Cameron County Detention Center

A magistrate sets it. Here, that happens at the Magistrate Court inside the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center, 7100 Old Alice Rd., Olmito, TX 78575, 956-350-6900. Its office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Alternative number: 956-350-6901.

Texas sets an outer limit of 48 hours from arrest to that first hearing (CCP art. 15.17(a); see also art. 14.06(a)). A video link is allowed, so the hearing often happens without leaving the jail. The county's own lawyer plan aims faster, at no later than 24 hours after arrest. In those few minutes the Olmito magistrate will:

• read the charge out loud;
• explain that silence is allowed and that a lawyer may be hired;
• ask about a free, court-appointed lawyer and assist with the paperwork;
• decide the bond and any rules that go with it.

The bail decision runs on the same 48-hour clock. The magistrate judges each person on their own facts and picks the mildest set of rules that keeps everyone safe and still brings the person back for every court setting (CCP art. 17.028). Arraignments are shown live on the Magistrate Court's YouTube channel, so family members can watch from home.

Texas law splits bail into two families. A bail bond is backed by money or by a surety, and a personal bond is a signed promise with nothing paid up front (CCP art. 17.01 to 17.03). Families in the Valley usually meet three versions:

• Cash bond. A relative or friend hands the court every dollar of the bond. It returns when the case closes, minus any fee.
• Surety bond. A bonding company licensed by the county's board guarantees the whole bond. Its charge for that service is yours to pay and won't be refunded.
• Personal bond. The person signs, promising to show up and obey the rules. Nothing is paid at the start.

Personal bonds here run through Pre-Trial Services, on the second floor of the Judicial Building, 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-574-8118. The office is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff screen people for release and then keep watch over them. Conditions can include GPS, an alcohol monitor, a curfew or drug tests. People under supervision can reach staff after hours at 956-769-3839 by call or text.

Some people can't get a personal bond under state law. That list covers many violent crimes. It also covers terroristic threats charged as Class A or worse, some protective order cases, and felons found with a gun (CCP art. 17.03).

The county's pretrial rules screen out more people. Examples are a hold from another agency, a felony record, past missed court dates, or no two-year home within 75 miles of the county. A judge or magistrate may still order a personal bond in those cases.

No price chart covers all of Texas, so the Olmito magistrate weighs each case. State law has the magistrate think about these points (CCP art. 17.15(a)):

• Is the amount enough to make sure the person comes back?
• Is it so high that it becomes a tool of oppression?
• How serious is the charge, and did it involve violence?
• What can the person actually afford?
• Would release put the victim, police or the public at risk?
• What is the person's record, and are they a U.S. citizen?

For anything from Class B upward, the magistrate also studies a public safety report that sums up the person's past. The report holds no risk rating and names no bail figure (CCP art. 17.022).

A few dollar caps are written into law. Say police make an arrest with no warrant, and nobody decides probable cause on time. The jail then has to free the person on bond no higher than $5,000 for a misdemeanor or $10,000 for a felony, or on a personal bond if even that is out of reach (CCP art. 17.033). For the bond in your person's case, call the Magistrate Court at 956-350-6900.

Bonds start with the Magistrate Court at the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center, 7100 Old Alice Rd., Olmito, TX 78575. Follow these steps:

1. Phone the Magistrate Court at 956-350-6900. Have the legal name spelled out, and know the birth date.
2. Check if bond is set yet, the dollar figure, and whether it is cash, surety or personal.
3. Ask where the bond is posted for this case, the hours that window is open, and which payments it takes today.
4. If you plan to use a bail bond company, pick one from the county's licensed list and give it the same facts.
5. Carry a driver's license or other photo ID. Tuck every receipt somewhere safe.
6. Before you pay, ask if a hold could keep them inside once the bond clears.

Ask which of the Sheriff's four adult buildings is holding the person:

• Carrizales-Rucker Detention Facility (booking, the Magistrate Court and Jail Division headquarters), 7100 Old Alice Rd., Olmito, TX 78575, 956-554-6701.
• Ruben Torres Detention Center, also called Detention Center 1, 1145 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0836.
• Detention Center 2, same address as Ruben Torres, 956-544-0814.
• Old County Jail, 954 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0865.

