Camacho v. Samaniego

In Camacho v. Samaniego, 831 S.W.2d 804 (Tex. 1992), the Court examined the validity of a bail-bond approval fee that was allegedly authorized under Texas Local Government Code section 118.131, which provides that the "commissioners court of a county may set reasonable fees to be charged for services by the offices of the sheriff and constables." The Court held that this statute applies only to civil matters, and thus could not have authorized the bail-bond approval fee at issue. No other statute was alleged to explicitly authorize the fee. Id. at 812. Accordingly, the Court held that the fee was invalid. In Camacho, the Court held that El Paso County's system of preconviction bail-bond fees lacked statutory authority. Id. at 815.