HARASSMENTTexas Penal Code (PC) § 42.07(c)
Harassment is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 42.07(c). It is punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “HARASSMENT” mean?
Harassment is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas PC § 42.07(c).
Texas Penal Code § 42.07 defines harassment. A person commits the offense if, with intent to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrass another, the person engages in conduct the statute specifies, including: initiating a communication and making an obscene comment, request, suggestion, or proposal; threatening to inflict bodily injury on the person or to commit a felony against the person, the person's family or household, or property; conveying a false report, known to be false, that another has suffered death or serious bodily injury; causing another's telephone to ring repeatedly, or making repeated telephone communications anonymously or in a manner reasonably likely to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, embarrass, or offend; or sending repeated harassing electronic communications. Subsection (c) grades the baseline offense as a Class B misdemeanor, with prior convictions and certain conduct aimed at minors raising the level.
What usually happens to a HARASSMENT charge?
66% ended without a conviction, 12% in deferred adjudication and 21% in a conviction.
How 2,943 resolved HARASSMENT charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 15 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 1,703 | 81% | 5% | 15% | 280 |
| Collin | 309 | 40% | 34% | 25% | 231 |
| Galveston | 214 | 63% | 8% | 29% | 253 |
| FortBend | 148 | 30% | 43% | 27% | 477 |
| Hays | 138 | 54% | 12% | 35% | 452 |
| Williamson | 131 | 57% | 15% | 28% | 325 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (10) 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 HARASSMENT case take to resolve?
Typically about 9 months: half of resolved cases closed within 287 days of filing.
Across 2,943 resolved HARASSMENT charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 287 days. The middle half took between 148 and 510 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real HARASSMENT 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 Harassment in Texas?
Up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days in county jail | Fine up to $2,000 | Penal Code § 12.22 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for HARASSMENT in Texas?
The median bail is $3,000, and 10% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 9,590 Texas bail settings for this charge (55 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $3,000 (middle half: $1,500 – $5,000). 10% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 199 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (4,004 records), the median was $2,500 and 16% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexar | 714 | $3,000 | $2,000 – $5,000 | 2% | 4% |
| Tarrant | 637 | $2,000 | $1,000 – $3,500 | 3% | 3% |
| Travis | 561 | $5,000 | $3,500 – $7,500 | 23% | 2% |
| Harris | 551 | $2,500 | $1,000 – $5,000 | 62% | 0% |
| El Paso | 507 | $5,000 | $2,000 – $10,000 | 10% | 1% |
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 HARASSMENT?
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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.