Jones County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magistrate. The clock starts at arrest. From there, officers get 48 hours or less to present the person to one, live or by video (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 14.06; art. 15.17). The list of people who can serve as a magistrate is long: a JP, a city judge, the county judge or a district judge all qualify (art. 2A.151). The county's single Justice of the Peace office is at 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501, 325-823-3761.

Expect the hearing to be quick. In it, the magistrate:

• reads out the charge and goes over rights, like keeping quiet and getting a lawyer;
• asks whether they'd like a lawyer paid for by the county, then helps them fill in that form;
• settles bail, aiming for the mildest terms that still protect others and get the person to court (art. 17.028).

Before ruling on a Class B charge or anything heavier, the magistrate has to read a public safety report. It sums up the person's record. It includes no risk score and proposes no amount (arts. 17.021-17.022). Wondering when the hearing happens? The jail at 325-823-3201 can tell you.

Texas sorts bail into bail bonds on one side and personal bonds on the other (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.01). For a family, that adds up to three ways out:

• Cash. Somebody covers the full bail in money. The court keeps it parked until the case wraps up (art. 17.02).
• A bondsman. A licensed surety guarantees the full figure to the court. You pay for that promise with a fee, which the bondsman keeps.
• Personal bond. Nothing paid up front. Instead, the accused signs a sworn promise to come to court (art. 17.03).

That third choice is off limits in some cases. Examples include listed violent crimes, Class A-plus terroristic threats, breaking certain protective orders, a felon holding a firearm, and a new charge for someone already supervised for violence. Charged with burglary, organized crime or certain drug felonies? Then just the trial judge can grant it (art. 17.03).

Fine-only Class C cases are easier. The magistrate can skip bond altogether and hand over a written court date (art. 15.17). Bond rules can tag along, too. Picture a repeat DWI: an ignition interlock goes in the vehicle (art. 17.441).

Nobody can honestly quote a usual price. Texas has no statewide bail chart, and the magistrate prices each charge for each person (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15). On the scale go things like:

• what happened and how serious the charge is;
• the person's real ability to pay, since bail may never be a tool to oppress;
• whether the figure will get them back for court dates;
• safety for the alleged victim, police and neighbors;
• past record, citizenship and the public safety report.

Ceilings do kick in when police arrested without a warrant and no one has ruled on probable cause yet. Past hour 24, misdemeanor bail may not exceed $5,000. Past hour 48, the felony limit is $10,000. A person who still can't pay gets a personal bond. The state may ask the court for more time, up to a 72-hour total (art. 17.033).

The jail, 325-823-3201, has the true number. Ask charge by charge, because each may have a separate bond.

The jail's street address is 402 2nd Street, Anson, TX 79501. Paper mail for the Sheriff goes to P.O. Box 821, Anson, TX 79501. Hours and rules shift, so take it step by step:

1. Dial 325-823-3201 and say you're calling about bail.
2. Give the legal name and birthday. Ask if the magistrate has seen them yet, and what amount was set.
3. Ask: do I pay at the jail, or at a clerk's window in the courthouse?
4. Ask which payment kinds are good today. Also ask whose name belongs on a money order.
5. Carry photo ID. Leave with a written receipt and guard it, since any refund follows the name printed there.

One rule surprises people. A sheriff or jailer runs a criminal history check before accepting bail, and in a violent case only a magistrate, never a jailer, may name the amount (art. 17.20; art. 17.22).

Possibly. Every clerk handles its own court's papers, so phone the right one first. You'll find all three on the courthouse square at 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501:

• Justice of the Peace, where traffic tickets and other fine-only cases go: 325-823-3761
• County Clerk, which files Class A and B cases, on the first floor and open 8 a.m. to noon, then 1 to 5 p.m.: 325-823-3762
• District Clerk, for felonies, open regular business hours: 325-823-3731

Good questions for that call: Does this window take bail, or is it jail only? Which ways to pay work? Once I pay, how fast is the release? For Class C matters, a personal bond is how most people get out, so you may need no money at all (art. 45A.107). Tickets from a city officer belong to that city's court, which the courthouse list further down covers.

Ways to pay can change without warning. Before leaving home, ring the jail at 325-823-3201 and confirm what works that day. Then pack smart:

• a government photo ID;
• exact cash, if cash is allowed, because staff might not make change;
• the correct payee name for any money order or cashier's check;
• a plan B if cards come with an extra fee or aren't taken.

Never put cash in an envelope. Also know that a court can use cash bail to cover the person's fines and costs later on (art. 17.53), so speak up with the clerk early if that money must come back to you. Pick a bondsman instead and the fee you pay never comes back.

Texas requires a bail bond board in counties of 110,000 residents or more. That board licenses sureties, and its list hangs in the booking area. A smaller county can choose to form one. With no board in place, a sheriff is free to post names of sureties it judges able to pay (Tex. Occ. Code §1704.002; Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.141). So call the Sheriff's Office, 325-823-3201, and ask whose bonds it takes.

