HOUSTON — Members of the Harris County Bail Bond Board had to look at the anguished and angry faces of murder victims' families during a meeting Wednesday. They packed the meeting to pressure the board to set a minimum for bonds. And it worked.
The same board that rejected the proposal for a 10% minimum last month, passed it today for 17 violent felony surety bonds.
Until now, even when judges set high bonds, bail bonds companies could lower them all the way down to 2%, allowing even capital murder suspects with past convictions for violent crimes to walk free.
The crowd at today's hearing included Paul Castro whose 17-year-old son David was killed in a road rage shooting after an Astros game. His accused killer, George Wayne Williams, is out on bond.
"I paid the price. Our family paid the price. Our community paid the price. Over and over. The number of murders in Harris County is unreal and out of control," Castro told us before the vote. "Instead of $35,000, my son's killer probably got out for $7,000 and, as a result, a person with multiple gun offenses is back out on the streets."
The families of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez and 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez also attended the meeting.
A bullet struck Arlene in the head on Valentine's Day as she and her family were headed to Spanky's Pizza for dinner. She was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead a day later. Tony Earls, the man accused of killing Arlene, is out on bond.
Diamond's boyfriend, 17-year-old Frank DeLeon, allegedly shot her 22 times after she found out he was cheating. DeLeon is also free after posting bond.
Before the vote, there were fireworks when some citizens stood up and spoke out during the meeting. And in a surprise move, presiding chair Angela Rodriguez was replaced midstream by the newly elected Troy McKinney.