Just who is in the Bell County Jail, anyway?

The article in yesterday’s Temple Daily Telegram made me stop and wonder just who, exactly, is in the Bell County Jail at any given time. The article was ostensibly about bail amounts in criminal cases, and how they are set. The interesting thing, though, was the idea that a bail amount in a Bell County criminal case could be set in any amount without any apparent logic or legal authority for doing so.

Well, a little investigation revealed some interesting information. Here is a breakdown of just who is in the BCJ right now:

Keep in mind that the BCJ only has 708 beds. I guess 70 inmates are sharing beds? However it works out over there, it seems like there are still an awful large number of people in the BCJ with excessive bail amounts. I don’t know, because each case is unique and I have not studied each and every case (obviously). I do wonder, though, if anyone else has.

For example, looking at State Jail felony offense possession under a gram cases, there are 35 inmates in the BCJ right now with that offense being the most serious thing they are charged with. I don’t know what percentage of those have no prior felony convictions, but I imagine a good number of them are first timers. And, of course, those with no prior felonies are automatically entitled to probation on their first State Jail felony possession case. Automatic probation. And yet, a good number of inmates are sitting in jail, an average of 77 days so far, most with bail amounts of $25,000! $25,000 and they are guaranteed probation if it’s a first felony offense? What is the rationale behind this?

By the way, for all of you good criminal defense lawyers out there, notice the median bond amounts. Now when someone asks you what their bond is likely to be set at, you can say with some confidence that the normal Bell County bail for a:

1st Degree Felony = $150,000
2nd Degree Felony = $75,000
3rd Degree Felony = $75,000
State Jail Felony = $25,000
Felony probation revocation = $50,000
Class A Misdemeanor = $5,000
Class B Misdemeanor = $2,500
Misdemeanor probation revocation = $5,000

Of course, looking at these numbers, something appears quite curious. Notice the neat stacking of numbers. What a coincidence that a median Class A bail amount just happens to be twice that of a median Class B bail amount. There appears to be a slight problem with the pattern though. Because a State Jail Felony is $25,000. Doubling that should make a Third Degree Felony $50,000 (but the median jumps up to $75,000). The Second Degree Felony is at $75,000, which oddly enough is half of a First Degree Felony, at $150,000.

Does this neat pattern indicate that Bell County bail amounts are being set according to some predetermined value ladder? Surely the local magistrates are obeying their sworn duties to apply and uphold the law and are individually setting each of these amounts, right? Well, see this post if there is any doubt

[The data used in this analysis is available on my website as an Excel file, by clicking here. Keep in mind, though, that this spreadsheet only shows one offense for each inmate, the offense with the highest bond amount. The most current list is available on the Sheriff’s website: Bell County Active Inmate List.]

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Other Links to this Post

1. The precise nature of Bell County bail | Jeff Parker — October 5, 2008 @ 9:21 am

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