DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES
Discharge Firearm in Certain Municipalities in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES” means
Discharge of a firearm in certain municipalities, Texas Penal Code § 42.12, makes it an offense to recklessly discharge a firearm inside the corporate limits of a municipality having a population of 100,000 or more. The State must prove two things: that the shot was fired within the city limits of a qualifying large city, and that the actor did so recklessly — aware of, but consciously disregarding, a substantial and unjustifiable risk. The statute does not require proof that anyone was endangered, alarmed, or injured; the location element and the reckless discharge are the offense. Subsection (b) grades it as a Class A misdemeanor. The offense is distinct from disorderly conduct by discharging a firearm in a public place, which does not depend on city population, and from deadly conduct, which requires a discharge at or toward people, habitations, buildings, or vehicles.
| 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.
Bail for DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES in Texas
Across 4,857 Texas bail settings for this charge (25 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $3,000 (middle half: $1,500 – $5,000). 7% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 68 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,616 records), the median was $2,500 and 13% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 1,011 | $2,000 | $1,000 – $5,000 | 9% | 1% |
| Dallas | 678 | $1,500 | $1,000 – $3,000 | 2% | 2% |
| Bexar | 588 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $10,000 | 0% | 3% |
| Travis | 295 | $5,000 | $3,500 – $6,500 | 31% | 1% |
| El Paso | 264 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $10,000 | 7% | 2% |
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 DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES charge
Of 1,071 DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES charges filed 2019–2023 across 12 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Travis, Williamson), 94% have reached a disposition:
How long it takes: the median DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES charge took 262 days from filing to disposition (middle half: 147 – 408 days, 1,071 charges).
| County | Disposed | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 771 | 70% | 10% | 20% | 288 |
| Dallas | 146 | 57% | 21% | 21% | 204 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (6) 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 DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES 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
Charged with DISCHARGE FIREARM IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES?
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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.