Harris County - The 1200 Jail

A magistrate does, at a hearing the county calls Probable Cause Court. It never closes. Hearings run by video link at all hours, and the public may watch from the viewing room on the second floor of the Joint Processing Center, 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002.

State law gives the jail 48 hours at most to bring each arrested person before a magistrate (CCP art. 14.06(a); CCP art. 15.17(a)). In that short hearing, expect the magistrate to:

• name the charge and go over the person's rights, such as silence and counsel;
• ask whether they need a county-paid lawyer, then help fill in that request;
• rule on probable cause, which means a fair reason to believe the charge;
• pick a bond and any conditions attached to it.

Pretrial Services prepares the facts the magistrate reads. Its Pretrial Screening Division works in that building day and night, holidays too, at 346-286-1400. For Class B charges and higher, a public safety report listing criminal history also reaches the bench. That report gives no score and suggests no amount (CCP arts. 17.021, 17.022).

Texas expects the bail ruling inside the same 48 hours. Each defendant is judged on their own facts, and the magistrate should choose the lightest conditions that still keep the case on track (CCP art. 17.028). Jail staff who spot signs of mental illness must alert the magistrate no later than 12 hours after (CCP art. 16.22).

Texas law recognizes a bail bond, backed by money or a surety, and a personal bond, backed by a promise (CCP arts. 17.01-17.03). Here is what each looks like for a Harris family:

• Surety bond. A bondsman licensed by the county board guarantees the whole sum to the court. What you pay is the bondsman's charge, which never comes back.
• Cash bond. The full bail amount is deposited in cash. Once the case closes with all court dates kept, the deposit is returned.
• Personal bond. Nothing is paid at the start. The defendant signs, pledging to show up for every setting. Pretrial Services processes these releases, and the court may add service fees later.
• Fine-only charge. On a ticket-level case, the magistrate can simply hand over a court date in writing and skip bond completely (CCP art. 15.17(b)).

The Code shuts the personal-bond door for certain charges. Many violent offenses are on that list. So are a felon holding a firearm, a Class A or higher terroristic threat, several kinds of protective order violation, and anyone already on supervision for violence who picks up a new case. On burglary, organized crime and certain drug felonies, only the trial court can approve one (CCP art. 17.03).

Conditions ride along with many bonds. A repeat DWI, a DWI with a child passenger, intoxication assault or intoxication manslaughter means the driver needs an ignition interlock device (CCP art. 17.441). Our Texas bail laws page has more statewide detail on these rules.

No price list covers all of Texas. Counties may adopt local schedules or standing orders, yet those must follow the same rules magistrates use (CCP art. 17.028(d)). That is why two people facing one charge can walk away with different amounts.

Six questions shape the number (CCP art. 17.15(a)):

1. Will this amount get the person to court?
2. Is it fair, or would it crush them? Bail can't serve as oppression.
3. How serious was the offense, and how was it carried out?
4. What can this person afford?
5. Is the victim, an officer or the public at risk?
6. What does the record show, and what is the person's citizenship status?

Statute fixes just two caps. Picture an arrest made without a warrant where no probable cause ruling arrives in time. A misdemeanor defendant must then go free within 24 hours on no more than $5,000. A felony defendant gets 48 hours and no more than $10,000. If even that can't be paid, a personal bond follows, and prosecutors may request a delay of as long as 72 hours (CCP art. 17.033).

Inmate Information quotes the dollar figure on each charge at 713-755-5300. City of Houston charges are handled by the Houston Help Line, 713-837-0311, which quotes the bond or what is owed. Completed Texas bail forms are searchable through the court system's TOPICs portal.

The Sheriff's Bonding Desk is inside the Joint Processing Center, 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002. Staff take cash bonds and surety bonds at every hour, holidays included. Here is the order to follow:

1. Find the person in the Sheriff's jail search. Copy down the SPN.
2. Phone 713-755-5300. Read off the SPN, check the bond on each count, and find out if an outside agency has placed a hold.
3. Ask what forms of payment the desk is taking right now.
4. Hiring a bondsman? That company handles the filing, so you may not need to come downtown.
5. Paying cash yourself? Hold on to the receipt. The refund later depends on it.
6. Plan your pickup at the processing center, because that is the door released people use.

