Parmer County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Officers in Texas get two days, 48 hours, to put an arrested person in front of a magistrate, and a jail video screen counts (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 14.06, 15.17). Parmer's justices of the peace handle that magistrate duty, and they can sign arrest warrants too. The Farwell jail desk, 806-481-3303, can tell you when your person's hearing is.

In those few minutes, the Parmer magistrate:

• tells your person the accusation, then walks through the Texas warnings on silence and counsel
• explains the request form for a court-paid lawyer and helps complete it
• fixes a bond on each charge, choosing the mildest terms that will still work (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.028)

Starting at Class B, the magistrate first sees a public safety report on past cases. It carries no risk score and recommends no dollar amount (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.021, 17.022). Ticket-level, fine-only cases are lighter: a Parmer magistrate can free the person with a written appearance date in hand and no bond (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 15.17(b)).

Two bond families exist in Texas law, bail bonds and personal bonds (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.01 to 17.03). Parmer families usually see one of three:

• Cash bond. The full figure is paid in. Kept terms mean the money comes home after the case.
• Surety bond. A licensed bondsman backs every dollar of it for you. What you pay them buys that guarantee and never comes back.
• Personal bond. No money changes hands at first. On paper, your person swears to appear at each Parmer court date.

The signature-only route is closed on many charges. Examples include most violent crimes, terroristic threats rated Class A or above, some protective order cases, guns held by a felon, and new arrests of people already on supervision for violence. Burglary, organized crime and a group of drug felonies are a special case, where only the trial judge may approve a signature bond (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.03).

Bond terms can ride along. Repeat DWI, plus a few related drunk driving charges, means an ignition interlock device on the vehicle (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.441). For other conditions, browse our statewide bail guide.

Texas sets no single statewide price tag, and every local schedule must still respect Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.028 and 17.15. So a Parmer magistrate weighs:

• a figure that makes coming back to court likely
• no figure designed to punish or oppress
• the charge itself, plus how the incident unfolded
• what the person can truly afford
• protection for the alleged victim, deputies and the community
• prior record and citizenship status

Dollar caps in state law are rare. One kicks in after a warrantless arrest when probable cause runs late: the bond can't exceed $5,000 for a misdemeanor or $10,000 for a felony (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.033). Filed bail forms from across Texas are searchable on the TOPICs portal. For your person's figure, the Farwell jail desk at 806-481-3303 is the place to ask.

Jail mail goes to P.O. Box 860, Farwell, TX 79325. Work through this list:

1. Call 806-481-3303 and request the jail staff.
2. Spell the legal name, then read off the birth date for staff. Check that every charge has a bond, not just the main one.
3. Ask where bond papers are signed, which hours the desk takes them, and what payment a cash bond needs.
4. Using a bondsman? Share the booking details so they can file.
5. Bring photo ID and walk out with a paper receipt.

The lobby has a deposit kiosk that never closes. It feeds inmate accounts, so confirm with staff before you try it for bail.

Phone ahead, since the right counter depends on the case. Both clerks sit in the courthouse:

• District Clerk, keeper of felony files: 401 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Farwell, TX 79325, 806-481-3419.
• County Clerk, for misdemeanor fines and fees: 401 3rd Street, Farwell, TX 79325, 806-481-3691. Open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday.

Ask the clerk whether bond money on this case is taken there, which payment forms count, and how fast the jail releases after payment.

For an arrest by Friona or Bovina officers, ring the jail first at 806-481-3303. Staff will point you to the desk handling that bond.

Accepted payment for a cash bond comes straight from the jail or the clerk, so ask. Some answers are already known:

• The county's jail deposit page describes the lobby kiosk and an online card choice. Each one fills an inmate's spending account. Neither one posts bail.
• Parmer's justice courts and the City of Bovina take ticket and fine payments online. Use those pages for fines alone, never for a bond.
• Skip the mailbox. Under the jail's mail rules, cash, checks and money orders sent through the post are refused.

Save each receipt. A Texas cash bond is repaid to the person printed on it (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.02).

Licensing boards for bondsmen are required in Texas counties above 110,000 residents and optional in smaller ones (Occupations Code 1704.002). Where no board exists, Texas lets the sheriff hang a list of sureties that proved they can pay (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.141). Ask the Farwell jail desk if that list exists.

