Oldham County Jail

Jail staff don't pick the number. A magistrate does. Every arrested adult in Texas must see one within 48 hours. This can happen face to face or through a screen (CCP art. 15.17(a)). District judges, the County Judge and justices of the peace all count as magistrates under state law (CCP art. 2A.151).

During that brief hearing, expect the magistrate to:

• read out the charge and the rights that go with it, such as silence and counsel
• explain the steps to request a free, court-appointed lawyer and help complete the paperwork
• fix bail for this one person, with conditions no tougher than needed (CCP art. 17.028)

A Class B charge or anything heavier adds one more step. Before naming an amount, the magistrate reads a short public safety report about the person's history, with no risk score and no dollar suggestion attached (CCP arts. 17.021, 17.022). Staff at the Sheriff's Office, 806-639-2174, can say roughly when your person will go before the magistrate.

Texas sorts bail into two families, money-backed bonds and promise-only personal bonds, in CCP arts. 17.01-17.03. Most local families meet three setups:

• Cash bond. Someone deposits the full figure with the court. That money stays on deposit until the final ruling. If the person made every hearing, it comes back, less any fee.
• Surety bond. A state-licensed bondsman puts the full amount on the line, and you pay that bondsman's charge. That fee is the bondsman's to keep.
• Personal bond. No money is put up. The accused signs a pledge to appear. A modest fee may apply unless the court waives it (CCP art. 17.42).

A personal bond is barred for many groups. Among them are those facing most violent charges, some protective order breaches, or a gun charge as a felon. The bar also covers people on supervision for violence who are charged again (CCP art. 17.03). For a fine-only offense, a written promise to show up often replaces bail altogether (CCP art. 15.17(b)).

Extra conditions can ride along with any bond. A driver charged with DWI for the second time, or with a kid riding along, must install an ignition interlock while out (CCP art. 17.441). Those rules apply statewide.

No single Texas chart fixes bail. Each magistrate weighs the facts one person at a time, using factors spelled out in CCP art. 17.15(a):

• enough money at stake that the person keeps coming to court
• not so harsh that it becomes oppression
• the charge itself and how the offense was committed
• proof of what the person can truly pay
• how safe the victim, police and the public would be
• past convictions and citizenship

Charge level matters a lot. Class C means a fine and no jail. Class B can carry 180 days behind bars and Class A a full year, while felonies stretch from state jail terms to life (Penal Code ch. 12). Your person's real figure is a phone call away: dial the Sheriff's Office at 806-639-2174 and spell the name.

The Sheriff's Office and its jail both work out of the courthouse at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092. Whoever takes a bond there must first check the person's criminal history, and in a violent case the jail can't name the amount on its own (CCP arts. 17.20, 17.22). A simple plan:

1. Dial 806-639-2174 and request the jail.
2. Spell the legal name letter by letter for the jailer, and give a birth date.
3. Ask the bail on each charge and whether the magistrate hearing is done.
4. Ask the place, the hours and the payment types for posting.
5. Ask about any second hold that would block release.
6. Show up with photo ID and tuck every receipt away safely.

Family violence bonds can come with a short delay. When the magistrate expects further violence, the person stays four extra hours once bond is posted. With a written order from the magistrate, the hold can stretch to a full 48 hours (CCP art. 17.291(b)).

One elected clerk wears two hats here, District Clerk and County Clerk, so felony and misdemeanor papers share an office. That office is in the courthouse at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092, and its mail goes to P.O. Box 360, Vega, TX 79092. The phone is 806-639-2119, and court questions can go to ocdclerk@oldham-county.org.

Three questions to settle by phone before the drive:

• Will the clerk's counter take a cash bond on this particular case?
• What forms of payment does the counter accept?
• Does the jail free the person once the clerk records the payment?

Fine-only cases belong to the Justice of the Peace, whose office is in that same building. Reach it at 806-639-2148.

The Sheriff's Office decides what it takes for a jail bond, so ask at 806-639-2174 before heading out. Carry photo ID, and never mail paper money.

