Find out where they are
Your first move is to confirm the person is in custody and where. Harris County assigns a System Person Number at booking, and you can look someone up by name or SPN through the Sheriff’s inmate search. If the record has not appeared yet, booking itself can take several hours, so check again rather than assuming the worst.
The magistrate hearing
Under Texas law, an arrested person must be brought before a magistrate “without unnecessary delay but not later than 48 hours after arrest” (Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 15.17). At this hearing the magistrate reads the accusation, informs the person of their rights — including the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer, appointed if they cannot afford one — and considers bail.
How bail gets set
The magistrate sets bail using the factors in Chapter 17 of the Code of Criminal Procedure: the charge, the person’s ties to the community, ability to make bail, and any risk to public safety. Some misdemeanors follow a bail schedule, while more serious charges get an individual determination. Once a figure is set, it can be posted. Our Houston bail process guide walks through each step in plain English.
What not to do
Do not discuss the case on a recorded jail phone line, and do not press the person to explain what happened over the phone — those calls are monitored and recorded. Keep the arrest off social media. And do not sit and wait, hoping the charge quietly disappears; letting the process drift only narrows your options.
Getting them home
Once bail is set, you can pay a cash bond to the county or use a licensed bondsman for a fraction of the amount. Our step-by-step guide to posting bail at the Harris County jail covers where to go and what to bring. If the situation is an open warrant rather than a fresh arrest, a warrant walk-through can often keep the person from ever sitting in a cell.
If a court date gets missed
Life happens, but a missed setting carries real consequences — a warrant, and possibly bond forfeiture. If that is already where things stand, read what happens after a missed court date and call right away. Acting quickly gives you the most room to fix it.