• Bondsman fees have no state ceiling. Shop around before signing.
• Hand over cash or a title, and Texas says you get a receipt back (Occupations Code 1704.305).
• Recruiting clients inside a jail is off limits to bondsmen (Occupations Code 1704.304).
• When all cases end, a written request starts a 30-day deadline to return collateral (Occupations Code 1704.301).
• A defense lawyer already on the case may post the bond personally (Occupations Code 1704.163).

A bondsman quitting a client must first warn that client's lawyer, then give the judge a sworn explanation (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.19).

Bail covers one case and nothing else. So before paying, ask the jail desk at 806-481-3303 to read out every hold. Common ones:

• Immigration. Texas jails honor ICE detainers unless solid papers prove U.S. citizenship or lawful presence (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 2A.060).
• Parole. A state parolee jailed on a "blue warrant" stays in until the parole board's violation hearing, under Tex. Gov't Code 508.254.
• Warrant from another county. Parmer's magistrate can accept bail and forward the paperwork where the warrant started (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 15.18).
• Family violence. After bond, the jail must wait four hours before releasing someone likely to commit more violence. A magistrate's written order can stretch it to 48 hours (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.291).
• Probation. A violation can carry its own warrant. Parmer's probation office takes mail at P.O. Box 792, Farwell, TX 79325, 806-481-9456.

The Texas Constitution makes bail a right for nearly all accused people. Under Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11, capital murder cases with evident proof can be held without bail. Sections 11a to 11c add narrow denials, after a hearing, for certain repeat felony defendants, people who broke bond terms, and those who violated protective orders.

On November 4, 2025, voters passed Prop 3, which created section 11d. Covered charges: murder, aggravated robbery, trafficking, capital murder, child indecency, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, plus aggravated assaults where a weapon was used or someone was gravely hurt. A hearing decides it: the state must show the person would likely skip, or would be a danger, and then bail is refused. Only the state can ask for that hearing. Any judge who still grants bail in these cases must put the reasons in writing.

Under a 2025 change, prosecutors can take a too-low bail to an appeals court in listed violent cases (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 44.01). Parmer's two prosecutors:

• District Attorney, felonies: 623 W. American Blvd., Muleshoe, TX 79347, 806-272-4205
• County Attorney, misdemeanors: 402 3rd St., Farwell, TX 79325, 806-481-3361

Your person's lawyer may file for a smaller bond or lighter terms with the judge on the case. Help by gathering paycheck stubs, proof of a Parmer home, local relatives' names and an honest money count. Texas requires a bond the person can realistically meet (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.15).

• Examining trial. In a felony not yet indicted, the person can ask for this hearing on probable cause. Bail can be reset there (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 16.01).
• State delay. If prosecutors aren't ready on time, a personal bond or lower bail may follow. Time limits: 90 days on felonies, 30 or 15 days on most jailable misdemeanors (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.151).
• State review. District judges may also reconsider a felony bond when the prosecutor asks (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.029).

Felony cases: District Clerk, 806-481-3419. Misdemeanor cases: County Clerk, 806-481-3691.

Money tight? Tell the Parmer magistrate your person wants a court-paid lawyer. The request moves on within 24 hours. Parmer is far below 250,000 residents, so the appointment deadline is three working days after the paperwork lands with the court (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 15.17, 1.051). After that, the lawyer has one working day to try reaching the client (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 26.04).

• A state chart lists Parmer within the High Plains Regional Public Defender's Office area, based in Plainview, 806-598-6886.
• Parmer also appears on the Panhandle Area managed assigned counsel program list, 900 S. Polk, Suite 206, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-242-3415.
• The county's appointment rules sit on the state indigent defense plan site; pick Parmer in the drop-down menu.

Posting bond, by itself, can't be a reason to turn down a court-paid lawyer (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 26.04(m)).

