BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEARTexas Penal Code (PC) § 38.10(d)
Bail Jumping and Fail to Appear is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 38.10(d). It is punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR” mean?
Bail Jumping and Fail to Appear is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas PC § 38.10(d).
Texas Penal Code § 38.10 defines bail jumping and failure to appear. The State must prove that the defendant was lawfully released from custody, with or without bail, on the condition that the defendant subsequently appear, and that the defendant intentionally or knowingly failed to appear in accordance with the terms of the release. The statute makes it a defense that the required appearance was incident to community supervision, parole, or an intermittent sentence, and a separate defense that the defendant had a reasonable excuse for the failure to appear. Subsection (d), the provision cited on court records, is the grading provision that classifies the offense as a Class A misdemeanor in the ordinary case — where the offense for which appearance was required was neither punishable by fine only, which is covered by subsection (e), nor classified as a felony, which is covered by subsection (f).
What usually happens to a BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR charge?
44% ended without a conviction, 9% in deferred adjudication and 44% in a conviction.
How 23 resolved BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 4 counties (Bell, Brazoria, Comal, Hays):
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (1) 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 long does a BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR case take to resolve?
Typically about 9 months: half of resolved cases closed within 280 days of filing.
Across 23 resolved BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 280 days. The middle half took between 49 and 678 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR cases end?
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
What is the punishment for Bail Jumping and Fail to Appear in Texas?
Up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | Up to 1 year in county jail | Fine up to $4,000 | Penal Code § 12.21 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR in Texas?
The median bail is $4,000, and 3% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 7,828 Texas bail settings for this charge (50 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $4,000 (middle half: $2,000 – $5,000). 3% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 616 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,571 records), the median was $4,000 and 3% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 966 | $2,500 | $1,000 – $5,000 | 4% | 3% |
| Howard | 715 | $2,500 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 1% | 5% |
| Bandera | 573 | $2,000 | $2,000 – $5,000 | 3% | 4% |
| Angelina | 320 | $1,500 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 18% | 0% |
| Travis | 318 | $4,000 | $2,000 – $7,500 | 10% | 32% |
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.
Charged with BAIL JUMPING AND FAIL TO APPEAR?
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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.