When you call, ask which building it is and who that building houses. Harlingen police run their own Harlingen City Jail, 956-216-5465, for their arrests.

Cash sitting on the person's jail books can go toward the bond. Inmates can't hold cash, but they may release account money to family, a lawyer or a bondsman if a shift supervisor approves. Ask the building holding them how that works.

Texas law lets a sheriff or jailer take bail in some cases. Before doing so they must run the person's record, and on a violent charge the dollar figure is never theirs to set (CCP arts. 17.20, 17.22).

Several offices take part, depending on the case. Call first so you know you are at the right desk.

• Magistrate Court (new arrests): Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center, 7100 Old Alice Rd., Olmito, TX 78575, 956-350-6900. Weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; weekends 7:00 to 11:00 a.m.
• District Clerk, criminal desk (felony files and bond papers): third floor of the Judicial Building, 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0839.
• County Clerk, criminal department (Class A and B files, fines and costs): second floor, same building, 956-544-0848. Open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Harlingen Municipal Court (city warrants): 1018 Fair Park Blvd., Harlingen, TX 78550, 956-216-5121.

At the Harlingen court, a failure-to-appear warrant can be bonded out with cash, through a lawyer or surety, or on a personal recognizance bond. The window takes cash, money orders and credit cards. A capias pro fine warrant has no bond: the fine is paid, or time is served. For that kind, the court takes a cashier's check as well.

Fine-only Class C tickets heard by a justice or city court are normally handled with a personal bond (CCP art. 45A.107), so no cash changes hands.

Payment rules change from desk to desk, so ask before you leave home. Call the Magistrate Court at 956-350-6900 and ask:

• Is cash taken, and must it be exact?
• Are money orders or cashier's checks okay, and who should be named as the payee?
• Does the window swipe debit or credit cards, and what extra charge comes with that?

The county's online payment links handle tickets, fines and court costs. One pays Class C fines in justice court. Another pays Magistrate Court costs, fees and fines. For a bond, use the phone number above to learn the right way to pay.

The Justice of the Peace offices differ, too. Precinct 2, Place 1 takes exact cash, money orders, cashier's checks, company checks and cards with a 5% fee. Precinct 3, Place 1 takes no cash or checks. Never mail cash to any office or to the jail.

Because more than 110,000 people live here, state law requires a bail bond board, and the county has one. The board licenses every bonding company that may work here (OC 1704.051, 1704.151). Its office is in the Dancy Building (basement floor), 1100 E. Monroe St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0890.

• The board keeps a list of licensed bail bond companies. It also posts its board rules, amended in September 2025.
• Texas sets no top limit on what a bonding company may charge. Shop around.
• The company must give you a receipt for any money or property it takes (OC 1704.305).
• Bondsmen may not hunt for clients inside a jail or police station, and jail staff may not steer you to one (OC 1704.304).
• Once the case or payment plan is done, ask in writing for your pledged car title or other collateral. A month, 30 days, is the deadline for handing it back (OC 1704.301).
• A defense lawyer who already represents the person in that case may sign as surety with no bondsman license (OC 1704.163).

A company can give the person back to the jail. Since 2025 it must first warn the defense lawyer, and also the prosecutor when the charge is a felony. It then files an affidavit giving its reason (CCP art. 17.19).

Each bond answers for its own case and nothing more. The person can stay locked up for reasons like these:

• An immigration detainer. Under Texas law, ICE detainers are followed unless the person shows proof of lawful presence (CCP art. 2A.060).
• A parole "blue warrant." A parolee arrested on a violation stays put until a parole hearing is held (GC 508.254(c)).
• Another county's warrant. The Olmito magistrate may set bail on it and forward the bond paperwork to the county that issued the warrant (CCP art. 15.18).
• A federal hold from the U.S. Marshals.
• A family violence hold. When violence seems likely to go on, the person stays four more hours after bond. A magistrate's written order can push the total to as much as 52 hours (CCP art. 17.291(b)).
• Another open case. A Harlingen city warrant and a county felony, for example, each need a separate bond.

