FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITINGTexas Penal Code (PC) § 32.47(c)
Fraud Destroy Removal Concealment Writing is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 32.47(c). It is punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING” mean?
Fraud Destroy Removal Concealment Writing is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas PC § 32.47(c).
Texas Penal Code § 32.47 makes it an offense to destroy, remove, conceal, alter, substitute, or otherwise impair the verity, legibility, or availability of a writing, other than a governmental record, while acting with intent to defraud or harm another person. "Writing" is defined broadly to include printing or any other method of recording information; money, coins, tokens, stamps, seals, credit cards, badges, and trademarks; symbols of value, right, privilege, or identification; and labels, price tags, or markings on goods. Subsection (c) sets out the baseline version of the offense, charged as a Class A misdemeanor; the statute treats impairment of certain instruments, such as wills and deeds, more severely. The State must prove both an act impairing the writing and the specific intent to defraud or harm another.
What usually happens to a FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING charge?
49% ended without a conviction, 16% in deferred adjudication and 34% in a conviction.
How 237 resolved FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 13 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Hays, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (1) 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 FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING case take to resolve?
Typically about 9 months: half of resolved cases closed within 275 days of filing.
Across 237 resolved FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 275 days. The middle half took between 135 and 520 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING 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 Fraud Destroy Removal Concealment Writing in Texas?
Up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
| 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.
How much is bail for FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING in Texas?
The median bail is $2,500, and 10% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 1,128 Texas bail settings for this charge (10 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $2,500 (middle half: $1,000 – $3,500). 10% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 26 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (225 records), the median was $2,000 and 19% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazoria | 192 | $3,500 | $3,500 – $3,500 | 0% | 4% |
| Tarrant | 126 | $1,000 | $500 – $2,500 | 25% | 2% |
| Williamson | 86 | $500 | $500 – $500 | 0% | 0% |
| Dallas | 78 | $1,000 | $1,000 – $2,000 | 4% | 0% |
| Kaufman | 53 | $3,500 | $1,500 – $7,500 | 0% | 6% |
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 FRAUD DESTROY REMOVAL CONCEALMENT WRITING?
Find Texas criminal defense attorneys with verified case histories in your county.
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.