ARSON
Arson in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “ARSON” means
Texas Penal Code § 28.02 defines arson. The State must prove that the defendant started a fire — regardless of whether the fire continued after ignition — or caused an explosion, with intent to destroy or damage vegetation, a fence, or a structure on open-space land, or a building, habitation, or vehicle under a circumstance listed in the statute: knowing it was within an incorporated city or town, knowing it was insured or subject to a mortgage or other security interest, knowing it was located on or contained property belonging to another, or being reckless about whether the burning or explosion would endanger someone's life or another person's property. Subsection (d), the provision cited on court records, is the grading provision: it classifies this base offense as a second-degree felony, reserving first-degree classification for cases involving bodily injury or death or a habitation or place of assembly or worship.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second-degree felony | 2 to 20 years in prison (TDCJ) | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.33 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
Bail for ARSON in Texas
Across 2,984 Texas bail settings for this charge (22 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $20,000 (middle half: $10,000 – $50,000). 4% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 246 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,160 records), the median was $25,000 and 4% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 326 | $10,000 | $5,000 – $20,000 | 0% | 8% |
| Bexar | 268 | $30,000 | $16,000 – $50,000 | 0% | 15% |
| Travis | 259 | $15,000 | $10,000 – $20,000 | 25% | 8% |
| Randall | 141 | $250,000 | $250,000 – $250,000 | 0% | 4% |
| Dallas | 125 | $30,000 | $20,000 – $50,000 | 1% | 3% |
Showing the 5 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.
What usually happens to a ARSON charge
Of 424 ARSON charges filed 2019–2023 across 14 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson), 93% have reached a disposition:
How long it takes: the median ARSON charge took 331 days from filing to disposition (middle half: 177 – 569 days, 423 charges).
| County | Disposed | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 194 | 39% | 24% | 30% | 374 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (14) covers waived counts, bond forfeitures, transfers and unrecorded outcomes. Bexar County records disposition dates but not outcomes, so it counts toward time-to-disposition only. Tarrant County criminal records are not in this dataset.
How real ARSON cases ended
Individual cases from the public court record, with the disposition and sentence text exactly as the clerk entered it. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Ended without a conviction
Deferred adjudication
Ended in a conviction
Related charges
Charged with ARSON?
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Find a Defense AttorneyBail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.