Some bonds come with conditions. Bond on a repeat DWI, on a DWI with a kid in the car, or on intoxication assault or manslaughter comes with a breath device wired into the car (CCP art. 17.441(a)). Before paying, call the jail at 956-554-6701 and ask staff to list every hold.

Texas guarantees bail to nearly everyone. The main carve-out: capital charges with evident proof of guilt (Tex. Const. art. I, §11). Next come sections 11a, 11b and 11c, which allow denial for some repeat or on-bail felonies, for breaking release conditions meant to keep people safe, and for breaking certain protective orders.

Proposition 3, which voters passed on November 4, 2025, put a new section 11d in the state constitution. It reaches trafficking, indecency with a child, murder and capital murder, plus the aggravated versions of kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault. It also reaches aggravated assault with a weapon or serious harm. For these charges the text says bail "shall be denied" once a prosecutor shows one of the following at a hearing:

• it is more likely than not that the person will run, or
• clear and convincing evidence shows the person is dangerous.

That hearing happens only on the prosecutor's motion. A judge who allows bail anyway must write down why (Tex. Const. art. I, §11d). Separately, Senate Bill 9 in 2025 lets prosecutors challenge, in a higher court, a bail amount they consider far too small in certain violent cases. The defendant waits in jail until the appeals court rules (CCP art. 44.01).

A request to deny bail here would come from the District Attorney's Office, 964 E. Harrison Street, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0849. Weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A defense lawyer can file a written request, called a motion, that asks the trial judge to trim the dollar amount or loosen the conditions. These things help the request:

1. Proof of a steady job or school.
2. A lease, a utility bill or letters showing a home here.
3. Family who can promise rides to court.
4. Pay stubs or bills that show what the family can truly afford.
5. An offer to report to Pre-Trial Services or wear an ankle monitor.

A slow prosecution can help, too. If the state is not ready for trial in time, the judge has to grant a personal bond or reduce the amount. Felonies allow 90 days. Misdemeanors allow 30 days if the jail term could top 180 days, 15 days if it could not, and 5 days if only a fine is possible. Some exceptions apply (CCP art. 17.151).

For a felony, ask the District Clerk's criminal desk at 956-544-0839 which court has the case. For a Class A or B charge, call the County Clerk's criminal department at 956-544-0848.

The county runs no adult public defender office. Instead, it appoints private lawyers in turn from approved lists. Pre-Trial Services decides who qualifies. The magistrate sends each lawyer request to that office within 24 hours.

• Who qualifies: a household earning 125% or less of the federal poverty guideline. Usable assets must be $15,000 or less.
• How to apply: fill out the Application and Affidavit Determining Indigency, in English or Spanish. Attach the papers on the document checklist.
• How fast: the form goes to Pre-Trial Services, which picks a lawyer by the close of the following workday. Then the lawyer must reach out by the end of the working day after that (CCP art. 26.04).

Pre-Trial Services is on the second floor of the Judicial Building, 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-574-8118. The county's indigent defense plan has every rule. The state oversight office is the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

Felonies and Class A and B misdemeanors are heard at the Judicial Building, 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520. Its District Clerk line is 956-544-0838.

• District courts for felonies: 103rd (956-544-0844), 107th (956-544-0845), 138th (956-544-0877), 197th (956-574-8150), 357th (956-548-9522), 404th (956-544-0837) and 445th (956-547-7070).
• Misdemeanor benches, the County Courts at Law: No. 1 (956-544-0855), No. 2 (956-544-0856), No. 3 (956-574-8136) and No. 5 (956-356-6567).

