Hi, I'm Charlie Roadman, Austin Criminal Defense Attorney, and today we're going to talk about the pre-trial services officer in Travis County, Texas. First, pre-trial services as an organization initially helps the judge figure out if you qualify for a personal bond. They do that by calling your references, making sure you are who you say you are and sort of confirming that information, so a judge can make a decision on whether to allow you a personal bond. Now, if you do get a personal bond, some of them have conditions, not all of them, but some of them now the condition might be an ignition interlock device, or drug testing or things like that. If you have conditions, then you will be assigned a pre-trial services officer to monitor that, to make sure you're doing what you're supposed to do. Their name and phone number will be on the bond paperwork you get when you are released from jail.

Now, their job entirely is to make sure you comply with these conditions and it's not probation, okay, but it sort of feels like that because there's this officer that you have to correspond with and who's checking up on you. Now, if you violate a bond condition, the pre-trial services officer will inform the judge. Then the judge decides whether to add more conditions or revoke your bond and a warrant could go out for you. That is what the pre-trial services officer does, is just make sure you're doing what you're supposed to do. Now, my advice is to comply with the rules. Don't assume that something's okay. I mean, you can check with your attorney and make sure what the rules are. All right, I hope that helps.