Anson, a small town on U.S. Highway 83 just north of Abilene, is the county seat of Jones County, and its courthouse on Courthouse Square houses the county's criminal courts. Class C offenses are heard by the justice of the peace court or by the municipal courts of Anson, Hamlin, Hawley and Stamford; Class A and B misdemeanors go to the constitutional county court; and felonies are tried in the 259th District Court, which serves Jones and Shackelford counties. The Jones County Attorney prosecutes misdemeanors, and the 259th Judicial District Attorney prosecutes felonies. The Sheriff's Office operates the Jones County Jail in Anson.
- Jones County Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501; County Judge (325) 823-3741; County Clerk for county court files (325) 823-3762
- 259th District Court and District Clerk, 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-3731; judge's office, 101 Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor, (325) 823-2721
- Jones County Attorney (misdemeanors), Jones County Courthouse, Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-3771
- 259th Judicial District Attorney (felonies in Jones and Shackelford counties), Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-2742
- Jones County Sheriff's Office, Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-3201
- Jones County Jail, Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-3201
Which court hears your case. Class C misdemeanors such as traffic offenses, public intoxication, shoplifting under $100 and an assault that causes no injury are filed in the Justice of the Peace court in Anson, or in a municipal court when a city officer writes the ticket inside Anson, Hamlin, Hawley or Stamford. Class A and B misdemeanors, a first DWI among them, are tried in the Jones County Court, the constitutional county court; the county has no separate county court at law. Felonies receive magistrate warnings first and are heard in the 259th District Court after a grand jury indictment.
Where pretrial inmates are held. People arrested by deputies, city officers or the Department of Public Safety in Jones County are booked into the county jail in Anson. A defendant who cannot post bail stays there until the case ends or release is arranged. The Sheriff's Office at (325) 823-3201 can confirm whether someone is in custody and explain visitation and commissary rules.
- Local courts in Jones County (justice of the peace, municipal and county courts)
- Misdemeanor (for example, theft, a first DWI, assault causing bodily injury, criminal trespass)
- Felony (for example, burglary, felony theft, drug possession or delivery, aggravated assault)
- Violent felony (for example, murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery)
- Juveniles (under 17) arrested in Jones County
- Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Jones County
Local courts in Jones County (justice of the peace, municipal and county courts)
The justice court at the Anson courthouse handles Class C criminal cases and traffic tickets filed by deputies and troopers, along with small civil claims. Its judge also serves as a magistrate, seeing people booked at the county jail and setting bond.
Justice of the Peace court
- Jones County Justice of the Peace, 100 Courthouse Square (mailing: P.O. Box 345), Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-3761
Municipal courts
- Anson Municipal Court, 1314 Commercial Avenue, Anson, TX 79501; contact Anson City Hall for dockets and fine payments
- Hamlin Municipal Court, P.O. Box 157, Hamlin, TX 79520; contact Hamlin City Hall
- Hawley Municipal Court, P.O. Box 649, Hawley, TX 79525; contact Hawley City Hall
- Stamford Municipal Court, P.O. Drawer 191, Stamford, TX 79553; contact Stamford City Hall
The northern edge of the city of Abilene lies inside Jones County. A ticket written by Abilene police in that area is handled by the Abilene Municipal Court in Taylor County, while a felony arrest there is still a Jones County case.
County court
- Jones County Court (constitutional county court; Class A and B misdemeanors and appeals from justice and municipal courts), 100 Courthouse Square, Anson, TX 79501, (325) 823-3762
A defendant convicted in a justice or municipal court can appeal for a new trial in the county court, normally within 10 days of the judgment.
Misdemeanor (for example, theft, a first DWI, assault causing bodily injury, criminal trespass)
When a Jones County officer arrests someone for a Class A or B misdemeanor, the person is taken to the Jones County Jail in Anson for booking. Lesser Class C offenses are usually handled with a citation that lists a date to appear in justice or municipal court.