• Texas puts no cap on what a bondsman charges. Shop around and get every term on paper.
• Hand over cash, a title or anything else? Demand a receipt; the law requires one (§1704.305).
• Bondsmen are barred from soliciting inside jails (§1704.304).
• Once the cases end, ask in writing for your collateral. It is due back within 30 days of that letter (§1704.301).
• Getting off a bond takes steps: notice to the defense lawyer, notice to prosecutors in felonies, and a sworn filing with the court (art. 17.19).
• The defense lawyer hired on the case can write the bond, no bondsman license needed (§1704.163).

One bond settles one case. So before you pay, ask the jail, 325-823-3201, to read off every hold on file. The usual suspects:

• Family violence. If police think the violence could keep going, Texas makes the jail wait 4 hours after the bond posts. A written magistrate's order may add as many as 48 hours (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.291). Staff should also try to reach the victim before letting the person go (art. 17.29).
• Emergency protection order. At that first appearance a magistrate may order no contact. Most such orders last somewhere from 61 to 91 days. Add a weapon or a serious injury, and it stretches to 91 to 121 days (art. 17.292).
• Out-of-county warrant. When the warrant came from elsewhere, a local magistrate can still fix and accept bail, then send it on to that county (art. 15.18).
• Parole. What parole officers call a "blue warrant" usually keeps a person in jail. They wait there for a hearing on the violation (§508.254 of the Government Code).
• ICE. An immigration detainer survives bail. The immigration answer below explains.
• Mental health. Signs of mental illness trigger a report to a magistrate inside 12 hours, and a doctor's evaluation can follow (art. 16.22).
• Two cases at once. A city ticket plus a county charge means two separate bails.

Under the Texas Constitution, nearly everybody has a right to bail. For generations the lone exception was a capital charge backed by evident proof; that person may stay jailed (Tex. Const. art. I, §11). Other narrow carve-outs cover (Tex. Const. art. I, §§11a, 11b, 11c):

• someone facing a third felony charge after two felony convictions;
• a fresh felony committed during felony bail;
• violating a bail rule that protects a victim or the public;
• violating some protective orders in family cases.

In November 2025, Texans passed Proposition 3. It names eight crimes. Murder and capital murder are two. Aggravated robbery, kidnapping and sexual assault are three more. Aggravated assault makes the list too, when it involved a weapon or a serious injury. The last two are trafficking and indecency with a child. Here, bail must be denied when, at a hearing, the prosecutor proves either a likely escape or a danger to others. That hearing starts only when the state asks for it. If a judge still grants bail, the judge must write out why (Tex. Const. art. I, §11d).

Also new in 2025: prosecutors can get a district judge to look again at felony bail, and they can appeal low bail in listed violent cases (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.029; art. 44.01). The 259th District Attorney prosecutes felonies from its office at 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501, 325-823-2742. Misdemeanors belong to the County Attorney, down the hall at 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501, 325-823-3771.

A judge may raise or cut bail later for good cause (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.09). A family's best moves:

1. Have the defense lawyer file for a reduction in whichever court holds the case.
2. Bring proof of work, housing and local family, plus a realistic budget. Ability to pay is one of the legal factors (art. 17.15).
3. Offer terms that calm the judge's concerns, maybe a curfew or a stay-away order.

Delay works in the person's favor, too. If the state isn't ready to try the case, the judge owes them a personal bond, or a cheaper one, once enough days pass in custody. Felony: 90. Misdemeanor with more than 180 days possible: 30. Misdemeanor with 180 days or less: 15. Fine-only: 5. Exceptions exist (art. 17.151).

Felony case? Ring the District Clerk, 325-823-3731. Misdemeanor? The County Clerk, 325-823-3762.

Can't afford counsel? Request a county-paid lawyer. The magistrate covers how at that first appearance, and helps with the paperwork (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 15.17). The judge who appoints lawyers must get those papers inside a day. In a county below 250,000 residents, a name must be assigned within three working days of receipt (art. 1.051).

• Before the next working day closes, the appointed lawyer is required to attempt contact (art. 26.04).
• Income, debts and dependents count when the judge decides who qualifies. Posting bail does not, on its own, disqualify anybody.
• Every county works from a written appointment plan. Look it up through the plans by county that TIDC keeps. That agency sits at 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

Did the request slip through at the jail? Felony: District Clerk, 325-823-3731. Misdemeanor: County Clerk, 325-823-3762.

Most local courts share the courthouse at 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501.

• 259th District Court hears felonies, and also serves Shackelford County. Judge's office: 325-823-2721. Its files sit with the District Clerk, 325-823-3731, open business hours.
• County Court gets the Class A and Class B cases. Its clerk works on the first floor, 325-823-3762, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
• Justice of the Peace takes fine-only cases: 325-823-3761.
• Anson Municipal Court handles city tickets. Reach it through City Hall, 1301 Commercial Avenue, Anson, TX 79501, 325-823-2411, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
• Stamford Municipal Court: 325-773-2591. That city's hall stands at 201 E McHarg St, Stamford, TX 79553.
• Federal court: U.S. Courthouse, 341 Pine Street, Room 2008, Abilene, TX 79601, 325-677-6311.