The Sheriff's Office runs five downtown buildings, all reached through that same Inmate Information line unless a number is shown:

• Joint Processing Center, 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002: booking for county and Houston police arrests, the bond windows and the exit for release.
• 701 jail, 701 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2840: housing.
• 711 jail, 711 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2998: housing.
• 1200 Baker jail, 1200 Baker Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2211: housing.
• 1307 Baker jail, 1307 Baker Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2600: housing.

Some people are housed under contract farther away: the LaSalle Corrections Center, 15976 US-165, Olla, LA 71465, 318-495-6200; the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center, 299 Edwina Drive, Natchitoches, LA 71457; the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, 19351 US Hwy 49 North, Tutwiler, MS 38963, 662-345-6567; and the Jefferson County Downtown Jail, 1001 Pearl St, Beaumont, TX 77701, 409-434-4653. The housing code in the search shows which one. A bond for any of them is still posted downtown. Which floors or groups each building holds can change, so ask the jail.

Yes, though each option fits only certain cases:

• Online, by card. The Sheriff's bonding page links to the AllPaid (GovPayNow) remote bail page for cash bail on county cases. It takes cards only, caps each payment at $10,000, and shows its service fee before you confirm. Clear holds first with Inmate Records at 713-755-5300, since an online payment does nothing about another agency's hold.
• City of Houston charges. The Municipal Courts Jail Bonding Window shares 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, and never closes, holidays included. Any city municipal court location also accepts bonds in business hours. Help Line: 713-837-0311.
• Webster city jail. Webster police keep some arrests at 217 Pennsylvania Ave., Webster, TX 77598. After hours, that department accepts money orders only, written for the exact bond or fine. Call 281-332-2426 first.
• Baytown city jail. The Baytown Municipal Jail is at 3100 N. Main Street, Baytown, TX 77521. Phone 281-425-1104 for the bond and the ways to pay it.

Felony and misdemeanor courtrooms don't collect bond money. According to the District Clerk, county bonds are posted with the Sheriff's Office at the processing center downtown.

On a county case, a family has three routes:

• Use a debit or credit card on the Sheriff's linked online bail page, up to $10,000 per payment, plus its fee.
• Carry payment to the Bonding Desk at 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002.
• Sign with a licensed bondsman, who files a surety bond on your behalf.

The online form will ask who should get any refund: the defendant or the payer. Think it through, because the money stays locked up until the case is over.

Accepted payment at the desk can change, so check with Inmate Information at 713-755-5300 before driving downtown. Never mail cash or a money order for a bond. The jail returns money sent by mail.

Texas requires a bail bond board in any county of 110,000 people or more, and this county has one (OC 1704.002, 1704.051). The board decides who may write bonds here. Find it at JPC Bonding, 700 N. San Jacinto Street, 1st Floor, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-1240.

• Check a company against the board's approved bonding list.
• Report trouble with a bonding company or with the Sheriff's bonding window on the board's forms.
• Fees are not capped by state law, so shop around.
• Whatever you hand a bondsman, cash or property, earns you a written receipt (OC 1704.305).
• Once every case is finished, ask in writing for your collateral. The bondsman then has 30 days to return it (OC 1704.301).
• Soliciting customers in a jail or police station is against the rules (OC 1704.304).
• A defense lawyer of record can sign the bond with no bondsman license (OC 1704.163).

Since 2025, a surety that wants to surrender a client has to alert the defense lawyer first. In felonies the prosecutor gets notice too. The surety then files an affidavit (CCP art. 17.19).

A bond only frees someone from the charge it was set on. Other problems can still hold the door shut:

• Holds from other agencies. The Sheriff's online bail page flags these. Inmate Records at 713-755-5300 can read them to you.
• Another county's warrant. Bail on that warrant can be taken by a local magistrate, who mails the bond on (CCP art. 15.18).
• A parole "blue warrant." Parolees held on one generally wait for the violation hearing (GC 508.254(c)).
• ICE. An immigration detainer must be honored unless lawful status is proven (CCP art. 2A.060).
• Family violence. If more violence looks likely, the law requires a 4-hour wait after bond. A magistrate may lengthen it as much as 48 more hours in a written order (CCP art. 17.291(b)).
• Personal bond terms. Check-ins and court date reminders often come with release. Pretrial Services answers questions at 832-927-3520.