Seeing the magistrate
No more than 48 hours after arrest, the person appears before a magistrate, usually the justice of the peace. The magistrate reads the charge, explains the rights to silence and to a lawyer, takes any request for court-appointed counsel and sets bail. Release may come by cash, a surety bond from a licensed bondsman (the premium is kept by the bondsman), or a personal bond. In family violence cases, an emergency protective order and no-contact terms are common.
How the case proceeds
The County Attorney files an information in the Jones County Court, and the County Judge sets the case for arraignment and later for plea or trial. A misdemeanor jury in Texas county court has six members. Defendants without money for a lawyer are appointed private counsel under the Jones County indigent defense plan; if the request was not made at the jail, call the county court at (325) 823-3762.
What the penalties look like
- Theft: Class C under $100 (fine up to $500); Class B for $100 to $750 (as much as 180 days and $2,000); Class A for $750 to $2,500 (as much as a year and $4,000).
- Assault causing bodily injury: Class A misdemeanor; a family-violence finding on the judgment can turn any later assault into a felony.
- Criminal trespass: Class B in most situations, Class A if it happened in a habitation or the person had a deadly weapon.
- First DWI: Class B, with 72 hours to 180 days and a fine up to $3,000; it becomes Class A at 0.15 or above, and an open container sets a six-day jail minimum. License suspension, a DWI education program, a state fine and a possible ignition interlock also apply.
Cases may be dismissed, diverted, placed on deferred adjudication or probation, or resolved with a fine or jail time, and some records can later be sealed through an order of nondisclosure. A Jones County misdemeanor usually wraps up within two to six months.
Felony (for example, burglary, felony theft, drug possession or delivery, aggravated assault)
Felonies from Jones County go to the 259th District Court, a two-county court that also sits in Albany for Shackelford County. The 259th Judicial District Attorney's Office presents the cases. Here is what to expect:
- Booking and warnings. After processing at the Jones County Jail, the accused sees a magistrate within 48 hours. Before deciding on bail, the magistrate considers the public safety report the Damon Allen Act requires.
- Appointed lawyer. The 259th District Court appoints private defense lawyers for eligible defendants under its indigent defense plan, with state support from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. Make the request at magistration or through the District Clerk at (325) 823-3731.
- Grand jury review. The District Attorney asks a Jones County grand jury to indict. After indictment the case is set in the 259th District Court; a defendant may instead waive indictment and resolve the case on an information.
- Delay and release. If the State is not ready for trial within 90 days of a felony detention, the defendant is generally entitled to a personal bond or a reduced bail amount, with exceptions for violent offenses.
- Disposition. Plea agreements resolve most cases. If the case goes to trial, a 12-person jury must reach a unanimous verdict, and the defendant can choose to have the jurors assess punishment.
Punishment levels
- State jail felony: 180 days to 2 years in a state jail plus a fine up to $10,000 (for example, theft of property worth $2,500 to $30,000).
- A third-degree felony brings 2 to 10 years, a second-degree felony such as home burglary or aggravated assault 2 to 20, and a first-degree felony 5 to 99 years or life.
- Drug possession or delivery: graded by penalty group and weight, from a state jail felony for small amounts up to first degree for large quantities.
Prior felony convictions increase the possible sentence, and "3g" offenses require half the time (at least two years) to be served before parole eligibility; most other prison sentences allow parole review sooner. First-time felony defendants in Anson are frequently offered deferred adjudication. Six to eighteen months is a usual timeline.
Violent felony (for example, murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery)
In a county of about 20,000 people, a murder or aggravated robbery case draws heavily on outside help, often the Texas Rangers. The accused remains in the Jones County Jail unless the 259th District judge sets bail and it is posted. A person charged with a violent offense cannot be released on personal bond, and Under a constitutional amendment Texas voters approved in 2025, judges in Jones County can deny bail in some violent-crime cases.
- Capital murder: a sentence of death or of life with no possibility of parole.
- Murder: first-degree felony; 5 years up to 99, or life.
