FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTTexas Penal Code (PC) § 32.21(d)
Forgery Financial Instrument is a state jail felony under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 32.21(d). It is punishable by 180 days to 2 years in a state jail and a fine up to $10,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT” mean?
Forgery Financial Instrument is a state jail felony under Texas PC § 32.21(d).
Texas Penal Code § 32.21 defines forgery. To "forge" means to alter, make, complete, execute, or authenticate a writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize the act, to be executed at a time or place other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; it also includes passing or publishing such a writing, or possessing it with intent to utter it. The State must prove the forging was done with intent to defraud or harm another. This filing is the state jail felony variant under § 32.21(d), which applies when the writing is or purports to be a will, codicil, deed, deed of trust, mortgage, security instrument or agreement, credit card, check, authorization to debit an account at a financial institution or similar sight order, contract, release, or other commercial instrument.
What usually happens to a FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT charge?
26% ended without a conviction, 27% in deferred adjudication and 45% in a conviction.
How 599 resolved FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 13 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin | 175 | 13% | 46% | 42% | 204 |
| Hays | 148 | 34% | 23% | 43% | 426 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (8) 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 FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT case take to resolve?
Typically about 9 months: half of resolved cases closed within 266 days of filing.
Across 598 resolved FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 266 days. The middle half took between 129 and 506 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT 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 Forgery Financial Instrument in Texas?
180 days to 2 years in a state jail and a fine up to $10,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State jail felony | 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.
How much is bail for FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT in Texas?
The median bail is $9,000, and 5% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 10,932 Texas bail settings for this charge (66 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $9,000 (middle half: $5,000 – $15,000). 5% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 1,494 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (2,070 records), the median was $7,500 and 10% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | 957 | $7,500 | $3,000 – $10,000 | 9% | 17% |
| Tarrant | 719 | $2,500 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 5% | 5% |
| Nueces | 547 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $13,750 | 2% | 51% |
| Travis | 493 | $10,000 | $6,000 – $10,000 | 12% | 8% |
| Hidalgo | 469 | $15,000 | $15,000 – $15,000 | 2% | 0% |
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 FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT?
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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.