Citations from the Justice of the Peace, like traffic tickets, can be paid at oldhamcountytickets.com or by calling 800-701-8560. That service handles tickets only, so it can't free anyone from the jail.

If the bond is cash posted in a court case, the clerk's line, 806-639-2119, has the list of payment types the counter will take.

State law requires a bail bond board only in counties of at least 110,000 people. Smaller ones may create a board by choice. With no board in place, the sheriff is allowed to post a roster of sureties approved to write bonds at the jail (CCP art. 17.141; Occupations Code ch. 1704). Call the Sheriff's Office at 806-639-2174 to learn who may write bonds at this jail.

Protections worth knowing before you sign:

• The fee a bondsman charges has no state limit. Expect to lose it, however the case turns out.
• You are owed a written receipt for every dollar you hand over.
• No bondsman may drum up clients by approaching people in the jail.
• Pledged a pickup's title or other collateral? Once the case is finished, put your request in writing; the bondsman must return it inside 30 days.
• The person's hired lawyer is allowed to act as surety as well.

Should a bondsman want to drop the bond, the defense lawyer gets notice first, and the bondsman files a sworn affidavit (CCP art. 17.19). Ask your bondsman how that works before you pay.

Paying bail on one case settles that case alone. Any of these can still keep a person behind the jail door:

• ICE detainer. The jail must honor it under CCP art. 2A.060, but papers proving citizenship or legal presence end it.
• Out-of-county warrant. Bail on that warrant can be set here, with the bond sent on to the other county's court (CCP art. 15.18).
• Stacked cases. A separate bond is needed for each one.
• Parole blue warrant. A parolee arrested on one is normally held for a parole hearing (Gov't Code 508.254).
• Four-hour family violence wait. A magistrate's order can lengthen it (CCP art. 17.291(b)).
• Mental health concern. Within 12 hours, the jail must tell a magistrate if it suspects mental illness (CCP art. 16.22).

Before paying, get the jail at 806-639-2174 to name each hold in the file, then decide.

Under the Texas Constitution, bail is the rule and denial is rare. Capital cases with strong, evident proof can be held without bail (Tex. Const. art. I, §11). That is the oldest exception. Other, narrower sections reach repeat felonies committed on bail and broken bond terms in some violent or protective order cases (art. I, §§11a, 11b, 11c).

Section 11d arrived with the vote of November 4, 2025. It lists murder, capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping. It also lists indecency with a child, trafficking, and certain aggravated assaults (serious injury, or a gun, knife, club or explosive). At a hearing, the prosecutor can show a risk of flight or a danger to others. If that proof succeeds, bail must be refused. Only the prosecutor can make that request. Any judge who sets bail anyway owes written findings.

S.B. 9 (2025) lets the state contest a bail it views as too small when the charge is one of the listed violent crimes. A ruling is due within 20 days, and until then the accused sits in jail (CCP art. 44.01). The state's prosecutor directory names the County Attorney for this county, with an office in the courthouse at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092, mail at P.O. Box 698, Vega, TX 79092, and a phone line at 806-639-2130.

A defense lawyer files the request to trim the amount or ease the conditions. Help by collecting pay stubs, rent receipts, bills, proof of a job and letters from family. Ability to pay is one thing the judge must weigh (CCP art. 17.15).

A slow prosecution can help too. When prosecutors aren't trial-ready by these deadlines, the court must grant a personal bond or reduce bail, with a few exceptions (CCP art. 17.151). For felonies, prosecutors get 90 days. Misdemeanors split two ways: 30 days when the possible jail time exceeds 180 days, and only 15 days when the cap is 180 days or less. Fine-only offenses allow 5 days.

Felony bail is handled by the 222nd District Court, which sits in the courthouse here. The judge's office is at 235 E. 3rd Street, Hereford, TX 79045, 806-364-7222. On a misdemeanor, the clerk at 806-639-2119 can explain how a bail motion reaches the County Judge.

