each defendant, the charge and amount of bond, and the day of arrest and release.
That covered the entire year of 2014.
We were given a quote by Cameron County legal counsel Dylbia Jefferies-Vega on the price for the redacted copies for that period given her by the PTRP staff.
She said: " There are 544 bonds that would have to be copied first and then redacted for social security numbers and driver’s license numbers and then copied again before they could be sent to you. That would make 1088 copies at .10/page, which would be $108.80 for the copies. It would take about 8 hours to do (they are out two staff members) at $15.00/hr., which would be $120.00 for labor. The total would be $228.80. Let me know if you wish to proceed. Thanks." Dylbia
Curious on whether some of the snafus that we had uncovered in perusing through last year's bonds had been corrected after we reported them, we filed another information request through the normal channels that covered January through June 2015.
That was on June 25. We didn't get an answer and emailed her again.
We emailed her: "June 29 Dylbia. As per our conversation, I am requesting copies of the pre-trial release bonds issued since January 1 to June 24 2015. Please let me know the cost. Thanks in advance.
Jefferies-Vega replied: "July 6 Juan, The estimate for the copies is $438.50. There are 185 pages and 28 hours of work. Do you still want to proceed?
Dylbia
We were surprised and replied:  "July 7 Last time it was some 600 pages and it only cost me less than $250. What's the difference? Juan
She replied: "July 7 The difference was the time it took to do this request. It took 28 hours to do this request. Since it is over 50 pages, labor charges are assessed. The other request only took 8 hours.

Now, we're not math majors and never claimed to be, but if it took 8 hours of labor and cost us about $238 for 544 pages instead of $438.50 for 185 pages, how could it take 20 more hours of work for less than half the material we requested?
Could it be that the 2015 bonds will reveal some of the anomalies we discovered in 2014 when?:

*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 the PTRP $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 to the PTRP and was free the same day.
 *On April 15, 2014, a 51-year-old Brownsville Independent School District maintenance department supervisor 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 the PRTR 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 to the PTRP 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, readers also questioned the release for $102 of the defendant charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter. 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.
A few of the PTRD revolving door releases 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 the PTRP $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 the PTRP $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 the PTRP $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 the PTRP $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 the same day after her daughter paid the PTRP $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 the PTRP $152.

The Pre-Trial Release Program was implemented to assist indigent defendants who can't afford bail to get released pending their appearance in court. It's obvious that a BISD maintenance supervisor and others listed above wouldn't qualify as indigents. Yet, they were signed up for the 3 percent bonds, and in some cases bond for 1 percent.
The program also rejects repeat offenders, defendants charged with violent crimes (family violence, sexual assault against a child, etc.) but the cases listed above shows these defendants were often released on the same day they were charged to return to the same home where the alleged crimes were committed.
We wonder what we would uncover if we were to come up with the cash to get the bond from the PTRP? Is there something that the county doesn't want us (and you) cto see?