The county's ten Justice of the Peace seats are where fine-only Class C cases are heard:

• Precinct 1: 505 Hwy 100, Port Isabel, TX 78578, 956-943-2520
• Precinct 2, Places 1, 2 and 3: 835 E. Levee St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0857, 956-544-0858 and 956-547-7068
• Precinct 3, Places 1 and 2: 130 N. Williams Rd., San Benito, TX 78586, 956-361-4618 and 956-361-8257
• Precinct 4: Luis Romero Building, 745 W. Ocean Blvd., Los Fresnos, TX 78566, 956-233-6150
• Precinct 5, Places 1 and 2: Harlingen Annex, 3302 W. Wilson Rd., Harlingen, TX 78552, 956-427-8057 and 956-427-8058
• Precinct 5, Place 3: mail to 200 Industrial Way, La Feria, TX 78559, 956-797-1887

City courts: Brownsville Municipal Court, 1034 E. Levee St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-7181, and Harlingen Municipal Court, 1018 Fair Park Blvd., Harlingen, TX 78550, 956-216-5121. Other towns' tickets go to the court printed on the citation. A federal case lands at the U.S. District Court, 600 E. Harrison Street, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2500.

When the bond's terms have been kept, the cash goes back, less any fee, to the name printed on the bond receipt (CCP art. 17.02). Guard that slip of paper. After a conviction or a deferred adjudication, and only then, the clerk can hold back 5% of the refund, never more than $50. A judge may also use what's left to pay down the defendant's court debts (CCP art. 17.53). The Office of Court Administration covers this in its guide to monetary bonds.

Skipping a court date flips this around. The judge can sign a first order taking the bail, called a judgment nisi, aimed at the defendant and every surety (CCP arts. 22.01, 22.02). A bondsman is released from paying if the person is back in any jail within 180 days for a misdemeanor case or 270 days for a felony case (CCP art. 22.13). A person who deliberately misses court may also face a new charge. How serious it is depends on the first case, so it might be Class C, Class A or a third-degree felony (PC 38.10).

For a refund, phone the clerk who keeps the case file. For felonies, the District Clerk is at 956-544-0838. For Class A and B cases, call the County Clerk's criminal department at 956-544-0848.

Any cash in a person's pockets at booking is credited to a jail trust account. Commissary purchases come out of it. The balance goes home with them at release, or travels with them on a transfer.

• Family may pick up the person's clothes on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• At Carrizales-Rucker, property leaves with the person only if they are released before 5:00 p.m. After that, it waits until the next business day.
• If the person goes to another county, the transport officers take the property and money along.
• If the person goes to state prison, family has 30 days to collect what was left behind, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Bring a photo ID. Call the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Facility at 956-554-6701 first to ask what to bring. Our inmate account page explains deposits and refunds.

A federal arrest in the county goes to the Brownsville Division of the Southern District of Texas, which holds court in the Reynaldo G. Garza-Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse, 600 E. Harrison Street, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2500.

• A federal magistrate judge settles release at a hearing on detention, most often held at the first appearance. The defense or the government may ask to postpone it briefly (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• If the person is held, custody stays with the U.S. Marshals during the case. The local Marshals office is at 600 East Harrison, Suite 104, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2519. Staff there know which jail is housing the person.
• Families short on money for a federal lawyer can call the Federal Public Defender. Its local branch is at 600 East Harrison Street, Room 102, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2573.
• After a federal prison sentence, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator to follow them.

The county's jail roster leaves out federal prisoners, so call the Marshals for them.

No. Bond money settles the state charge only, and the immigration hold stays. What usually happens:

1. An I-247A detainer form from ICE arrives, asking the jail to keep the person past release.
2. Staff can keep them up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Under Texas law the jail must comply with a detainer. A person who can prove lawful status is the exception (CCP art. 2A.060). In 2017, Texas also outlawed local policies that weaken immigration enforcement (GC 752.053).
4. Senate Bill 8 (2025) says each Texas sheriff who holds people in a county jail must seek a 287(g) contract from ICE, and sign once ICE accepts, by the first of December 2026. Whether this county has one yet is a question for the Sheriff's Office.
5. ICE picks the person up. The Harlingen Field Office covers this county: 1717 Zoy Street, Harlingen, TX 78552, 956-389-7800. One place it uses is the Rio Grande Processing Center, 1001 San Rio Blvd, Laredo, TX 78046, 956-718-4700.
6. Look the person up on the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Search with the A-number. Without it, type the full name along with the person's birth country.