In family violence cases, the jail also tries to warn the victim before release (CCP art. 17.29).

Texas starts from a right to bail. The oldest carve-out is for capital charges backed by evident proof (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11). A district judge, after a hearing, may also say no to bail when:

• the new felony follows two prior felony convictions, or came while the person was out on bail for an indicted felony (sec. 11a);
• a bond condition that protected a victim or the community was broken (sec. 11b);
• certain protective orders were violated (sec. 11c).

Sec. 11d came from Proposition 3, which voters approved on November 4, 2025. The covered charges are murder and capital murder, trafficking, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, indecency with a child, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated assault causing serious injury or using a deadly weapon. For those charges, the court shall deny bail if the prosecutor shows a flight risk, or shows by clear and convincing evidence a danger to others. The request can come only from the prosecutor. A judge who still allows bail has to put the reasons in a written order.

Two more 2025 changes matter here. Prosecutors may seek a district judge's review of felony bail (CCP art. 17.029). For certain violent charges, a bail the state calls too low can be appealed, and the defendant remains in custody while the appeal is pending (CCP art. 44.01).

Requests like these come from the District Attorney's Office, 1201 Franklin St., Suite 600, Houston, TX 77002, 713-274-5800.

Often, yes. A lawyer usually leads the effort, and these moves tend to help:

1. A motion goes to the court handling the case. Felony and misdemeanor courts both meet in the Criminal Justice Center, 1201 Franklin Street, Houston, TX 77002.
2. On a felony, an examining trial before indictment gives the magistrate a chance to revisit bail (CCP art. 16.01).
3. Collect proof of work, housing and family support, along with a true picture of income. Ability to pay is a required factor (CCP art. 17.15(a)).
4. Suggest safeguards a judge might accept, for example reporting to Pretrial Services.

Delay by the state can force a change. When prosecutors aren't trial-ready, the person gets a personal bond or reduced bail after 90 days on a felony. The clock is 30 days on a misdemeanor that carries over 180 days of jail, 15 days on a lighter jailable misdemeanor. A fine-only ticket gets 5 days. Exceptions apply (CCP art. 17.151).

The District Clerk can say which court holds the file: 832-927-5800.

The magistrate asks about a lawyer during the first hearing, and Pretrial Services helps with the financial forms. Under the local plan, the court then names a lawyer before the end of the working day that follows its arrival (CCP art. 1.051(c)).

The felony plan sets a simple test. A person is presumed unable to pay if the household earns under 125% of federal poverty guidelines. Getting certain public benefits counts too. Making bail does not, alone, disqualify anyone (CCP art. 26.04). Appointed counsel must then make every reasonable effort to contact the client within one working day.

• Public Defender's Office: Anderson Clayton Building, 1310 Prairie St., Ste. 400, Houston, TX 77002, 713-274-6700, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office states that it never asks clients for money.
• Office of Managed Assigned Counsel: 1310 Prairie St., Suite 1600, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-3949. It oversees the private attorneys courts appoint.
• Written plans: the district court (felony) plan and the county court (misdemeanor) plan, both kept online by the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.

The big cases share one downtown tower, while ticket cases are heard all over the county:

• Criminal Justice Center, 1201 Franklin Street, Houston, TX 77002. It holds the felony district courts plus County Criminal Courts at Law Nos. 1 to 16 on floors 8 to 11. Those county courts run Open Hours Court each Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• District Clerk (records for felony and misdemeanor cases alike), 1001 Preston, Suite 630c, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-5800. Lobby hours are weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cite and Release Docket, Wednesdays at 1 p.m., 49 San Jacinto, ground level (1st Floor), Houston, TX 77002.
• Houston Municipal Courts, Herbert W. Gee Municipal Courthouse, 1400 Lubbock Street, Houston, TX 77002, 713-247-5479.
• Webster Municipal Court, 101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Webster, TX 77598, 281-338-6702.
• Federal court, Bob Casey United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-250-5500.