If the person can't pay a lawyer and the charge carries possible jail, they can request one. The person tells the magistrate at the first hearing, and the magistrate must assist with the paperwork. No more than 24 hours may pass before that form reaches the official who handles appointments (CCP art. 15.17(a)). Smaller counties, those under 250,000 people, then have until the third working day to name the lawyer (CCP art. 1.051(c)).

Free defense here comes through the Panhandle Area Public Defender, Santa Fe Building, 900 S. Polk, Suite 206, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-242-3415. That lawyer should attempt to reach the jailed client within one working day of being appointed (CCP art. 26.04).

Read the county's appointment plan through the indigent defense plan finder, choosing the county from its menu.

Almost every criminal court here meets under one roof. Phone during business hours before making the trip.

• 222nd District Court (felonies): meets at the county courthouse, 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092. The judge keeps a main office at 235 E. 3rd Street, Hereford, TX 79045, 806-364-7222, and also covers Deaf Smith County.
• County Court (Class A and B misdemeanors): the County Judge presides.
• District and County Clerk: in the courthouse, mail P.O. Box 360, Vega, TX 79092, 806-639-2119.
• Justice of the Peace (Class C, fine only): in the courthouse, mail P.O. Box 370, Vega, TX 79092, 806-639-2148.
• Federal court: Amarillo Division clerk, 205 SE 5th Avenue, Room 133, Amarillo, TX 79101-1559, 806-468-3800.

Texas courts publish a short money bond handout that explains refunds. The cash goes back, minus any fee, to the person the receipt names after the bond's purpose is met (CCP art. 17.02). Only if the result is a conviction or a deferred adjudication may the clerk take a fee of 5%, capped at $50 (Local Gov't Code 117.055). A judge can also steer the deposit toward fines and costs the defendant still owes the court, as CCP art. 17.53 allows.

Skip a court date and the bail is at risk. The first step is a judgment nisi, a warning order that turns final unless the problem gets fixed (CCP arts. 22.01, 22.02). Whoever wrote a surety bond is excused if the person lands back in custody in time. Time limits: 180 days for misdemeanor cases and 270 days for felony cases, per CCP art. 22.13. Prosecutors may also file a fresh charge for the no-show itself (Penal Code 38.10).

Keep the receipt handy and phone the clerk at 806-639-2119 about any refund.

Sort out property early, ideally before the release day. The jail sits inside the courthouse at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092. Call the Sheriff's Office at 806-639-2174. Find out how money left on the person's jail account gets refunded, and when you can collect items like a wallet, keys or phone.

Plan to show photo ID. Collecting for another person? Bring a note signed by the released person if staff ask for one. Our jail money page explains deposits and leftover balances in plain terms.

Panhandle federal cases, including those from here, go before the Northern District of Texas in Amarillo. The clerk's counter is at 205 SE 5th Avenue, Room 133, Amarillo, TX 79101-1559, 806-468-3800.

• Release questions go to a federal magistrate judge. When the government asks for pretrial detention, that hearing takes place at the first appearance, with only a short delay allowed (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
• Until trial, a federal defendant is the U.S. Marshals Service's responsibility. The Amarillo office is at 205 SE 5th Street, Unit 214, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-324-2350, and knows where each federal prisoner is housed.
• Defense is available from the Federal Public Defender, 600 S. Tyler Street, Suite 2300, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-324-2370.
• After sentencing to federal prison, look the person up on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Yes. Paying a Texas bond does nothing to an immigration detainer. Here's the sequence:

1. ICE, the federal immigration agency, files its detainer paperwork (Form I-247A) with the Sheriff's jail.
2. Jail staff can keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. A 2017 law, Gov't Code 752.053, stops a city or county from adopting rules that hold back immigration work. Separately, CCP art. 2A.060 tells Texas jails to follow each ICE detainer, though the person is freed from it by proving citizenship or legal presence.
4. ICE takes custody. For North Texas, its Dallas Field Office is at 8101 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, 972-367-2200.
5. Enter the full name with an A-number, or the full name with date and country of birth, on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

December 1, 2026 is the cutoff set by S.B. 8 (2025) for every sheriff who runs a Texas jail to request a 287(g) partnership from ICE (TCJS Memo 25-02).

