HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANTTexas Penal Code (PC) § 22.11(b)
Harassment of Public Servant is a third-degree felony under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 22.11(b). It is punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT” mean?
Harassment of Public Servant is a third-degree felony under Texas PC § 22.11(b).
Texas Penal Code § 22.11 also defines harassment of a public servant. Under this variant, a person commits an offense if, with intent to assault, harass, or alarm, the person causes someone the person knows to be a public servant to contact the blood, seminal fluid, vaginal fluid, saliva, urine, or feces of the actor, any other person, or an animal, while the public servant is lawfully discharging an official duty, or in retaliation for or on account of the public servant's exercise of official power or performance of an official duty. Unlike the companion confined-person variant of the same statute, this prong does not require that the actor be in custody, but it does require proof that the actor knew the victim was a public servant. Subsection (b) classifies the offense as a third-degree felony.
What usually happens to a HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT charge?
48% ended without a conviction, 20% in deferred adjudication and 29% in a conviction.
How 1,442 resolved HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 14 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 778 | 63% | 13% | 19% | 288 |
| Collin | 181 | 14% | 41% | 45% | 136 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (48) 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 OF PUBLIC SERVANT case take to resolve?
Typically about 8 months: half of resolved cases closed within 244 days of filing.
Across 1,442 resolved HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 244 days. The middle half took between 120 and 448 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT 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 of Public Servant in Texas?
2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-degree felony | 2 to 10 years in prison (TDCJ) | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.34 |
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 OF PUBLIC SERVANT in Texas?
The median bail is $7,500, and 5% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 9,848 Texas bail settings for this charge (48 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $7,500 (middle half: $3,000 – $15,000). 5% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 511 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,805 records), the median was $10,000 and 11% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 1,126 | $3,000 | $2,000 – $5,000 | 0% | 2% |
| Travis | 907 | $6,000 | $3,500 – $10,000 | 16% | 4% |
| Dallas | 887 | $5,000 | $3,500 – $15,000 | 0% | 5% |
| Bexar | 845 | $10,000 | $7,125 – $15,000 | 0% | 14% |
| El Paso | 812 | $5,000 | $3,000 – $10,000 | 5% | 12% |
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.
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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.