The county's pretrial office usually won't grant a personal bond to someone with an immigration detainer.

A state jail felony carries between 180 days and two years, spent inside a state jail unit (PC 12.35). First-, second- and third-degree felonies mean prison time in a TDCJ unit (PC 12.32-12.34). TDCJ is the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

After the judge pronounces sentence, the person waits in a county jail building for a TDCJ transfer. Intake comes first, where staff sort them, and then they move to a unit that fits.

• Find them with the TDCJ inmate search. Type the last name plus one initial. A TDCJ or SID number also works. The data is refreshed only on business days.
• Our Texas state prisons page sums up every unit.

Property left at the county jail must be picked up within 30 days of the move to state prison.

In Texas, a child counts as a juvenile if the alleged act happened when they were 10 through 16 years old. Anyone 17 or older is tried as an adult (FC 51.02(2)). The county's youth detention center is the Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center in San Benito, 956-361-4603.

• Police must tell a parent right away (FC 52.02).
• A judge reviews the detention by the second working day. For a youth locked up on a Friday or Saturday, that review comes on the first working day instead. A lawyer is appointed before it (FC 54.01).
• From age 14 or 15, a serious felony case can be moved to adult court (FC 54.02).

Call Juvenile Probation at 956-399-3075. Its office is at 2310 US-77 Bus., San Benito, TX 78586.

Texas ranks crimes by weight, and each rank lands in a different courtroom here:

• Felonies are tried in one of the state district courts. Their paperwork stays with the District Clerk.
• Misdemeanors in Class A or B carry possible county jail time and are heard in a County Court at Law. Their paperwork stays with the County Clerk's criminal department.
• Class C misdemeanors mean a fine and no jail. A Justice of the Peace hears them, unless a city officer wrote the ticket inside city limits. Then that city's municipal court does.

The top criminal court in Texas, the Court of Criminal Appeals, hears the final round of appeals. A state court system pamphlet shows how the levels fit together.

Not sure which kind of charge your person has? Look at the roster's charge column, or ask the District Clerk at 956-544-0838.

Nearly every criminal court sits in the Judicial Building, also called the county courthouse, at 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520. Here is who works where inside it:

• Third floor: the 103rd District Court (956-544-0844), 107th (956-544-0845), 138th (956-544-0877), 197th (956-574-8150) and 404th (956-544-0837), plus the District Clerk (956-544-0838, criminal desk 956-544-0839).
• Second floor: the 445th District Court (956-547-7070), the County Clerk's criminal department (956-544-0848, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays) and Pre-Trial Services (956-574-8118).
• First floor: the 357th District Court (956-548-9522) and the 444th (956-547-7034), which mostly hears civil and family cases.
• County Courts at Law in the same building: No. 1 (956-544-0855), No. 2 (956-544-0856), No. 3 (956-574-8136) and No. 5 (956-356-6567).

The District Clerk keeps business hours on weekdays. Call ahead before a visit.

First hearings happen out at the Magistrate Court, 7100 Old Alice Rd., Olmito, TX 78575, 956-350-6900. The County Clerk's main office is on the third floor at 835 E. Levee St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0815.

All told, ten Justice of the Peace courts, spread across five precincts, hear Class C cases for all 433,946 residents (Census estimate, July 2025). Each also has an online ticket payment link.