- Sexual assault: second degree, 2 to 20 years in prison; aggravated sexual assault: first degree, with a 25-year mandatory minimum for certain offenses against young children.
- Aggravated robbery: first degree, 5 to 99 years or a life term.
Victims have rights under article I, section 30 of the Texas Constitution, including notice of proceedings and the chance to give an impact statement, and the District Attorney's office handles victim notification. Capital cases require appointed defense counsel who meet state qualification standards. A violent felony case here often takes one to three years.
Juveniles (under 17) arrested in Jones County
Texas juvenile court has jurisdiction over a child who was 10 through 16 when the offense occurred. Someone 17 or older faces adult charges and is booked into the Jones County Jail.
Who handles the case
The juvenile board designates a juvenile court for the county, typically the 259th District Court or the Jones County Court sitting as juvenile court in Anson. The juvenile probation department completes intake on every referral and decides whether to release the child to a parent, handle the matter through informal supervision, or forward it to the prosecutor, either the County Attorney or the District Attorney depending on local practice, who files a petition.
Detention
Jones County does not run its own juvenile detention center. A youth who must be held is typically placed under contract at a regional facility, such as the juvenile detention center in nearby Abilene. A detention hearing takes place within two working days, and the judge considers whether the child can return home with supervision.
Possible results
- Deferred prosecution or probation, with conditions such as school attendance, counseling, community service and restitution.
- Commitment to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), or a determinate sentence for very serious offenses, part of which can be served in an adult prison.
- Certification for adult prosecution, generally limited to youths 14 or older charged with capital or first-degree felonies (or certain aggravated drug felonies) and youths 15 or older charged with other felonies, after a hearing.
A juvenile has the right to an attorney and gets an appointed one if the family cannot pay. Juvenile records are kept confidential, and sealing is often possible.
Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Jones County
Under federal law Jones County is assigned to the Abilene Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Because Anson is only about 25 miles from downtown Abilene, defendants and families have a short trip to the federal courthouse.
- U.S. District Clerk, Abilene Division, 341 Pine St., Room 2008, Abilene, TX 79601, (325) 677-6311
- U.S. Attorney's Office, Abilene, 500 Chestnut St., Suite 601, Abilene, TX 79602, (325) 271-6700
- Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Texas (offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Amarillo), or a Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel attorney appointed by the court
What makes a case federal
Federal charges from Jones County most often involve methamphetamine and other drug distribution networks along the Interstate 20 corridor, firearms possessed by people with felony convictions, child pornography, and fraud schemes using the mail, wires or federal programs. Crimes committed against federal officers or on federal property also go to federal court.
The federal process
After an arrest, the defendant goes before a U.S. magistrate judge for an initial appearance and, if eligible, appointment of counsel. A detention hearing, when the government requests one, usually takes place within three court days. The Bail Reform Act lets the court either release the person on conditions supervised by U.S. Pretrial Services or order detention; no commercial bail is used. A grand jury must indict within 30 days of an arrest made on a complaint, and the Speedy Trial Act calls for trial within 70 days, though continuances are routine. Most federal defendants plead guilty, and a trial jury of 12 must be unanimous.
Sentences
A presentence report from U.S. Probation guides the judge, who weighs the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and any mandatory minimum. Federal prisoners are not paroled; they serve roughly 85 percent of the term in the Bureau of Prisons and then a period of supervised release. Appeals are decided by the Fifth Circuit.
Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator for a Jones County defendant by name or register number to find a federal inmate. A person held before trial in a county jail under contract with the U.S. Marshals may also be listed on that jail's inmate roster. Juveniles are seldom charged in federal court.
This page summarizes how criminal cases generally move through Jones County courts and is not legal advice. Hearing dates and contact numbers change, so confirm details with the clerk. Anyone charged should talk to a defense lawyer; a person who cannot afford one can request appointed counsel at magistration or through the District Clerk at (325) 823-3731 or the county court at (325) 823-3762.