CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K
Criminal Mischief at least $2,500 under $30K in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K” means
Criminal mischief, Texas Penal Code § 28.03, requires proof that the actor, without the effective consent of the owner, intentionally or knowingly damaged or destroyed the owner's tangible property, tampered with the property and caused pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience, or made unauthorized markings — inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings — on it. This variant, § 28.03(b)(4)(A), is the state jail felony bracket based on the amount of pecuniary loss: $2,500 or more but less than $30,000. Pecuniary loss is calculated under § 28.06 — for destroyed property, generally the fair market value at the time and place of destruction; for damaged property, generally the cost of repair or restoration. The same subsection separately reaches certain lower-dollar conduct, such as damaging a habitation by firearm, but this charge denotes the dollar-bracket form of the offense.
| Charged as | Share of bail records | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State jail felony | 100% | 180 days to 2 years in a state jail | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.35 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
Bail for CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K in Texas
Across 13,294 Texas bail settings for this charge (63 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $5,000 (middle half: $3,000 – $10,000). 11% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 912 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (4,362 records), the median was $5,000 and 23% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 1,334 | $2,500 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 7% | 4% |
| Harris | 1,092 | $7,500 | $5,000 – $15,000 | 64% | 1% |
| Bexar | 1,090 | $5,000 | $3,500 – $10,000 | 5% | 9% |
| Travis | 993 | $6,000 | $4,000 – $10,000 | 24% | 5% |
| El Paso | 970 | $5,000 | $3,000 – $11,375 | 5% | 12% |
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 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K charge
Of 2,495 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K charges filed 2019–2023 across 14 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson), 90% have reached a disposition:
How long it takes: the median CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K charge took 259 days from filing to disposition (middle half: 129 – 459 days, 2,494 charges).
| County | Disposed | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 1,530 | 64% | 9% | 25% | 269 |
| Dallas | 324 | 35% | 36% | 30% | 233 |
| Collin | 183 | 32% | 33% | 34% | 202 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (38) 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.
Recent CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K cases
| Case | County | Filed | Disposed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 197542801010 | Harris | Aug 6, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196465901010 | Harris | May 18, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196690101010 | Harris | Jun 3, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 | Deferred adjudication |
| 196992001010 | Harris | Jun 25, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196493601010 | Harris | May 20, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196999101010 | Harris | Jun 26, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 197652701010 | Harris | Aug 14, 2026 | Aug 27, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196463601010 | Harris | May 18, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196213901010 | Harris | Apr 30, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
| 196034901010 | Harris | Apr 17, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 | Dismissed by the prosecutor |
Related charges
- CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$100<$750 § 28.03(b)(2)
- CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$750<$2,500 § 28.03(b)(3)(a)
- CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$30K<$150K § 28.03(b)(5)(a)
Charged with CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<$30K?
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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.