Computer Glitch Results In Nearly 300 Texas Defendants Ordered Released From Jail

CBS Dallas/Fort Worth

April 1, 2022

Nearly 300 Houston-area defendants were ordered released after a computer glitch prevented them from getting an initial court hearing within the time period required by state law, according to officials.

The computer system that is used by all law enforcement agencies in Harris County, where Houston is located, to file charges with prosecutors crashed on March 24 and was down for about a couple of days, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Under Texas law, defendants are generally not to be held for processing for more than 24 hours in misdemeanor cases and 48 hours in felony cases.

The glitch prevented defendants from appearing before a magistrate judge for a probable cause hearing

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