Most of them share the courthouse at 401 3rd Street, Farwell, TX 79325:

• District Court (felonies): judge's office 806-481-3270; District Clerk on the 2nd floor, 806-481-3419.
• County Court (Class A and Class B cases): County Judge 806-481-3383; County Clerk 806-481-3691.
• Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1: 617 Main St., Friona, TX 79035, 806-250-2412.
• Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2: on US 60 in Bovina; mail to P.O. Box 896, Bovina, TX 79009, 806-251-1356.
• Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3: 401 3rd St., Farwell, TX 79325, 806-481-9964.
• Municipal courts: Friona at 617 Main St., Friona, TX 79035, 806-250-2198; Farwell at P.O. Box 338, Farwell, TX 79325, 806-481-3620; Bovina at P.O. Box 720, Bovina, TX 79009, 806-251-1116.
• Federal court: U.S. District Court, 205 SE 5th Avenue, Room 133, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-468-3800.

Kept terms plus a closed case means a refund to the person on the receipt, after any fee (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.02). A 5% clerk fee, capped at $50, is allowed solely where the case closed with a conviction or deferred adjudication. Cash can also be applied to the person's fines and court costs (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 17.53). Once the case wraps up, the clerk owes you the refund form for free.

Skipped court dates put the bond in danger. The court enters a "judgment nisi," which becomes final without good cause (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 22.01, 22.02). The bondsman escapes paying if your person is locked up anywhere within 180 days for a misdemeanor case, 270 for a felony (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 22.13). Texas treats a skipped date as its own crime, bail jumping, under Tex. Penal Code 38.10.

For a refund, phone whichever clerk has the cash. For felony bonds, that's the District Clerk at 806-481-3419.

Raise property and unused account money before the release. The Farwell jail desk at 806-481-3303 can explain how leftover funds come back and when belongings may be collected. Jail mail goes to P.O. Box 860, Farwell, TX 79325.

Bring photo ID. Picking up for a relative? Ask whether the relative must sign over permission to you first. For deposits during a stay, see our inmate money page.

Parmer's federal defendants answer in the Northern District's Amarillo courthouse, 205 SE 5th Avenue, Room 133, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-468-3800.

• In Amarillo, a magistrate judge rules on pretrial release at the person's opening federal court date. This is the detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Until trial, federal prisoners stay under the watch of the U.S. Marshals Service. Call its office in Amarillo, 205 SE 5th Street, Unit 214, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-324-2350, to learn which jail is holding your person.
• Amarillo's Federal Public Defender office represents federal defendants short on money, 600 S. Tyler Street, Suite 2300, Amarillo, TX 79101, 806-324-2370.
• Once sentenced in federal court, the person shows up on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Paying the Parmer bond leaves any immigration hold in place. Expect this order of events:

1. Federal immigration agents lodge Form I-247A, the detainer, at the Farwell jail.
2. This lets jailers keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, so agents can arrive (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas orders jails to honor the detainer. Only solid papers showing citizenship or lawful status will cancel the hold (Tex. Crim. Proc. Code 2A.060). Since 2017, no Texas city or county may adopt a policy weakening immigration enforcement (Tex. Gov't Code 752.053).
4. By December 1, 2026, a 2025 Texas statute expects each county that runs a jail to hold a signed 287(g) pact with ICE. Ask the Parmer Sheriff's Office how its own agreement stands.
5. ICE then takes the person to a detention center. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator with their name and native country.

For a state jail felony, Parmer judges can impose a term in a state jail lasting 180 days at least and two years at most. Heavier felonies, by Tex. Penal Code 12.31 to 12.35, mean a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison term. A newly sentenced person waits in the Farwell jail until the state comes for them, gets processed at intake, then moves to whichever unit suits them.

• Have a last name ready, or better, a SID or TDCJ number, for the state's TDCJ inmate search page. Fresh data arrives each working day.
• For the bigger picture, read our Texas state prisons page.

Juvenile court in Texas takes children 10 through 16, and anyone already 17 lands in adult court (Tex. Family Code 51.02). A parent gets prompt word from police (Tex. Family Code 52.02). No later than the second working day, the child must have both an appointed lawyer and a detention hearing (Tex. Family Code 54.01).

Phone the juvenile probation office Bailey and Parmer share, 300 S. 1st, Suite 308, Muleshoe, TX 79347, 806-272-3316, so staff can tell you the child's whereabouts and hearing date.