UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT LESS THAN 17 YRS OF AGE
Unlawful Restraint Less Than 17 Yrs of Age in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT LESS THAN 17 YRS OF AGE” means
Texas Penal Code § 20.02 defines unlawful restraint as intentionally or knowingly restraining another person — restricting the person's movements without consent, by moving or confining the person, in a way that substantially interferes with the person's liberty. For a child younger than 14, restraint is without consent if accomplished by any means, including the child's own acquiescence, when the parent or guardian has not agreed. This variant, § 20.02(c)(1), applies when the person restrained was a child younger than 17 years of age, raising the offense from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony. The statute supplies affirmative defenses aimed at family and near-peer situations: a relative who restrains a child under 14 with the sole intent of assuming lawful control of the child, and an actor no more than three years older than a child of 14 to 16 who uses no force, intimidation, or deception.
| 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 UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT LESS THAN 17 YRS OF AGE in Texas
Across 653 Texas bail settings for this charge (6 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $10,000 (middle half: $3,500 – $25,000). 3% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 11 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (69 records), the median was $15,000 and 9% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 92 | $4,500 | $2,500 – $15,000 | 0% | 0% |
| Travis | 50 | $10,000 | $7,500 – $15,000 | 10% | 0% |
| Navarro | 41 | $2,000 | $2,000 – $2,500 | 0% | 0% |
| Dallas | 40 | $12,500 | $9,375 – $50,000 | 0% | 0% |
| Denton | 38 | $5,000 | $3,000 – $23,000 | 0% | 0% |
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 UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT LESS THAN 17 YRS OF AGE 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
Charged with UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT LESS THAN 17 YRS OF AGE?
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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.