Lynn County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

That job belongs to a magistrate. The deadline for that first appearance is 48 hours from arrest, though the law wants it done without delay (CCP arts. 14.06, 15.17). It may happen in a room with the magistrate or over a video link. Bail is then set for that one person, on the least strict terms that still keep the case on track. Article 17.028 requires that.

Lynn shares a felony lawyer plan with Dawson, Gaines and Garza counties. Under it, the Sheriff has 48 hours to get each arrested person to a magistrate. A judge picked in each county runs a daily magistrate's hearing (106th District plan). Ask the jail what time it is held.

At that hearing the magistrate:

• reads out the accusation and explains the rights to silence and to a lawyer
• checks whether they want the court to appoint a lawyer, and helps them sign up
• names a bond figure and any conditions tied to it

Charges at Class B or above need a public safety report on the magistrate's desk before bond is set. It lists earlier cases and safety concerns. It does not grade risk or suggest a bond figure (arts. 17.021, 17.022).

Two kinds of bail exist under the Code of Criminal Procedure. A bail bond needs cash or a surety. A personal bond needs neither (CCP arts. 17.01-17.03).

• All cash up front. The whole bond is paid in to the court. Most of it is refunded when the case closes, if all rules were kept.
• Bondsman (surety). A licensed company or person backs the bond for you. You pay them a fee, and that money is gone for good.
• Signature only (personal bond). Your loved one signs a pledge to appear. Nobody puts up money or a surety, though a fee may be charged.
• Fine-only charges. For a Class C ticket, the magistrate may let them walk out without bond, holding a written notice of their court date (art. 15.17(b)).

Some people can't get out on their own signature. That group includes people charged with many violent crimes, felons found with a firearm, and some who broke protective orders. The 2025 law S.B. 9 grew the group. Burglary and some drug felonies are special: a personal bond there can come only from the trial judge (art. 17.03).

Bond often comes with rules. One common rule is to stay away from the alleged victim. Drunk driving cases can bring an ignition interlock, a breath-test device wired to the car. Article 17.441 lists four cases where it is a must: two intoxication crimes (assault and manslaughter), a second or later DWI, and drunk driving with a child on board.

No single bail chart covers all of Texas. Any local schedule still has to follow state rules (CCP art. 17.028). The real number on your person's charge comes from the magistrate, so call the jail at 806-561-4505 to get it.

State law tells the magistrate to weigh these points, listed in article 17.15(a):

• making sure the person keeps coming to court
• bail must not oppress the person
• the offense and how it happened
• how the alleged victim, officers and neighbors would stay safe
• how much money the person really has
• criminal history, and citizenship status

Few dollar caps are set by law. One case has fixed caps: an arrest made without a warrant where probable cause goes undecided too long. On a misdemeanor, the person must be out by hour 24 on a bond of $5,000 or less. A felony means release by hour 48, at $10,000 or less. Prosecutors can request extra time, but no more than 72 hours (art. 17.033). Someone too poor to pay may swear to that on a form, which earns a prompt review.

Both the jail and the Sheriff's Office are at 810 Lockwood Street, Tahoka, TX 79373. Before a jailer accepts bail, staff run a check of past arrests. If the charge is violent, a jailer can't pick the amount (CCP arts. 17.20 and 17.22). Follow these steps:

1. Call 806-561-4505 and say you want to post bond.
2. Spell out their legal name, then share their birth date.
3. Ask the bond figure on each charge, and ask about holds placed by other agencies.
4. Find out which payments the jail accepts and when you can drop it off.
5. Bring a government photo ID and the bond money, counted to the dollar. The receipt will list your name, so store it somewhere safe.

Family violence arrests have one more rule. Once bond is paid, staff must keep the person 4 more hours when violence seems likely to go on (art. 17.291(b)).

Cash bail is kept by the court clerk until the case is over (Local Gov't Code 117.055). Call before you go to learn which office takes a bond payment on your person's case. Both clerks work in the courthouse.

• District Clerk (felonies): 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-4274. Mail goes to P.O. Box 939, Tahoka, TX 79373.
• County Clerk (Class A and B misdemeanors): 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-4750. Mail goes to P.O. Box 937, Tahoka, TX 79373.
• Precinct 1 justice court, for fine-only cases: 905 Lockwood Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-4337.
• Precinct 4 justice court, for fine-only cases: 1015 South Loop 76, O'Donnell, TX 79351, 806-428-3711. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday 8 a.m. to noon.

The courthouse offices and Precinct 1 keep the same hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon.

