airline passenger detained, what to do?
November 21, 2021 8:50 PM   Subscribe

My partner (a mefite who will be anonymous for now) was detained at DFW for intoxication/bad behavior. I'm not entirely sure whats up as his phone call to me was interrupted when the airport people told him to turn his phone off. I later got a call saying he had been arrested. He's far from an aggressive person in general, but I'd like to do what I can to get him home, but I'm on the other end of the country (Washington state). Any information would be helpful.
posted by Death and Gravity to Law & Government (4 answers total)
 
Best answer: I can't recommend a local lawyer, but you should get in touch with one promptly. There is probably at least one high-volume practice that deals with obnoxious behavior at the airport findable via Google. They may not be geniuses, but they can get you the basic facts about the practice and help you post bond, if bond is required.
posted by praemunire at 9:23 PM on November 21, 2021 [8 favorites]


Can't vouch for any of these because I live nowhere near the area (and. obviously, all advertising is to be taken with a grain of salt), but Sparks Law Firm has a lot of testimonials, including some from people in sensitive situations at DFW.

Barnett Howard & Williams says, "Our attorneys have a tremendous amount of experience handling charges arising from DFW Airport."

"Former criminal trial judge" David Finn, P.C., "has been defending ordinary, good people accused of various criminal offenses inside local airports in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a decade."
posted by virago at 10:03 PM on November 21, 2021 [4 favorites]


I know nothing about this site other than a google search, but info it has includes the following, provided it's accurate,

"Intoxication and Drug Offenses at DFW Airport
Our firm also represents individuals arrested at DFW Airport for intoxication offenses and drug offenses. The most common intoxication offense that we see from DFW Airport is Public Intoxication, which is a Class C misdemeanor. While a Class C misdemeanor is on the level of a standard traffic ticket, this can still cause a person to be arrested at the airport.

Like gun charges, drug offenses usually stem from a traveler having drugs in their carry-on luggage that is noticed by TSA when their bag is scanned. Drug offenses can include illicit drugs as well as prescription drug that are not stored in a proper container. To learn more about drug offenses in Texas, please read our Drug Crimes Page."

Also, it states,
"Writ Bonds From DFW Airport Jail | How to Get Out of Airport Jail Fast
Typically, a person that is arrested by DFW Airport Police will have to wait to be transferred the following day to the Tarrant County Jail where a Magistrate Judge will arraign him and set a bond so that he can be released upon posting bond. There is a process, however, in which a person can be released straight from the DFW Airport Jail. If the arrestee or his representative contacts an attorney in a timely manner, the attorney might be able to pursue a Writ Bond to have the person released from the Airport Jail. Depending on the time of day and weekday/weekend, a Writ Bond can be accomplished in a matter of hours. Our attorneys file dozens of Writ Bonds for folks arrested by DFW Airport each year. If you want to pursue a Writ Bond, you should contact us immediately for a free case evaluation."

Inmate search for Tarrant County jail

It appears that the jail can be contacted. Info on the DFW airport page.
"Q: How can I contact the DFW Jail
The DFW Holding Facility is located at DFW Airport DPS Headquarters.

The physical address is 3600 South 20th Avenue DFW Airport, Texas 75261. Information may be obtained by contacting the Desk Sergeant at +1-972-973-3533, +1-972-973-3508, or +1-972-973-3539."
posted by stormyteal at 9:40 AM on November 22, 2021 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks for all the info. The problem seems to have been resolved at least enough that he's on his way home. I suspect things were complicated a bit by the fact that it happened on a Sunday evening, but I did contact a lawyer.

I managed to talk to someone at the DFW jail, but it was before he had arrived there and they had no information at that point.
posted by Death and Gravity at 11:04 AM on November 22, 2021 [7 favorites]


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