“I think my gf is at Crowley? what do I do?” read the post's headline from early March.
For the uninitiated, “Crowley” refers to the Frank Cowley Courts Building in Dallas, which is also home to the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, the county jail.
In a way that made us feel better about the cesspool of trolls that social media often resembles, the original poster was inundated with helpful advice and almost supportive and encouraging comments. Sure, there was a bit of the typical Reddit trolling in the thread, but overall, it got us thinking: What would we do if our wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, dad, brother or sister of BFF somehow found themselves in jail? What would we do if we got that call or found out about it through the grapevine?
A while back, we posted a story informing people on what to do if ICE arrested someone close. Here’s what to do if a loved one is arrested by the Dallas police.
Confirm Booking
In Dallas County, a new inmate usually appears in the online jail records within a few hours of arrest after they have been booked. As long as your loved one has been booked, you should be able to find them by using the inmate lookup tool. Required information for finding an inmate is last name, first name, race and sex, but having the inmate’s date of birth will help narrow the search in the case of a common name. If you have the book-in number or case number, you can use that as well. If the inmate you are looking for is not listed on the website, there’s a chance they haven't been booked in yet.
Bond Information
Once you’ve located the inmate using the inmate lookup tool, you’ll see the charges and bond information, including details on bond processing and available, approved bail bond agencies. Posting bond releases the inmate from jail pending a future court date. If you or the inmate can, the bond can be paid in full with cash, cashier’s check or money order at the bond desk inside Lew Sterrett (no debit or credit cards).
If the cash bond isn't an option, one of the approved bail bond services will need to be paid in order for the inmate to be released. A fee that equals 10% of the bond is typically charged by the service, which covers the full amount.
Requesting a Lawyer and Future Court Appearances
An inmate can request a lawyer at several points. During the arraignment, a judge should ask the inmate if they need legal representation. This is a key step for the inmate to move forward with their case, regardless of whether they are released. “You are also required to hire an attorney to appear with you. If you are indigent and unable to hire an attorney, you may be eligible for a court-appointed attorney,” reads the Dallas County website. “Please contact the court in which your case was assigned. There is an application process to determine if you qualify for a court-appointed attorney. Be sure to contact your attorney 1-2 days before your court hearing.”