Someone sentenced for a state jail felony serves from 180 days up to a two-year maximum in one of the state jails, the range set by Penal Code 12.35. Bigger felonies send people into the prisons that TDCJ, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, operates. New arrivals pass through a diagnostic intake unit for screening, then on to a unit that fits them.

• Our Texas state prisons page gives an overview of the system.
• Search TDCJ's inmate search with an SID or TDCJ number, or with a last name and first initial. The list is updated only on working days, so it trails real events by at least 24 hours.

Texas treats young people as juveniles from age 10 until they turn 17. Anyone 17 or older faces the regular adult courts (Family Code 51.02). The officer must promptly let a parent know about the arrest and why (FC 52.02).

Next comes a detention hearing, where a judge chooses between home and continued detention. Before it begins, the child gets a court-appointed lawyer. The deadline is the second working day of custody. Kids detained late in the week, meaning Friday or Saturday, get theirs by the next working day instead (FC 54.01).

The state's youth detention registry lists no center within the county, so a detained child is held somewhere else. Call the Sheriff's Office at 806-639-2174 to find out where, and which juvenile probation office is handling the case.

Texas assigns charges to courts by seriousness, as the state judicial system pamphlet explains. Locally it breaks down this way:

• Felony charges: the 222nd District Court. That court splits its calendar between this county and Deaf Smith County, and its judge travels here for local dockets.
• Class A and B misdemeanors: the constitutional County Court, where the elected County Judge sits. These are jailable but below felony level.
• Class C offenses: the Justice of the Peace. Only a fine is possible.

Both clerk jobs, District Clerk and County Clerk, belong to one elected official in this county. Dial 806-639-2119 for records on either type of case.

Every office in this list works at the county courthouse, 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092, apart from the judge's home office. Call before visiting during business hours.

• Clerk for district and county cases: phone 806-639-2119; mailing address P.O. Box 360, Vega, TX 79092; email ocdclerk@oldham-county.org.
• 222nd District Court: sits in the courthouse for local felony matters. Its judge's office is at 235 E. 3rd Street, Hereford, TX 79045, 806-364-7222.
• County Court: misdemeanor dockets run by the County Judge, with files kept by the clerk.
• Justice of the Peace: phone 806-639-2148; mailing address P.O. Box 370, Vega, TX 79092.
• County Attorney: phone 806-639-2130; mailing address P.O. Box 698, Vega, TX 79092.

Fine-only cases from around the county, traffic tickets among them, usually land with the county's JP, whose office sits in the courthouse at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092, 806-639-2148. When a town officer issued the citation, phone the JP office to confirm which court owns it before the deadline passes.

Citations from the JP can be paid online through oldhamcountytickets.com or over the phone at 800-701-8560. The JP office also has plea, indigence and defensive driving forms.

If paying the whole fine at once is impossible, say so. The judge has to consider a payment plan, community service ($150 credit for each 8 hours) or waiving the fine. Jail for nonpayment is a last step. First, a judge has to hold a hearing and conclude the person never really tried to pay, under CCP arts. 45A.252-45A.261.

The clock is 48 hours: by then, an arrested person must stand before a magistrate, either in the room or over a video hookup, as CCP art. 15.17(a) requires. A district judge, the County Judge or a justice of the peace can fill that role (CCP art. 2A.151). The warnings cover:

• the accusation itself
• a right to hire a defense lawyer, or to ask for an appointed one at no cost
• a right to silence, to a lawyer's presence during police questions, and to stop talking at any point
• a warning that whatever the person says can come up in court
• for felonies, a right to an examining trial, where a judge weighs whether the evidence holds up (CCP art. 16.01)

Bail gets decided during this same visit (CCP art. 17.028). Should the magistrate decide the arrest lacks probable cause, CCP art. 15.17(h) requires written findings inside 24 hours. Ask the Sheriff's Office at 806-639-2174 if your person has seen the magistrate yet.