• Port Isabel, Precinct 1: 505 Hwy 100, Port Isabel, TX 78578, 956-943-2520
• Precinct 2, Places 1 to 3: 835 E. Levee St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0857, 956-544-0858 and 956-547-7068
• San Benito, Precinct 3, Places 1 and 2: 130 N. Williams Rd., San Benito, TX 78586, 956-361-4618 and 956-361-8257
• Los Fresnos, Precinct 4: Luis Romero Building, 745 W. Ocean Blvd., Los Fresnos, TX 78566, 956-233-6150
• Harlingen, Precinct 5, Places 1 and 2: in the Harlingen Annex at 3302 W. Wilson Rd., Harlingen, TX 78552, 956-427-8057 and 956-427-8058
• La Feria, Precinct 5, Place 3: mailing address 200 Industrial Way, La Feria, TX 78559, 956-797-1887

Two city courts handle tickets written by their own officers:

• Brownsville Municipal Court: 1034 E. Levee St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-7181
• Harlingen Municipal Court: 1018 Fair Park Blvd., Harlingen, TX 78550, 956-216-5121

Tickets from San Benito, Los Fresnos, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, La Feria and the other towns go to the court named on the citation, on the date printed there. Misplaced the ticket? The County Clerk at 956-544-0815 can help find the right court.

After booking, the person faces a magistrate at the Olmito Magistrate Court, part of the Carrizales-Rucker complex at 7100 Old Alice Rd., Olmito, TX 78575, 956-350-6900. Texas caps the wait at 48 hours, and the county's plan aims for 24 (CCP art. 15.17(a)). It can be done face to face or through a camera link.

The magistrate covers these points:

1. The accusation, read aloud.
2. That a lawyer may be hired, or one appointed free if money is short.
3. That the person need not answer questions, and may end an interview.
4. For felony charges, that a hearing on the evidence, called an examining trial, can be requested.
5. The bond amount and its conditions.

Arraignments here stream live on the Magistrate Court YouTube channel. Family can watch without driving out to Olmito. Since 2025 (CCP art. 15.17(h)), a finding of no probable cause has to be written up within one day, so the record shows why.

A person who isn't released stays in one of the Sheriff's four adult buildings. Besides Carrizales-Rucker, they are the Ruben Torres Detention Center, 956-544-0836, and Detention Center 2, 956-544-0814, both at 1145 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520. The fourth is the Old County Jail, 954 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0865. The jail can tell you where your person is and what each building is used for. Harlingen police use their own city jail, 956-216-5465.

Class A and B cases are filed in writing, in a paper called an information, and land in a County Court at Law. People still in jail are seen on special jail dockets. County Court at Law No. 3 holds in-custody settings by Zoom on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., or in person on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. with the court's approval. No. 5 holds its jail docket on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.

From there the case goes to arraignment, then pretrial settings. Most cases close with a plea bargain. Others are dismissed or go to trial. The penalty ceiling depends on the class (PC 12.21-12.23):

• Class C: a fine of up to $500. No jail.
• Class B: as many as 180 days in jail, a fine reaching $2,000, or both.
• Class A: up to 12 months behind bars, up to $4,000 in fines, or both.

Deferred adjudication is common on first offenses. No guilty finding is entered for a set period, up to two years on a misdemeanor. Finish every condition and the charge is dismissed (CCP arts. 42A.101, 42A.103, 42A.111). Misdemeanor probation, which Texas calls community supervision, tops out at two years as well (CCP art. 42A.053).

For Class C fines a person truly can't pay, the court can set installments, allow community service credited at $150 for eight hours, or waive the fine. A Class C defendant can be jailed for not paying only after a hearing shows they could have paid and didn't try (CCP arts. 45A.252-45A.261). Raise these options with the judge early.

Felonies travel a longer road. The usual order looks like this:

1. Magistrate hearing in Olmito, where bond is set.
2. Examining trial, if the defense wants one. A judge tests the evidence for probable cause ahead of the grand jury (CCP art. 16.01).
3. Indictment. A grand jury hears the evidence in private, and a formal charge needs the votes of at least nine members (CCP art. 20A.301). The case then goes to one of the district courts.
4. Arraignment. The indictment is read in open court, and the defendant enters a plea.
5. Pretrial settings and plea talks. When a judge turns down an agreed plea deal, the defendant gets the chance to withdraw the plea (CCP art. 26.13).
6. Trial, decided by a jury or by the judge alone, followed by sentencing.