For bail at the jail, ask the Sheriff's Office which kinds of payment it takes before you drive over. Bring exact funds, and never send cash by mail.

The county's justice court page lists ways to pay tickets and court fines by card. It does not say they are for bond, so use them only for a citation or fine:

• County online payment site for the justice courts
• Official Payments by phone at 800-272-9829, with code 6583 for Precinct 1 or 6620 for Precinct 4

These take Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, plus a fee. The justice court page also has a form for people who can't pay court costs or an appeal bond. Both clerk pages link to the same payment page.

In Texas law, a bondsman is called a surety. The surety stands behind the full bail amount, owing it to the court if your loved one misses a date. For that service the bondsman keeps a fee. No Texas law caps that fee (Occupations Code ch. 1704).

• A county of 110,000 or more needs a bail bond board to license bondsmen. Lynn is nowhere near that size. With no board, Texas lets the sheriff keep a posted roll of bondsmen it will accept, under article 17.141 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Ask jail staff to see it.
• Collateral, like a truck title, has to be handed back. Ask for it in writing after the bond deal is paid or the cases close, and the bondsman must return it inside of 30 days (OC 1704.301).
• Get a receipt for anything you hand a bondsman; the law requires one (OC 1704.305). Bondsmen are not allowed to drum up business at the jail or a police station (OC 1704.304).
• Under OC 1704.163, an attorney retained for the case may stand as surety, no bondsman license needed.
• If a bondsman wants off the bond, the defense lawyer must be told first (CCP art. 17.19).

Each bond only covers its own charge. These can still keep the person in jail:

• Another county's warrant. The other county's charge needs its own bail. A magistrate here may set it and forward the bond paperwork there (art. 15.18).
• State parole. Someone on state parole may stay locked up until the violation is heard, under Government Code section 508.254(c).
• Probation. A judge may issue a warrant to revoke it. The local adult probation office is in the courthouse at 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-5577.
• Family violence. A required hold of 4 hours once bond is paid, which a magistrate may extend in writing (art. 17.291).
• An immigration detainer or a federal hold. See the answers on ICE and federal cases below.

Before you pay, call 806-561-4505 and ask staff to read every hold on file.

The Texas Constitution starts from yes: almost everyone has a right to bail. Capital murder with strong proof is the main case where it can be refused (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11). Sections 11a, 11b and 11c add narrow cases. After a hearing, a judge may deny bail for certain repeat felons, for a person who broke a safety-related bond condition, or for someone who violated a protective order.

Proposition 3 won voter approval in November 2025 and added section 11d to the constitution. It covers these charges:

• capital murder, and murder
• aggravated robbery or aggravated kidnapping
• aggravated sexual assault
• trafficking of persons, or indecency with a child
• an aggravated assault causing serious injury, or one with a firearm, club, knife or explosive

For any of these, a judge must refuse bail if the state wins a hearing on one of two points. One is a likely no-show at court. The other, with a higher bar of proof, is a danger to others. The constitution's words are that bail "shall be denied." Only prosecutors can request this hearing. A judge who grants bail anyway has to give written reasons.

Another 2025 change, from S.B. 9, opens an appeal for the state. Prosecutors gained the right to appeal what they see as a too-small bail amount in listed violent cases. The accused stays in jail while a higher court takes up to 20 days to rule (art. 44.01). The 106th District Attorney handles felonies for this county and keeps hours at the courthouse, 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-872-2259.

Bail can be revisited. Through the defense lawyer, the family can seek a smaller figure or gentler conditions from the judge. These steps help:

1. Gather proof of work, a local address and relatives nearby.
2. List what the family can truly afford. Bail may not be set just to keep a poor person in jail (CCP art. 17.15(a)).
3. Offer a plan the judge may like: a curfew, a no-contact order, or living with a relative.

Slow prosecutions help the defense. A felony defendant jailed 90 days while the state is not ready must be let out on personal bond or a smaller bail. For a Class A misdemeanor, the clock runs 30 days (art. 17.151). Call the District Clerk, 806-561-4274, on a felony, or the County Clerk, 806-561-4750, on a misdemeanor.

Yes, if they can't pay for one. Posting bond doesn't count against them, except as a clue about income (CCP art. 26.04).

On a felony, ask the jail or the District Court Coordinator for the lawyer request form, as the 106th District plan directs. Bring the filled-in form back to the jail or to the District Judge's office. A TIDC request form can also be mailed to the 106th District Court. Expect a lawyer to be named within three working days once the court has the form in hand. In a capital case, a regional office for capital defense steps in, the Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases.

