MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A Mobile County man charged with manslaughter in a deadly DUI crash has been granted bond after a judge ruled that his immigration status cannot override his constitutional right to bail.
Investigators say Franklin Arana, a native of Honduras, was behind the wheel on Oct. 26 when his vehicle collided with another car on Montlimar Drive in Mobile, killing a teenage boy riding in his vehicle.
Arana was arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter. Soon after, a judge denied his bond, citing an ICE detainer because Arana is reportedly in the country illegally. Arana has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
On Nov. 7, Arana's attorney, Mobile County Public Defender Blair Givens, filed a motion arguing that under Alabama law, defendants are guaranteed the right to reasonable bail unless they are charged with a capital offense. Manslaughter is not listed among the crimes for which bond can be denied.
The defense argued the following:
Givens also cited a 2024 Mobile County case, in which a judge ruled that an ICE hold alone is not a valid reason to deny bond.
On Thursday, the court agreed, ruling that Arana's immigration detainer does not override his constitutional right to bail. The judge set his bond at $250,000 with a cash component.
As of Thursday afternoon, Arana remains in the Mobile County Metro Jail, but he is now eligible for release as he awaits his preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 19.
FOX10 News has reached out to the Mobile Public Defender's Office for comment and is waiting to hear back.