Fine-only Class C cases go to sixteen Justice of the Peace courts, two per precinct. Each court's phone is on the Justice Courts contact page:

• Precinct 1: 7300 North Shepherd, Houston, TX 77091 and 1302 Preston, Houston, TX 77002
• Precinct 2: 10851 Scarsdale, Houston, TX 77089 and 101 South Richey, Suite B, Pasadena, TX 77506
• Precinct 3: 14350 Wallisville Road, Houston, TX 77049 and 701 W. Baker Road, Baytown, TX 77521
• Precinct 4: 6831 Cypresswood Drive, Klein, TX 77379 and 7900 Will Clayton Parkway, Humble, TX 77338
• Precinct 5: 6000 Chimney Rock, Houston, TX 77081 and 16715 Clay Road, Houston, TX 77084
• Precinct 6: 333 Lockwood, Houston, TX 77011 and 1001 Macario Garcia, Houston, TX 77011
• Precinct 7: 5737 Cullen Boulevard, Houston, TX 77021 and 5300 Griggs Road, Houston, TX 77021
• Precinct 8: 7330 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505 and 16603 Buccaneer, Houston, TX 77062

Cash bonds are repaid by the District Clerk's Criminal Post Trial office, 1201 Franklin, Suite 3250, Houston, TX 77002. Refund questions go to 832-927-5955, and forfeiture questions to 832-927-5950.

• Only the depositor is repaid, and only after the case ends with every condition met. Expect roughly 6 to 8 weeks.
• The clerk keeps a 5% fee, capped at $50, but only if the outcome is a conviction or deferred adjudication (CCP art. 17.02; Local Gov't Code 117.055).
• The deposit can be applied to the defendant's fines and costs (CCP art. 17.53).
• Assigning your refund to another person is not allowed.
• Moved? Turn in a Change of Address form at 1201 Franklin, or mail one that has been notarized.

A missed court date starts forfeiture. The court enters a judgment nisi, a temporary ruling that the bail is lost, which turns final unless good cause is shown (CCP arts. 22.01, 22.02). Any surety escapes paying when the defendant is back behind bars soon enough: 180 days for misdemeanors, 270 for felonies (CCP art. 22.13). Skipping court may also lead to a separate bail jumping charge. It can be as small as Class C or as big as a third-degree felony, matching the level of the first case (PC 38.10).

A person still in custody may sign over cash and personal items to a family member or friend. Go to the Visitor Control Center of the building where they are housed, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., with your photo ID.

• Money: The person signs and thumbprints a Money Release form. The smallest release is $20, and $10 must stay on the account.
• Property: Once the person agrees, staff hand you a Property Release Form. You then pick the items up at 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002 within 24 hours.

People who are let go leave through the Joint Processing Center at that same address. Ask Inmate Information at 713-755-5300 how the rest of the balance is paid out at release. For how deposits work, see our jail money page.

Cases brought by federal agents here belong to the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas. The court sits in the Bob Casey United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-250-5500.

1. Within the first days, a detention hearing takes place. A federal judge then orders release on conditions or custody until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Before trial the person is in the hands of the U.S. Marshals Service, 515 Rusk Avenue, Room 10002, Houston, TX 77002, 713-718-4800. That office can say which facility has the person.
3. If the person can't afford counsel, the Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Texas may step in, from 440 Louisiana Street, Room 1350, Houston, TX 77002, 713-718-4600.
4. Prosecution comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, 1000 Louisiana, Suite 2300, Houston, TX 77002, 713-567-9000.
5. After sentencing to federal prison, search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

FDC Houston, a federal detention center, is at 1200 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-221-5400.

It can. Paying state bail and clearing an immigration hold are two separate matters. Step by step:

1. The request arrives as Form I-247A from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
2. With it in place, the jail may keep someone up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving ICE time to arrive (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas jails must comply unless the person shows proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence (CCP art. 2A.060). Since 2017, Texas has barred cities and counties from adopting rules that hold back immigration enforcement (GC 752.053).
4. A 2025 statute requires counties with jails to seek a 287(g) agreement with ICE, with December 1, 2026 as the cutoff.
5. Southeast Texas falls under ICE's Houston Field Office, 126 Northpoint Drive, Houston, TX 77060, 281-774-4816. One of its centers is the Montgomery Processing Center, 806 Hilbig Road, Conroe, TX 77301, 936-521-4900.
6. Track the person afterward on the ICE Online Detainee Locator. ICE asks for the country of birth. Pair it with the A-number, or else with a name and birth date.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice runs both prisons and state jails. People convicted of a state jail felony go to a state jail, and higher felonies mean prison (PC 12.31-12.35). After the judge rules, the person often stays downtown until TDCJ collects them. Intake comes first, where staff assess and classify each new arrival, and then a transfer to a fitting unit.

