UNLAWFUL RESTRAINTTexas Penal Code (PC) § 20.02(c)
Unlawful Restraint is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 20.02(c). It is punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT” mean?
Unlawful Restraint is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas PC § 20.02(c).
Texas Penal Code § 20.02 defines unlawful restraint: intentionally or knowingly restraining another person. To restrain means to restrict a person's movements without consent so as to interfere substantially with the person's liberty, by moving the person from one place to another or by confining the person. Restraint is without consent if accomplished by force, intimidation, or deception, or — for a child younger than 14 — by any means, including the child's own acquiescence, when the parent or guardian has not agreed. This entry is the base offense, a Class A misdemeanor under § 20.02(c). The statute's elevated variants make restraint of a child younger than 17 a state jail felony and make it a third-degree felony to recklessly expose the victim to a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or to restrain a known on-duty public servant. Detaining someone to make a lawful arrest is expressly excluded.
What usually happens to a UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT charge?
67% ended without a conviction, 10% in deferred adjudication and 22% in a conviction.
How 1,168 resolved UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 15 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 267 | 77% | 5% | 19% | 277 |
| Hays | 223 | 65% | 9% | 26% | 393 |
| Collin | 191 | 62% | 18% | 20% | 195 |
| Williamson | 122 | 68% | 12% | 21% | 324 |
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 long does a UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT case take to resolve?
Typically about 9 months: half of resolved cases closed within 272 days of filing.
Across 1,168 resolved UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 272 days. The middle half took between 122 and 466 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT 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 Unlawful Restraint in Texas?
Up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | Up to 1 year in county jail | Fine up to $4,000 | Penal Code § 12.21 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT in Texas?
The median bail is $5,000, and 4% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 14,488 Texas bail settings for this charge (59 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $5,000 (middle half: $2,000 – $10,000). 4% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 200 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (1,313 records), the median was $2,500 and 10% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 2,124 | $2,500 | $1,000 – $5,000 | 1% | 1% |
| Travis | 1,346 | $5,000 | $3,500 – $10,000 | 19% | 1% |
| El Paso | 1,012 | $5,000 | $2,000 – $10,000 | 6% | 2% |
| Denton | 672 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $7,504 | 2% | 0% |
| Dallas | 658 | $2,500 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 0% | 3% |
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.
Charged with UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT?
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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.