For a misdemeanor, ask the magistrate at the first hearing, or call the County Clerk's office at 806-561-4750 for help. Read every plan on the state's indigent defense page for this county. The Texas Indigent Defense Commission is at 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

• 106th District Court hears felonies. It also serves Dawson, Gaines and Garza counties. The District Clerk is at 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-4274.
• County Court, run by the County Judge, is where Class A and B misdemeanor trials happen. Its records sit with the County Clerk, 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-4750.
• Justice court in Precinct 1, 905 Lockwood Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-4337, for Class C cases.
• Justice court in Precinct 4, 1015 South Loop 76, O'Donnell, TX 79351, 806-428-3711, for Class C cases.
• Federal court, George H. Mahon Federal Building, 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 209, Lubbock, TX 79401, 806-472-1900.

A ticket from a town officer may go to that town's city court. Call the Precinct 1 justice court to learn where it was filed.

The name on the cash bond receipt is the one the refund is made out to. It is paid once the case closes and every bond condition was followed (CCP art. 17.02). Hang on to that slip of paper.

• A clerk's fee can come out of the refund: 5 percent of the cash, capped at $50. That only happens after a guilty finding or deferred adjudication, under Local Government Code section 117.055.
• Before any refund, the court may apply the cash to what the person still owes in fines and fees (CCP art. 17.53).
• Once the case closes, ask the clerk for the free release form.

If a court date is missed, the judge has the power to forfeit the bail (art. 22.01). Bondsmen get a grace period. If the person is back behind bars within 180 days of a missed misdemeanor date, or 270 days of a missed felony date, the bondsman can be released (art. 22.13). Choosing not to go to court is also a crime in itself (Penal Code 38.10, bail jumping).

Personal items logged at booking are kept by the jail. Ask about any money left on the jail account at the same time. Phone 806-561-4505 to find out the pickup times and how any account balance is returned.

Bring a photo ID to 810 Lockwood Street, Tahoka, TX 79373. Picking up for the person? They may need to sign a release, so ask. For deposits and account refunds in general, see our jail money page.

A federal arrest anywhere in the county leads to the federal courthouse in Lubbock. The Lubbock court sits within the Northern District of Texas. Reach its clerk at 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 209, Lubbock, TX 79401, 806-472-1900.

• Expect a detention hearing, often during the first appearance. There a federal judge chooses between release under conditions and custody until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Federal prisoners waiting for trial fall under the U.S. Marshals Service, which often keeps them in a county jail by contract. The Lubbock office is at 1205 Texas Avenue, Room C-126, Lubbock, TX 79401, 806-472-7655.
• The Federal Public Defender has a Lubbock office at 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 507, Lubbock, TX 79401, 806-472-7236.
• For someone already sentenced in federal court, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. Its search box takes a name or a register number.

Not much. Bond covers the state charge, but an ICE detainer stands apart from it. Expect this order of events:

1. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, sends a request to hold the person. Its form number is I-247A.
2. That hold can run up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas requires its jails to follow these requests. The exception is someone who shows they are a U.S. citizen or have lawful status, with papers to back it up (art. 2A.060). A separate state law, passed in 2017, says cities and counties can't tie the hands of immigration officers through local policy (Gov't Code 752.053).
4. Ask the Sheriff's Office whether it has a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Texas lawmakers in 2025 (S.B. 8) told every county running a jail to seek one, with a deadline of December 1, 2026.
5. The ICE field office for North Texas sits in Dallas at 8101 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, 972-367-2200. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator with name and country of birth.

People sentenced for a state jail felony serve it at a state jail. Felony sentences of third degree or higher are served in prison under TDCJ, the state's Department of Criminal Justice. They remain in the Lockwood Street jail until TDCJ accepts them. TDCJ then sends them to an intake unit, where staff sort out the right long-term placement.

• Try the TDCJ inmate search with a TDCJ or SID number. A last name with a first initial also works. What you see is at least 24 hours old.
• Visits, mail and the prison units themselves are on our Texas state prisons page, unit by unit.

Juvenile court in Texas hears cases about kids aged 10 through 16 when the act happened. Once a person turns 17, new charges are handled in the adult system (FC 51.02). Kept in detention? Then a judge looks at the youth's case within two working days. The court appoints a lawyer for the youth first (Family Code 54.01).

Call the juvenile probation office at the courthouse, 1501 South 1st Street, Tahoka, TX 79373, 806-561-5244. Probation staff there track where each youth is held and the court calendar.