An important question that we often get asked here at Freedom Bail Bonds is how long it typically takes to get in front of a magistrate. This is a great question; obviously, the sooner you get in front of a magistrate, the sooner you can be released from jail and get back to your life.

While the amount of time it takes to get in front of a magistrate can vary, below is an explanation of what to expect when someone is arrested.

Travis County

If you are arrested and taken to the Travis County Jail — day or night — it usually takes somewhere between 2-8 hours to get in front of a magistrate. As people are arrested in Travis County, they keep a list of defendants, and, whenever that list hits a certain number, everyone is taken to the magistrate simultaneously. So, in essence, the amount of time it takes to see a magistrate really just depends on where you are on the list.

Williamson County

Due to an increasing number of arrests, the Williamson County Jail has recently begun to magistrate defendants at night; however, the amount of time it takes to see a magistrate in Williamson County could be significantly more than Travis County. Typically, though, a defendant will be able to see a magistrate in Williamson County within 2-24 hours of being arrested.

Our goal here at Freedom Austin is to do our best to keep our clients informed about the bail bonds process. With that in mind, if you have any further questions about seeing a magistrate—or the bail bonds process in general—give us a call at (512)930-3040.