A group of bail bond companies has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop new rules in Texas' most populous county that would allow most misdemeanor defendants to be released on no-cash bail bonds.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in state district court in Houston.
It was filed in response to a new policy approved last month by a group of misdemeanor judges in Harris County, where Houston is located.
The new policy was announced as part of efforts to help settle an ongoing federal lawsuit over the county's bail system, which was found unconstitutional for people arrested for lesser offenses.
The bond companies' lawsuit alleges the new policy violates Texas law and threatens their livelihood.
A Harris County Attorney's Office spokesman didn't immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