The County Judge hears the jailable misdemeanors, meaning Class A and B. These cases begin with an information, a written charge from the prosecutor, rather than a grand jury indictment. From there:

1. Arraignment (CCP art. 26.01), where a plea is entered after the formal charge is read.
2. Pretrial dates for motions, swapping evidence and plea talks.
3. Outcome: a negotiated plea or a trial. Withdrawing the plea is allowed if the judge rejects the bargain (CCP art. 26.13).
4. Last comes a sentence, or a result such as deferred adjudication.

The Penal Code ch. 12 limits:

• Class C, under PC 12.23: a fine no higher than $500 and zero jail.
• Class B, under PC 12.22: county jail for no longer than 180 days, a fine no higher than $2,000, or both.
• Class A, under PC 12.21: county jail for no longer than a year, a fine no higher than $4,000, or both.

Probation, called community supervision, and deferred adjudication each top out at two years for misdemeanors (CCP art. 42A.053; CCP art. 42A.103).

The 222nd District Court tries felonies from this county. A typical case moves like this:

1. Examining trial. Optional, and only before indictment: the defense asks a judge whether the evidence is enough (CCP art. 16.01).
2. Grand jury review. Grand jurors weigh the case, and it takes nine of their votes to indict (art. 20A.301, CCP).
3. Plea entered, motions argued. A plea goes on record, and the lawyers raise legal issues.
4. Resolution. The person either accepts a plea bargain or takes the case to a jury.

Felony punishment levels:

• State jail felony, under PC 12.35: confinement in a state jail for 180 days on the low end and two years on the high end.
• Third degree, under PC 12.34: two to ten years in prison.
• Second degree, under PC 12.33: two to twenty years in prison.
• First degree, under PC 12.32: five to ninety-nine years in prison, or life.
• Any of these can add a fine reaching $10,000, and earlier convictions may bump the range up (PC 12.42).

Deferred adjudication for a felony may stretch up to a decade. Finishing it successfully ends in dismissal (CCP arts. 42A.103, 42A.111). The clerk at 806-639-2119 can share the felony docket.

Yes. A violent charge tightens release rules and raises possible punishment:

• Personal bonds are mostly off the table for violent offenses, leaving cash or a bondsman (CCP art. 17.03).
• Prop 3 passed in November 2025. For murder, aggravated robbery and several other listed crimes, a judge must deny bail if, after a hearing, the state has shown either a risk of running or a danger to others (Tex. Const. art. I, §11d).
• Appointed magistrates, under S.B. 9 (2025), have no power to release people facing four charges: aggravated sexual assault, murder, aggravated kidnapping and capital murder (CCP art. 17.027(a-2)).
• For capital murder, the only sentences for an adult are death and life without parole. Younger than 18 at the offense means life (PC 12.31).

Family violence brings one more tool: an emergency protective order the magistrate may issue right at the first appearance. Such an order lasts 61 to 91 days. If the case involves a deadly weapon or serious bodily injury, the range is 91 to 121 days, per CCP art. 17.292.

On the state's prosecutor directory, this county's entry is the County Attorney. You'll find it in the courthouse at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092, with mail going to P.O. Box 698, Vega, TX 79092. It answers at 806-639-2130 or OCATTY@oldham-county.org, and can say who prosecutes a given felony.

Free defense is available through the Panhandle Area Public Defender, whose service area includes this county. Its office is at 900 S. Polk, Suite 206, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-242-3415. The request for a free lawyer goes to the magistrate during the first appearance (CCP art. 15.17(a)).

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission keeps each county's appointment plan on file. Browse it on the TIDC plan page or call the commission at 512-936-6994.

