FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT
Forgery Financial Instrument in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT” means
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.
| 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.
Bail for FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT in Texas
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.
How real FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT 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
- FORGERY GOVT/NATIONAL INST/MONEY/SECURITY § 32.21(e)
- FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$2500<$30K IAT § 32.21(e-1)(4)
- FORGERY TO DEFRAUD OR HARM OF ANOTHER § 32.21(c)
- FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$100<$750 IAT § 32.21(e-1)(2)
- FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$30K<$150K IAT § 32.21(e-1)(5)
- FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$750<$2500 IAT § 32.21(e-1)(3)
- FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT ENH IAT § 32.21(e-2)
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.