A phone call from the Galveston County Jail, or a knock on the door from police, can turn a normal day upside down. This guide walks through what happens after an arrest in Galveston County, in the order it usually happens.
1. Finding the person
When someone is arrested in Galveston County they are usually taken to the Galveston County Jail, 5700 Ball Street, Galveston, TX 77551. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office has an online inmate search at p2c.galvestoncountytx.gov, where you can search by name and see the booking date, the charges and the bond amount. You can also call the jail at (409) 766-2315.
2. Booking
Booking includes a paperwork check, questions, a mug shot and fingerprints. After booking, the person gets two free two-minute phone calls to reach family or an attorney.
3. The magistrate, bond and bond conditions
Next the person sees a magistrate, who sets the bond amount and any bond conditions. Bond can be paid in full or arranged through a bondsman. Conditions can include reporting, drug testing, an ignition interlock in DWI cases, or staying away from a home or a person. Initial bond amounts can sometimes be reviewed and adjusted.
In family violence cases the magistrate may also sign an emergency protective order that can keep you out of your own home and bar contact with the alleged victim.
4. Deadlines that start right away
- DWI and BWI: if a breath or blood test was refused or failed, you have 15 days to request an ALR hearing or the license suspension takes effect automatically.
- Evidence: video from the stop, the jail and the breath test room does not last forever. The earlier an attorney asks for it, the better.
5. What not to do
- Don't try to explain your way out of it. Statements made at the scene and in the patrol car are routinely used later.
- Don't discuss the case on jail calls. They are recorded, and prosecutors listen to them.
- Don't contact the alleged victim in a family violence case. It can violate a protective order or bond condition and lead to new charges.
6. The courts
Cases are filed by the Galveston County District Attorney's Office and heard at the Galveston County Justice Center, 600 59th Street. Misdemeanors go to the County Courts at Law; felonies go to a district court after indictment. See our guide to the Galveston County courts. Most cases resolve through motions and negotiation, but we prepare every case as if it will go to trial.
7. Protecting the record
From the first day, the goal is not just avoiding a conviction but keeping the arrest off the person's record where possible. See expunctions and nondisclosures.
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