Sentences by level, as the Penal Code sets them:

• State jail felonies: a minimum of 180 days and a maximum of two years in a state jail facility. The fine can reach $10,000.
• Third, second and first degree: prison terms of 2 to 10 years, 2 to 20 years, and 5 to 99 years or life. A fine of up to $10,000 can come with each (PC 12.32-12.34).
• Capital felony: for an adult, the sentence is death or life without parole. Life is the only sentence for a defendant who was 17 or younger then.

Prior convictions can bump the range higher (PC 12.42). On a felony, deferred adjudication or probation may stretch as long as ten years (CCP art. 42A.053).

Violent charges bring stricter bail and longer sentences. Here is what families should expect:

• No personal bond for many violent offenses. A signed promise to return is not enough for release (CCP art. 17.03).
• Bail can be denied outright. Proposition 3 took effect after the November 2025 vote. On murder, aggravated robbery, trafficking and other listed crimes, a judge must now refuse bail once the prosecutor asks for a hearing and proves a danger or a risk of running (Tex. Const. art. I, §11d).
• Appointed magistrates have limits. On a charge of murder or capital murder, or aggravated kidnapping or sexual assault, an appointed magistrate may not grant release. A judge must decide (CCP art. 17.027(a-2)).
• Prosecutors may appeal a bail they find too low on certain violent charges, and the person stays locked up while it is decided (CCP art. 44.01).
• Family violence cases can bring an emergency protective order at the first hearing. Most run between 61 and 91 days. Deadly-weapon assault cases get a longer order (CCP art. 17.292), lasting between 91 and 121 days.

For questions about a violent case, call the District Attorney's Office at 956-544-0849. The office is at 964 E. Harrison Street, Brownsville, TX 78520.

The District Attorney's Office handles criminal prosecutions here. It sits at 964 E. Harrison Street, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0849, and is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

No public defender office takes adult cases in this county. Private lawyers are named from rotating lists instead. Pre-Trial Services screens applicants and makes the appointments, at 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-574-8118.

• To qualify, household income must not top 125% of the federal poverty level, with no more than $15,000 in reachable assets.
• Apply with the county's indigency affidavit, available as an English form and a Spanish form. Add the papers on the checklist.
• Pre-Trial Services must appoint someone within about a day of getting the request, by the end of the next working day.
• The new lawyer then owes the client a first contact attempt within one more working day (CCP art. 26.04).

Read the full county indigent defense plan for details. Statewide oversight comes from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 866-499-0656.

The county's online court records portal lets you search cases by name or case number. The District Clerk and the Justice of the Peace courts both point to it.

• The County Clerk posts misdemeanor settings on its court calendar.
• Texas runs re:SearchTX for court filings statewide. A free account shows charges and judgments, though hearing dates stay on the county portal.
• Past Texas convictions can be checked through the DPS conviction search, which charges a fee.

Prefer a person? Call the District Clerk's criminal desk at 956-544-0839 for felonies, or the County Clerk's criminal department at 956-544-0848 for Class A and B cases. Spell the defendant's name and have the birth date ready.

The District Clerk also opens on some Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to take criminal court costs and fines. The last 2026 dates are November 7 and December 5.

Sheriff's deputies, the county's five constables and city police all serve warrants. Start with the Sheriff's Office dispatch desk, 7300 Old Alice Road, Olmito, TX 78575, 956-554-6700. Online, check the Sheriff's Most Wanted page, the DPS Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives and the Harlingen Municipal Court warrant page. A clerk can also check the case portal for you. If a warrant is out, a defense lawyer can plan a walk-in surrender to the judge who signed it. For a missed date, calling that court about a new setting is another route. Felony warrants run through the District Clerk, 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-544-0839.

U.S. government charges filed here are heard in the federal court's Brownsville Division, at the federal courthouse, 600 E. Harrison Street, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2500.

• Prosecutor: the U.S. Attorney's local branch, 600 E. Harrison, Suite 201, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2554.
• Defense for people who can't pay: the Federal Public Defender, 600 East Harrison Street, Room 102, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2573.
• Custody: the U.S. Marshals, 600 East Harrison, Suite 104, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956-548-2519.