• Type a name, TDCJ number or SID number into the TDCJ inmate search. It refreshes on working days, so results lag by a day or more.
• Our Texas state prisons page covers visiting, mail and deposits for each unit.

In Texas criminal matters, ages 10 through 16 count as children (FC 51.02(2)). Seventeen-year-olds are charged as adults and booked into the adult jail. A child who is held gets a detention hearing quickly: by the second working day, or by the next working day when custody began on a Friday or Saturday. The child has a lawyer by the time of that hearing (FC 54.01).

• The Juvenile Detention Center is at 1200 Congress St., Houston, TX 77002, 713-222-4100.
• Officers owe parents prompt notice of the custody and the reason (FC 52.02).
• Transfer to adult court is possible from age 14 for the gravest felonies and from 15 for others (FC 54.02).

The Juvenile Probation Department runs this center and two longer-stay youth campuses. Call the center for the child's location and hearing time.

Texas sorts crimes by grade, and each grade has its own courtroom. Here is the local layout:

• Criminal district courts take every felony, from a state jail felony up to capital murder. More than twenty of them sit downtown, each known by a number, such as the 174th or the 351st.
• The sixteen County Criminal Courts at Law take Class A and Class B misdemeanors. They also hear appeals from justice and city courts.
• Justice of the Peace courts and municipal courts take Class C cases, which carry a fine and no jail time.
• The Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin has the final word on criminal appeals in Texas.

One local twist matters for families. In this county, the District Clerk keeps the files for felony and misdemeanor cases alike. The County Clerk, at 713-274-8600, handles marriage, property and probate records, so criminal questions belong with the District Clerk.

Most of the action happens in a few downtown buildings:

• Criminal Justice Center, 1201 Franklin Street, Houston, TX 77002. The felony district courts and the 16 County Criminal Courts at Law are inside. The misdemeanor courts use floors 8, 9, 10 and 11, and they hold Open Hours Court on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• District Clerk, main office, 1001 Preston, Suite 630c, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-5800. The lobby opens weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mail goes to P.O. Box 4651, Houston, TX 77210-4651.
• District Clerk, Criminal Customer Service (records and copies), 1201 Franklin, 3rd Floor, Suite 3254, Houston, TX 77002. Reach it through the main number.
• District Clerk, Criminal Collections (fines and court costs), 1201 Franklin, Suite 1016, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-5920, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cite and Release Docket, for people given a citation instead of an arrest, Wednesdays at 1 p.m., 49 San Jacinto, 1st Floor, Houston, TX 77002.
• Probable Cause Court, the round-the-clock magistrate hearing, viewable on the second floor of 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002.
• Federal court, Bob Casey United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-250-5500.

Room numbers for each district court can shift, so confirm the floor with the clerk before the hearing day.

Class C tickets land in one of sixteen justice courts or in a city's municipal court. Officers may write a citation instead of arresting for any Class C offense except public intoxication (CCP art. 14.06). Justice court cases can be found with the courts' Find My Case and Court Date tool, and the Justice Courts contact page lists every court's phone.

• 1-1: 7300 North Shepherd, Houston, TX 77091. 1-2: 1302 Preston, Houston, TX 77002.
• 2-1: 10851 Scarsdale, Houston, TX 77089. 2-2: 101 South Richey, Suite B, Pasadena, TX 77506.
• 3-1: 14350 Wallisville Road, Houston, TX 77049. 3-2: 701 W. Baker Road, Baytown, TX 77521.
• 4-1: 6831 Cypresswood Drive, Klein, TX 77379. 4-2: 7900 Will Clayton Parkway, Humble, TX 77338.
• 5-1: 6000 Chimney Rock, Houston, TX 77081. 5-2: 16715 Clay Road, Houston, TX 77084.
• 6-1: 333 Lockwood, Houston, TX 77011. 6-2: 1001 Macario Garcia, Houston, TX 77011.
• 7-1: 5737 Cullen Boulevard, Houston, TX 77021. 7-2: 5300 Griggs Road, Houston, TX 77021.
• 8-1: 7330 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505. 8-2: 16603 Buccaneer, Houston, TX 77062.

