TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM
Tamper with Government Record DEFRAUD/HARM in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM” means
Texas Penal Code § 37.10 defines tampering with a governmental record. The prohibited conduct includes knowingly making a false entry in or false alteration of a governmental record; making, presenting, or using a record, document, or thing with knowledge of its falsity and with intent that it be taken as a genuine governmental record; intentionally destroying, concealing, removing, or otherwise impairing the verity, legibility, or availability of a governmental record; possessing, selling, or offering to sell a governmental record or blank form with intent that it be used unlawfully; using a governmental record with knowledge of its falsity; or possessing or selling a governmental record or blank form knowing it was obtained unlawfully. Under § 37.10(c)(1), the offense is ordinarily a Class A misdemeanor; this state jail felony variant alleges the additional element that the defendant's intent was to defraud or harm another person.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State jail felony | 180 days to 2 years in a state jail | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.35 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
Bail for TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM in Texas
Across 2,744 Texas bail settings for this charge (17 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $5,000 (middle half: $2,500 – $10,000). 11% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 185 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (494 records), the median was $5,000 and 26% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 266 | $2,500 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 11% | 4% |
| El Paso | 236 | $15,000 | $5,000 – $25,000 | 32% | 26% |
| Dallas | 234 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $10,000 | 5% | 12% |
| Hays | 177 | $5,000 | $1,000 – $6,000 | 14% | 1% |
| Bexar | 154 | $10,000 | $5,000 – $15,000 | 5% | 8% |
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.
What usually happens to a TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM charge
Of 916 TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM charges filed 2019–2023 across 10 counties (Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson), 96% have reached a disposition:
How long it takes: the median TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM charge took 328 days from filing to disposition (middle half: 150 – 628 days, 916 charges).
| County | Disposed | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 796 | 69% | 16% | 15% | 350 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (9) 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 real TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM 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
Related charges
- TAMPER W/GOVERNMENT RECORD § 37.10(c)(1)
- TAMPER W/GOVERN RCD LIC/SEAL DEFRAUD/HARM IAT § 37.10(c)(2)(a)
- TAMPER W/GOV REC-INS DOC (A)(1,3,4,6) IAT § 37.10(d)(2)
- TAMPER W/GOV REC-INS DOC-DEFRAUD/HARM IAT § 37.10(d)(3)
Charged with TAMPER W/GOVERN RECORD DEFRAUD/HARM?
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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.