Within days of a federal arrest, a detention hearing takes place. The judge asks if some set of release rules could keep the community safe and make sure the defendant returns (18 U.S.C. 3142). If none can, the Marshals keep custody through trial. After sentencing, the federal BOP inmate locator shows where a federal prisoner is serving time.

An immigration hold travels next to the criminal case, and posting bond leaves it in place. In order:

1. The jail gets ICE Form I-247A, the written detainer.
2. Once the state case would allow release, staff can keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas jails are bound to honor detainers, though proof of lawful status ends one (CCP art. 2A.060). Local governments have been barred since 2017 from policies that limit immigration enforcement (GC 752.053).
4. A 2025 measure, Senate Bill 8, tells each jail-keeping sheriff to put a 287(g) request before ICE and then enter the deal. Its cutoff date is December 1, 2026. Staff at the Sheriff's Office, 956-554-6700, can say whether one is signed here.
5. ICE officers take custody. The ICE Harlingen Field Office, 1717 Zoy Street, Harlingen, TX 78552, 956-389-7800, covers the county.
6. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. The A-number is the surest key, but a name and birth country can find someone too.

Make sure the defense lawyer hears about any detainer early. A guilty plea can carry immigration effects.

State jail felony time is served at a state jail facility. For felonies of the third degree and up, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) holds the person (PC 12.31-12.35).

Most stay in Olmito or downtown for a while after sentencing, waiting on a TDCJ bed. An intake unit reviews and classifies each person, who then moves to a unit that matches.

• Try the TDCJ inmate search. A last name plus a first initial works, as does a TDCJ or SID number. Its data runs at least a day behind.
• Read about each prison on our Texas state prisons page.

Juvenile court takes a case when the young person was age 10, 16 or anywhere in between on the date of the act. Someone 17 or older faces adult court (FC 51.02(2)).

• Detained youth from the county stay at the Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center, San Benito, 956-361-4603.
• Juvenile Probation answers at 956-399-3075. The Juvenile Justice office is at 2310 US-77 Bus., San Benito, TX 78586.
• The 484th District Court works with that office. Its court administrator is at 956-247-8149, and the District Clerk's juvenile desk is at 956-247-8146.

Officers must notify a parent or guardian quickly (FC 52.02). Next, a judge must hold the first detention hearing by the second working day, or the first one for a youth whose custody began on a Friday or Saturday. Before that hearing, the court assigns a lawyer (FC 54.01). After a full hearing, a juvenile judge may move certain serious felony cases into adult court. Depending on the crime, this can start at age 14 or at 15 (FC 54.02).

The District Attorney's Crime Victims Unit is the first stop. Call 956-544-0849 and ask for that unit. Staff can:

• send case status updates and court date notices;
• help with a victim impact statement;
• go to court with the victim;
• help file a crime victims' compensation claim;
• help with funeral costs after a homicide, and with moving to safety;
• file protective orders for victims of family violence or sexual assault;
• write parole protest letters.

Under Texas law, a victim may request hearing notices, and the magistrate must think about the victim's safety in setting bail (CCP art. 56A.051). The Attorney General's victim compensation fund repays up to $50,000 of crime-related bills, such as hospital care, therapy and missed wages, 800-983-9933. To hear when a person is booked or released, sign up with Texas IVSS-Counties, 866-268-8959.

Yes. Three district courts run special programs that trade close supervision for a better outcome:

• Youth Offender Divert Court (197th District Court): for people 17 to 26 with no prior felony conviction or probation, 956-574-8150.
• Veterans Treatment Court (444th District Court): 956-547-7034.
• Divert Court drug and alcohol program (445th District Court): 956-547-7081.

All three sit in the Judicial Building, 974 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, TX 78520. A defense lawyer can say whether a program could fit the charge. The state keeps a list of specialty courts. Adult probation, known as the Community Supervision and Corrections Department, answers at 956-548-9500.