You have three good options:

• Phone the clerk. Staff at 806-639-2119 can read off case numbers and upcoming settings for district and county court cases.
• Use re:SearchTX. The statewide re:SearchTX site shows filed charges and final judgments to anyone who registers for free. For upcoming hearing dates, rely on the clerk.
• Call the JP. Ticket and Class C questions go to 806-639-2148.

DPS sells access to a conviction name search for older records. You must open an account and buy credits.

The Sheriff's deputies serve local warrants. Phone 806-639-2174 and ask whether one is active under the person's name. Texas warrants work anywhere in the state, so a DPS trooper or any other peace officer can arrest on one (CCP art. 15.06). Statewide, the DPS Texas 10 Most Wanted page lists the fugitives Texas wants most. For a missed ticket date, check with the Justice of the Peace at 806-639-2148. Clearing a warrant usually starts with a lawyer. With that advice, the person shows up at the issuing court's clerk window, or phones that court and asks for a new date. The clerk is at 105 S. Main Street, Vega, TX 79092, 806-639-2119.

Federal prosecutions from here are filed with the U.S. District Court's Amarillo Division. That clerk's office is at 205 SE 5th Avenue, Room 133, Amarillo, TX 79101-1559, 806-468-3800.

• A federal magistrate judge runs the first hearing. If prosecutors ask to keep the person jailed, the judge holds a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Until trial, the U.S. Marshals Service in Amarillo is responsible for custody: 205 SE 5th Street, Unit 214, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-324-2350.
• Federal public defenders in Amarillo work at 600 S. Tyler Street, Suite 2300, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-324-2370.
• Following a sentence to federal prison, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Think of an ICE detainer as a separate track. It may keep a person in the jail after the local case would have let them leave.

1. ICE's detainer paperwork, called Form I-247A, reaches the Sheriff's jail.
2. The hold may last up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas jails have to honor these requests under CCP art. 2A.060, though the hold falls away when the person proves citizenship or lawful presence. Gov't Code 752.053, a 2017 law, blocks local rules that limit immigration enforcement.
4. ICE then moves the person out of the county jail. For North Texas, questions go to the Dallas Field Office, 8101 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, 972-367-2200.
5. The ICE Online Detainee Locator shows where ICE is holding someone.

Under S.B. 8 (2025), Texas sheriffs who operate jails face a December 1, 2026 target for requesting 287(g) partnerships with ICE (TCJS Memo 25-02). Also, CCP art. 17.027(a-2) stops a Gov't Code ch. 54 appointed magistrate from releasing anyone held on an ICE detainer.

A state jail felony sentence plays out in a state jail unit, which differs from a regular prison. Heavier felonies, third degree and up, mean prison, which TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) operates. Newcomers are screened at intake before being placed in a unit.

• Look up current prisoners with the TDCJ inmate search. Its records update each working day.
• For an overview of Texas lockups, see our state prisons page.

Under Texas law, a child for juvenile court purposes is someone 10 or older and under 17 when the conduct happened. A 17th birthday moves new charges into adult court (FC 51.02). Which local court hears youth cases is the county juvenile board's call (FC 51.04).

• Officers notify a parent quickly after taking a youth into custody (FC 52.02).
• A lawyer comes first. Then comes the detention hearing, at the latest on the second working day (FC 54.01 sets this timing).
• A youth 14 or older charged with certain felonies can be sent to adult court. That step requires a complete investigation plus a hearing (FC 54.02).

The county has no youth detention center on the state registry. The Sheriff's Office, 806-639-2174, knows where a detained youth was placed and which probation office is on the case.

Texas lists victim rights in CCP art. 56A.051. The victim's safety is a required factor at bail. Victims who ask are told about upcoming court dates. Before sentencing, they may hand the judge a written impact statement.

• Custody alerts: Enroll at Texas IVSS-Counties or by calling 866-268-8959 at any hour. Help comes in English or Spanish, free and confidential.
• Help with costs: The Attorney General runs Crime Victims' Compensation, covering up to $50,000 in things like medical bills, counseling and lost wages. Its line is 800-983-9933.
• Questions about the case: Contact the County Attorney at 806-639-2130.