Got a ticket from Hamlin or Hawley? Ask the County Clerk's staff where it was filed.

Cash bail is returned to whoever holds the receipt, once the case ends and every bond condition was met (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.02). A clerk can take up to 5 percent, never above $50, and only following a conviction or a deferred adjudication order (Local Gov't Code §117.055). Any leftover deposit can cover fines and costs before any refund (art. 17.53). When it's over, the clerk hands out a free form for getting cash bail released.

A missed court date changes everything:

• Bail is forfeited by a judgment nisi, and the court cites each surety (arts. 22.01, 22.02).
• The surety is let go if the person is back in jail in time. The clock is 180 days from the missed date in misdemeanors and 270 in felonies (art. 22.13).
• Missing court also counts as a new crime, bail jumping. Its grade matches the original case. Skip a fine-only case and it's Class C. Skip a felony and it's a third-degree felony. Other cases make it Class A (Tex. Penal Code §38.10).

For refunds, call whichever clerk took the cash: 325-823-3731 on felonies, 325-823-3762 on misdemeanors.

Plan the pickup early. Ring the jail, 325-823-3201, with three questions:

• How does leftover jail account money get paid back?
• When and where can stored property be collected?
• Does a family member need a signed note from the person to take it?

Have photo ID with you. Mailed questions? Address them to the Sheriff, P.O. Box 821, Anson, TX 79501. Deposits and refunds in general are in our inmate money guide.

Federal cases begun here go to Abilene (Northern District of Texas). The federal building there is the U.S. Courthouse, 341 Pine Street, Room 2008, Abilene, TX 79601, 325-677-6311.

• Both sides speak at a detention hearing. Then the federal magistrate judge chooses. The choice is home with rules, or jail until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Anyone federal who isn't released is held for the U.S. Marshals Service. Its Abilene office is at 341 Pine Street, Room 207, Abilene, TX 79601, 325-672-2147; ask them which jail has your person.
• Federal prosecutors work out of 1100 Commerce Street, 3rd Floor, Dallas, TX 75242, with an Abilene branch line at 325-271-6700.
• After sentencing, switch to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Yes. Paying the state bond won't cancel an ICE detainer. Events usually unfold like this:

1. Agents with ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, fax or file a Form I-247A detainer.
2. The jail can keep them up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas law requires the jail to honor it. The hold falls away only when the person shows they're a citizen or lawfully present. That rule is in the Code of Criminal Procedure (art. 2A.060). On top of that, a 2017 statute bars any local policy that would hamper immigration enforcement (Gov't Code §752.053).
4. Texas lawmakers acted again in 2025. Under it, each county operating a jail had a December 1, 2026 target for a signed 287(g) deal with ICE, and a county that is refused must keep asking every year (Tex. Gov't Code ch. 753). For the local status, phone the Sheriff's Office at 325-823-3201.
5. Then ICE takes custody. Its Dallas Field Office, 8101 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, 972-367-2200, serves North Texas. A detention site tied to that office sits one county north: Rolling Plains Detention Center, 118 County Road 206, Haskell, TX 79521, 940-864-6200.
6. Look the person up on the ICE Online Detainee Locator using the full name plus birth country.

Third-degree felonies and higher put a person in a TDCJ prison (TDCJ runs Texas prisons). A lesser state jail felony lands them in a state jail, which TDCJ also runs. After sentencing, a person may wait in the county lockup for a transfer, go through a TDCJ intake unit, and then head to the unit chosen for them.

• Look them up on the state's prison search. Type a surname and a first initial, or try their TDCJ or SID number. Results refresh on working days, so new transfers can lag a day or more.
• For the state's prisons, see our Texas state prisons page.
• Two TDCJ units with Abilene mailing addresses are located in this county. Anyone housed there is a state prisoner; search TDCJ, not the Sheriff.

A child of 10 to 16 lands in juvenile court. Turning 17 changes that: Texas charges a 17-year-old in adult court, and the county jail can hold them (Tex. Family Code §51.02).

• Police must let a parent or guardian know promptly, with the reason for the arrest (§52.02).
• Youths who need secure detention go to the Taylor County Juvenile Justice Center, 889 South 25th Street, Abilene, TX 79602, 325-691-7462. Taylor County's page links that center to both Taylor and Jones counties.
• The judge's detention review comes fast. Allow two working days at most, or one when officers made the pickup on a Friday or Saturday. Before it, the youth gets a lawyer (§54.01).
• After a hearing, the juvenile judge can move a 14- or 15-year-old with certain serious felonies to adult court (§54.02).

Phone the center about hearing times and to learn which juvenile probation office is assigned.