MURDER
Murder in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “MURDER” means
Murder under Texas Penal Code § 19.02 can be proved in any of four ways: the person (1) intentionally or knowingly caused the death of an individual; (2) intended to cause serious bodily injury and committed an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused a death; (3) committed or attempted a felony other than manslaughter and, in the course of and in furtherance of it or in immediate flight from it, committed an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused a death — the felony-murder rule; or (4) under a provision added in 2023, knowingly manufactured or delivered a Penalty Group 1-B substance (fentanyl and its derivatives) and an individual died as a result of injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or introducing any amount of it. Subsection (c) classifies murder as a first-degree felony except as provided by subsection (d), which concerns killings under the immediate influence of sudden passion.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-degree felony | 5 to 99 years or life in prison (TDCJ) | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.32 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
Bail for MURDER in Texas
Across 5,319 Texas bail settings for this charge (27 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $250,000 (middle half: $100,000 – $750,000). 0% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 469 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (2,949 records), the median was $420,000 and 1% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 631 | $150,000 | $75,000 – $250,000 | 0% | 6% |
| Dallas | 613 | $500,000 | $250,000 – $1,000,000 | 0% | 3% |
| Harris | 564 | $250,000 | $100,000 – $500,000 | 1% | 4% |
| Bexar | 397 | $200,000 | $125,000 – $250,000 | 0% | 9% |
| Travis | 275 | $400,000 | $100,000 – $800,000 | 3% | 5% |
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 MURDER 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
Charged with MURDER?
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.