Penal Code § 32.21(c) · Class A misdemeanor

FORGERY TO DEFRAUD OR HARM OF ANOTHER

Forgery to Defraud or Harm of Another in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.

$3,500
Median cash bail
9%
Released on personal bond
849
Bail records

What “FORGERY TO DEFRAUD OR HARM OF ANOTHER” means

Texas Penal Code § 32.21 defines forgery. The State must prove the accused forged a writing with intent to defraud or harm another. "Forge" means to alter, make, complete, execute, or authenticate any 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 or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; it also covers issuing, transferring, passing, publishing, or otherwise uttering such a writing, and possessing it with intent to utter. "Writing" includes printing, money, coins, tokens, stamps, seals, credit cards, badges, trademarks, and other symbols of value, right, privilege, or identification. This filing is the base Class A misdemeanor under § 32.21(c), for writings outside the specific instrument categories graded as felonies in § 32.21(d) and (e).

Charged asShare of bail recordsPossible confinementFineSource
Class A misdemeanor100% 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 FORGERY TO DEFRAUD OR HARM OF ANOTHER in Texas

Across 849 Texas bail settings for this charge (8 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $3,500 (middle half: $2,125 – $7,500). 9% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 41 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (211 records), the median was $3,000 and 16% got a personal bond.

CountyRecordsMedian cash bailMiddle halfPersonal bondDenied
Bell 122 $5,000 $3,000 – $5,000 16% 1%
Tarrant 89 $2,250 $1,000 – $4,000 11% 2%
McLennan 55 $5,000 $3,000 – $5,000 0% 0%
El Paso 47 $22,500 $9,375 – $50,000 0% 38%
Dallas 36 $1,500 $1,000 – $2,500 0% 17%

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.

Recent FORGERY TO DEFRAUD OR HARM OF ANOTHER cases

CaseCountyFiledDisposedOutcome
26-04-06017MontgomeryApr 9, 2026Jul 29, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
007-81938-2025CollinMar 5, 2025Jul 10, 2026Deferred adjudication
F-26-33132DallasJun 12, 2026Jun 24, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
F-26-54557DallasMay 29, 2026Jun 18, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
F-26-30524DallasMay 19, 2026Jun 4, 2026Plea to a lesser charge
401-81129-2026CollinMar 3, 2026May 14, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
401-81129-2026CollinMar 3, 2026May 14, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
M-26-33211DallasApr 9, 2026Apr 13, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
M-22-42171DallasNov 4, 2022Apr 8, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
26-01-01463MontgomeryJan 28, 2026Mar 26, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor

Related charges

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Bail 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.