STALKINGTexas Penal Code (PC) § 42.072(b)

Stalking is a third-degree felony under Texas PC § 42.072(b).

Texas Penal Code § 42.072 defines stalking. The State must prove that, on more than one occasion and pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct directed specifically at another person, the defendant knowingly engaged in conduct that constituted harassment under Texas Penal Code § 42.07 or that the defendant knew or reasonably should have known the other person would regard as threatening bodily injury or death to that person, bodily injury or death to a member of the person's family or household or someone with whom the person has a dating relationship, or an offense against the person's property. The conduct must actually cause the targeted person or a covered family, household, or dating-relationship member to fear those harms or to feel harassed, terrified, intimidated, annoyed, alarmed, abused, tormented, embarrassed, or offended, and would cause a reasonable person in similar circumstances the same reaction. Repeated conduct under one scheme distinguishes stalking from single-incident harassment.

43% ended without a conviction, 29% in deferred adjudication and 26% in a conviction.

How 483 resolved STALKING charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 14 counties (Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):

Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (8) 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.

Typically about 11 months: half of resolved cases closed within 340 days of filing.

Across 483 resolved STALKING charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 340 days. The middle half took between 178 and 563 days.

Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.

2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.

The median bail is $15,000, and 2% of defendants were released on a personal bond.

Across 5,976 Texas bail settings for this charge (35 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $15,000 (middle half: $5,000 – $30,000). 2% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 310 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,989 records), the median was $20,000 and 2% got a personal bond.

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.