City courts:

• City municipal courts, at the Herbert W. Gee Municipal Courthouse, 1400 Lubbock Street, Houston, TX 77002, 713-247-5479. Anyone who sat in jail on a city charge can ask for credit with a Motion for Credit for Time Served, plus proof of the dates in and out.
• Webster Municipal Court, 101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Webster, TX 77598, 281-338-6702. Open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Other cities. The county has 41 incorporated cities, and each can run its own court. The state's municipal courts by city list gives the address and phone for each one.

Short on money for a Class C fine? The judge can be asked for installments, community service or a waiver. Jail for nonpayment is allowed only after a hearing that finds the person didn't try in good faith (CCP arts. 45A.252-45A.261).

Probable Cause Court is the county's first hearing after arrest. It runs every hour of every day by video link from the Joint Processing Center, 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, and the public may watch from a second-floor viewing room. State law caps the wait for this hearing at 48 hours after arrest (CCP art. 15.17(a)).

The magistrate must tell the person:

• what they are accused of;
• that hiring an attorney is allowed, and that the court appoints one when the person lacks the funds;
• about the right to stay quiet, since any statement may be used in court;
• that they may have a lawyer present during questioning and may end an interview at any time;
• that, on a felony, an examining trial can be requested.

Pretrial Services gives the magistrate a written report, and a public safety report lists criminal history for Class B charges and up. Any request for appointed counsel must reach the appointing court in 24 hours or less (CCP art. 15.17(a)). When probable cause is lacking, the magistrate has 24 hours to put that ruling in writing (CCP art. 15.17(h)).

The person then waits in one of the Sheriff's buildings. The processing center handles booking and release, with Inmate Information at 713-755-5300. Housing is at 701 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2840; 711 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2998; 1200 Baker Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2211; and 1307 Baker Street, Houston, TX 77002, 346-286-2600. Contract housing includes the LaSalle Corrections Center in Louisiana, 15976 US-165, Olla, LA 71465, 318-495-6200; the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center, 299 Edwina Drive, Natchitoches, LA 71457; the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, 19351 US Hwy 49 North, Tutwiler, MS 38963, 662-345-6567; and the Jefferson County Downtown Jail, 1001 Pearl St, Beaumont, TX 77701, 409-434-4653. Ask Inmate Information which groups each building holds today.

The charging paper, called an information, tells you the class. A DWI, a theft, an assault or a trespass can land in Class A or Class B depending on the facts and any past record. The District Attorney's Office files these cases in a County Criminal Court at Law.

1. First setting. The defendant and lawyer meet the court for the first time.
2. Arraignment. For a jailable misdemeanor, the court confirms who the defendant is and takes a plea (CCP art. 26.01). A lawyer may waive it in writing.
3. Resets. Cases are often reset while the two sides share evidence and discuss a plea.
4. Plea or trial. When the sides reach a deal, the judge announces before the plea is final whether to accept it. A rejected deal lets the defendant withdraw the plea (CCP art. 26.13).

Penal Code limits by class:

• Class A: jail as long as a year, a fine as high as $4,000, or both (PC 12.21).
• Class B: a maximum of 180 days behind bars, a $2,000 fine, or both (PC 12.22).
• Class C: no jail, with $500 the largest fine (PC 12.23).

People who were cited instead of jailed report to the Cite and Release Docket, which meets Wednesdays at 1 p.m. at 49 San Jacinto, First Floor, Houston, TX 77002. The District Attorney also runs a Marijuana Diversion Program as an alternative to a regular prosecution.

Expect more stops along the way than in a misdemeanor:

1. Probable Cause Court sets bond and offers an appointed lawyer.
2. Examining trial. Until an indictment comes down, the defense can request this hearing to challenge the evidence, and bail may be revisited (CCP art. 16.01).
3. Grand jury. Felonies are charged by indictment. At least nine grand jurors must agree, and the session is secret (CCP arts. 20A.202, 20A.301).
4. Arraignment. The assigned district court reads the charge and takes a plea (CCP art. 26.01).
5. Pretrial settings. Motions are argued, evidence changes hands and plea offers are discussed.
6. Plea or trial before a judge or a jury.
7. Sentencing after a guilty plea or verdict.

