THEFT OF MATERIAL ALUM/BRNZ/COPPER/BRASS <$20K

Texas Penal Code § 31.03 defines theft as unlawfully appropriating property with intent to deprive the owner of it, ordinarily graded by the value of the property. This charge, under § 31.03(e)(4)(F), is the variant in which the property stolen is aluminum, bronze, copper, or brass and the value of the property is less than $20,000; that combination makes the offense a state jail felony even though property of the same value in another form would be graded as a misdemeanor. The provision targets metal theft, such as stripped wiring, pipe, cable, plumbing fixtures, and similar materials taken for scrap value. The State must prove the ordinary theft elements, unlawful appropriation without the owner's effective consent and intent to deprive, plus the metal-type allegation and a value below the $20,000 ceiling; at or above that amount, standard value grading applies.

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

Across 3,692 Texas bail settings for this charge (29 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $7,500 (middle half: $3,500 – $15,000). 6% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 261 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,061 records), the median was $7,500 and 15% 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.

Of 479 THEFT OF MATERIAL ALUM/BRNZ/COPPER/BRASS <$20K charges filed 2019–2023 across 13 counties (Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson), 95% have reached a disposition:

How long it takes: the median THEFT OF MATERIAL ALUM/BRNZ/COPPER/BRASS <$20K charge took 236 days from filing to disposition (middle half: 82 – 419 days, 479 charges).

Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (3) 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.

• THEFT PROP >=$100<$750 § 31.03(e)(2)(a)
• THEFT PROP <$2,500 2/MORE PREV CONV § 31.03(e)(4)(d)
• THEFT PROP >=$2,500<$30K § 31.03(e)(4)(a)
• THEFT PROP >=$750<$2,500 § 31.03(e)(3)
• THEFT OF FIREARM § 31.03(e)(4)(c)
• THEFT PROP >=$30K<$150K § 31.03(e)(5)
• THEFT PROP <$100 W/PREV CONVIC § 31.03(e)(2)(b)
• THEFT FROM PERSON § 31.03(e)(4)(b)