Texas felony ranges (PC 12.31-12.35):

• State jail felony (lowest grade): 180 days up to 2 years in a state jail, and up to $10,000.
• Third degree: prison for 2 to 10 years, and up to $10,000.
• Second degree: 2 to 20 years, and up to $10,000.
• First degree: life, or 5 to 99 years, and up to $10,000.
• Capital felony: life without parole or death, or life for someone under 18 at the time.

Earlier felony convictions can push a case up a level (PC 12.42). A judge may instead punish a state jail felony as a Class A misdemeanor in some cases (PC 12.44).

Yes, at several points:

• Bail can be refused. Proposition 3 passed in November 2025. Its list: murder and capital murder; aggravated robbery, kidnapping or sexual assault; aggravated assault with serious injury or a deadly weapon, indecency with a child and trafficking. On those charges, bail must be denied if, after a hearing, the judge finds the prosecutor proved flight risk or public danger (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11d).
• The state can push back on low bail. Prosecutors may ask a district judge to review felony bail, and may appeal a low bail in listed violent cases while the person stays held (CCP arts. 17.029, 44.01).
• Family violence orders. An emergency protective order can come out of the first hearing, usually good for 61 to 91 days. Cases with serious injury or a weapon get a longer order of 91 to 121 days (CCP art. 17.292).
• Fewer second chances. Most murder charges, some intoxication crimes, certain trafficking cases and repeat sex offenses can't end in deferred adjudication (CCP art. 42A.102).
• Victims are heard. The victim's safety is weighed at bail, and the victim may offer an impact statement for the judge to consider (CCP art. 56A.051).

Capital murder is the only charge that can carry death or life without parole (PC 12.31).

Every felony and misdemeanor here is prosecuted by a single District Attorney's Office, 1201 Franklin St., Suite 600, Houston, TX 77002, 713-274-5800.

For defendants who can't afford a lawyer, there are two public options:

• Public Defender's Office, 1310 Prairie St., Suite 400, Houston, TX 77002, 713-274-6700. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is pre-assigned to courts each day at random, and it says it will never ask a client for payment.
• Office of Managed Assigned Counsel, 1310 Prairie St., Suite 1600, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-3949. It handles appointments of private lawyers.

The request starts at the magistrate hearing, where Pretrial Services helps with the money forms. By law, the court gets one working day, counted from receipt of the request, to appoint (CCP art. 1.051(c)). For felony cases, the local plan treats a household earning under 125% of federal poverty guidelines as unable to pay. Receiving certain public benefits also qualifies. Read the felony plan or the misdemeanor plan. Statewide oversight of both plans comes from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

Several free and low-cost tools cover local cases:

• District Clerk records. The District Clerk's site has a records search under Online Services for felony and misdemeanor cases.
• Sheriff's Offense Inquiry. For someone in jail, the Offense Inquiry lists each case, the offense, the next setting and the outcome.
• By phone. The District Clerk will look up a case or SPN at 832-927-5800 for a $5.00 charge.
• Justice courts. Use Find My Case and Court Date for Class C cases.
• Statewide. re:SearchTX shows filed charges and judgments after free sign-up, but not hearing dates.

Once released on a personal bond, the person can get court date reminders from Pretrial Services' Enhanced Support Division, 49 San Jacinto, 1st Floor, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-3520, weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Deputies, the eight constable precincts and city police all serve warrants. The Sheriff's warrant line is 713-755-6055. Search Class A and B warrants on the Sheriff's warrant list, felony cases through the District Clerk, and fine-only warrants at justice courts or city courts. The state posts the Texas 10 Most Wanted. To clear one, call a lawyer, then post bail or surrender to ask for a personal bond at the Bonding Desk, 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002, open 24 hours. Case questions go to the District Clerk, 1001 Preston, Suite 630c, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-5800.

Charges under federal law come from the U.S. Attorney's Office at 1000 Louisiana, Suite 2300, Houston, TX 77002, 713-567-9000. Cases are heard at the Bob Casey United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-250-5500, home of the court's Houston Division.

• At an early detention hearing, the judge weighs release conditions against holding the person until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• The U.S. Marshals Service holds and transports federal prisoners. Its district office is Room 10002 in the same courthouse, 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-718-4800.
• The Southern District's Federal Public Defender represents many people who can't pay, from 440 Louisiana Street, Room 1350, Houston, TX 77002, 713-718-4600.
• FDC Houston, a federal detention center, sits at 1200 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002, 713-221-5400.
• After sentencing, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator shows where the person is serving time.

A detainer doesn't pause the Texas prosecution. What it changes is the moment the person could leave jail. Expect this sequence:

1. Immigration agents deliver an I-247A detainer form to the jail staff.
2. Staff can then keep someone up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. A Texas jail has to comply. Someone born here, naturalized or lawfully present avoids the hold by showing documents (CCP art. 2A.060). Local rules that limit immigration enforcement are banned by a 2017 law (GC 752.053).
4. A 2025 law gives every county that runs a jail until December 1, 2026 to request a 287(g) agreement with ICE.
5. ICE's Houston Field Office, 126 Northpoint Drive, Houston, TX 77060, 281-774-4816, handles pickups. The Montgomery Processing Center, 806 Hilbig Road, Conroe, TX 77301, 936-521-4900, is one place it holds people.
6. Find the person through the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

Judges must give every defendant a deportation warning, spoken or written, ahead of any guilty or no-contest plea (CCP art. 26.13). A defense lawyer should weigh that risk before any deal.

The state prison agency, TDCJ, carries out felony sentences. The lowest felony grade is served in a state jail; anything from third degree up is served in prison (PC 12.34). After sentencing, the person usually waits downtown until TDCJ takes custody. TDCJ then classifies them at intake and assigns a unit based on security level and needs.

• To look someone up, type a surname, SID or TDCJ number into the state's TDCJ inmate search. Results show only those who have reached a state unit, and they lag a day or more.
• Each unit's visits, mail and money rules are on the Texas state prisons page of this site.

Many cases end in supervision instead of jail. Texas offers two main kinds:

• Deferred adjudication. After a guilty or no-contest plea, the judge holds off on a finding of guilt. If the person finishes the terms, the case is dismissed. The period can be up to 10 years for a felony or 2 for a misdemeanor (CCP art. 42A.101; see also arts. 42A.103 and 42A.111).
• Community supervision. This is standard probation after a guilty finding. A felony term can usually run 10 years at most. A misdemeanor term tops out at 2 (CCP art. 42A.053).

The adult probation department is the Community Supervision and Corrections Department. Its main office is at 49 San Jacinto, Houston, TX 77002, 832-927-8500. Branch offices use that same number:

• South: 3330 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX 77021
• West: 10585 Westoffice Drive, Houston, TX 77042
• North: 9111 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77093
• East: 1000 Lee Drive, Baytown, TX 77520

Texas also runs specialty courts for drugs, mental health and veterans. Check the state's specialty court registry and ask the defense lawyer which local programs fit.

Juvenile court hears cases against children who were at least 10 but not yet 17 when the offense happened. Anyone 17 or older is prosecuted in adult court (FC 51.02(2)).

1. Officers have to notify a parent quickly, giving the reason for custody (FC 52.02).
2. Held youths go to the Juvenile Detention Center, 1200 Congress St., Houston, TX 77002, 713-222-4100.
3. The youth gets a lawyer, and a judge decides on continued detention within two working days. That shrinks to one working day for a youth taken in on a Friday or Saturday (FC 54.01).
4. A detention order lasts no more than 10 working days before the judge reviews it (FC 54.01(h)).
5. For serious felonies, the court may move a youth of 14 or 15 and up to adult court after a full hearing (FC 54.02).

The Juvenile Probation Department also runs the Leadership Academy, 9120 Katy Hockley Rd., Katy, TX 77493, 713-222-4600, and the Youth Village, 210 J W Mills Dr., Seabrook, TX 77586, 713-222-4700, for youths ages 10 to 17. The juvenile board's lawyer plan explains how counsel is chosen.

The District Attorney's Office has a victim assistance team at 713-274-0250, and a protective order unit at 713-274-0212. Both work from 1201 Franklin St., Suite 600, Houston, TX 77002.

• Under state law, a judge setting bail must consider the victim's safety. Victims can also ask to be told of hearings and may speak about the harm done (CCP art. 56A.051).
• Register with Texas IVSS-Counties to hear about a release or transfer. It works online or by phone at 866-268-8959, in English or Spanish.
• Through the Attorney General, Crime Victims' Compensation covers costs such as counseling, medical care and lost pay, up to $50,000. Apply online or call 800-983-9933.