Titus County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Bail here is a magistrate's decision. Texas has officers march each arrestee before one promptly, 48 hours being the outer edge, in the same room or across a video screen (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 15.17, with art. 14.06).

The county's lawyer plan names its Justices of the Peace, plus the Mount Pleasant Municipal Judge, as magistrates. The justices work from the Justice Center at 100 South Madison Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455. Precincts 1, 3 and 4 share 903-577-6760; Precinct 2 uses 903-577-6756.

That hearing is quick. Look for the magistrate to:

• Spell out what crime police claim happened.
• Remind your person that silence is allowed and a lawyer is too.
• Walk them through the form for a free attorney.
• Pick a bail figure and attach any release terms.

Whenever the worst count is Class B or heavier, a public safety report reaches the magistrate's desk early. That report sums up past cases, minus any risk score or suggested dollar figure. Bail is then shaped around this one person, using the mildest terms that get the job done (arts. 17.021, 17.022 and 17.028). Jail staff at 903-577-7200 can say when the hearing is slated.

Under arts. 17.01 through 17.03, Texas sorts bail into two piles, bail bonds and personal bonds. Here is how each plays out at the kitchen table:

• Cash bond. Somebody pays the entire bail in cash. Kept rules mean that cash can come home later.
• Surety bond. A state-licensed bonding outfit guarantees all of it, charging your family a fee for the favor.
• Personal bond. Zero dollars at the door. Your person signs, swearing to come to court. A fee can be added, and the judge may waive it.
• Citation-style release. In a fine-only matter, a magistrate can wave someone out the door holding a written appearance date and owing no bond, except for people with certain prior convictions (art. 15.17(b)).

Personal bonds stay out of reach on a long roster of violent crimes, on felon-with-a-gun charges, certain protective order breaches, and anyone already supervised for violence who gets arrested anew (art. 17.03). Burglary and some drug felony charges are special: only the judge trying the case may approve a personal bond. Our Texas bail laws page lays out those statewide limits in more depth.

Texas skips a statewide price chart. Each magistrate lands on a figure person by person, guided by a checklist in art. 17.15:

• Big enough to make a return trip to court likely.
• Never so high it turns into oppression.
• Matched to the charge and its details.
• Within reach of what your person can truly pay.
• Protective of the victim, officers and the town.
• Mindful of records and citizenship status.

A hard cap kicks in after a warrantless arrest that gets no timely probable cause ruling. Then misdemeanor holds end by hour 24, bond topping out at $5,000, and felony holds end by hour 48, bond topping out at $10,000. Folks short on cash leave on a personal bond. Prosecutors may ask a judge to hold off on those deadlines, up to 72 hours total (art. 17.033).

Under art. 17.441, a repeat DWI typically means a breath-test ignition lock goes on the car while the case runs. For your person's real figures, the jail answers at 903-577-7200. Blank bail forms are on the state courts bail page.

Jailers and Sheriff's staff work from a single address, 304 South Van Buren Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455. Here is a plan:

1. Call the jail at 903-577-7200 before leaving the house.
2. Read off your person's legal name and birthday.
3. Get every charge and every bond on paper. Even one unpaid bond blocks the door.
4. Ask when bonds are taken and which payment styles work today.
5. Bring a photo ID plus the precise amount.
6. Insist on a signed receipt and file it somewhere safe, because refunds hinge on it.

A deputy or jailer taking bail checks the person's record first. On violent charges, the jailer leaves the amount to a magistrate, per arts. 17.20 and 17.22. For other questions, the Sheriff's main desk picks up at 903-572-6641.

Mount Pleasant police pass every adult arrest along to the county, so bonds run through county offices rather than the city station. Phone the jail first at 903-577-7200. If staff steer you to a clerk or a court, the addresses are:

• District Clerk (felony files): Courthouse Annex, 105 West First Street, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455; mailing address PO Box 492, Mount Pleasant, TX 75456; 903-577-6721. Staff work straight through lunch.
• County Clerk (Class A and B files): 100 West First Street, Suite 204, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455; 903-577-6796. Weekday hours run 8:00 a.m. to noon, then 1:00 to 4:45 p.m.
• Justice courts (fine-only cases): 100 South Madison Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455; Precincts 1, 3 and 4, 903-577-6760; Precinct 2, 903-577-6756.
• Municipal court (city tickets): 501 North Madison Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455; 903-575-4010; weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

JP and city judges tend to grant personal bonds on fine-only charges (art. 45A.107). Call ahead: ask what each window accepts and how quickly word of your payment reaches Van Buren Avenue.

The jail sets its own bond payment rules, so check with staff at 903-577-7200 before driving in. Mailing cash is always a bad idea.

For tickets and court costs, the county uses the county's online court payment site. The justice courts, the District Clerk and the District Attorney each link there. It was built for fines, costs and citations, so clear any other use with the clerk first.

City fines can be paid on the municipal court's ticket payment portal, or by calling 800-444-1187 between 8 and 5 on weekdays. Both of those options handle fines only.

A bondsman (in legal terms, a surety) promises the court the whole bail if your person vanishes. Occupations Code chapter 1704 lays down the rules:

• Counties past 110,000 residents need a licensing board for bondsmen, and it hangs approved names near booking. Smaller places get to decide for themselves.
• Boardless counties may have the Sheriff post which sureties the jail takes (art. 17.141). Ask jail staff to read you that list.
• Texas caps no bondsman fee. Grab a receipt for each payment.
• Drumming up bonding clients inside cellblocks is forbidden.
• Once the case ends, pledged collateral such as a pickup title has to come back inside 30 days of a written ask.
• The defense attorney handling the case can post bond too.

Under art. 17.19, a surety bowing out of a bond warns the defense lawyer first and then swears out an affidavit.

Each bond covers only its own case. Have the jail at 903-577-7200 run down every hold before money changes hands. Common snags:

• A warrant from a different county. Under art. 15.18, magistrates here may accept bail on it and mail that bond off to the county that issued it.
• Parole. A so-called "blue warrant" from the parole side can keep your person jailed until the violation hearing.
• Immigration. Art. 2A.060 makes jails honor ICE detainers, short of proof of lawful status.
• Family violence. When jailers on Van Buren Avenue think more harm could follow, they wait four hours after the bond clears before opening the door. Art. 17.291 lets a magistrate stretch that, in writing, toward 48 hours.
• Two or more cases. Each one needs its own bond.
• Federal holds. The Van Buren Avenue jail keeps some federal prisoners, and their release follows federal rules.

On a family violence charge, the alleged victim hears about a release in advance. At that first hearing the magistrate can also sign an emergency order of protection (arts. 17.29 and 17.292).

Nearly every accused Texan has a constitutional shot at bail. Its older carve-outs: capital charges with strong evidence, some repeat felonies or felonies while out on bail, and some broken safety terms or protective orders (art. I, §§ 11 through 11c of the state constitution). Voters widened that list in 2025.

Proposition 3, approved November 4, 2025, now sits in art. I, § 11d. Its list includes aggravated sexual assault, murder, trafficking, aggravated robbery and several more grave crimes. For those charges, proof at a hearing of likely flight, or of real danger, obliges the judge to keep the accused jailed. That request comes from prosecutors only. Judges who release the person anyway must put their reasons on paper.

Senate Bill 9, another 2025 law, gives prosecutors two tools: a district judge's review of felony bail amounts under art. 17.029, plus an appeal when bail in certain violent cases looks too small (art. 44.01). Felony prosecutors here staff the District Attorney's Office, Courthouse Annex, 105 West First Street, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455, 903-577-6726.

Reductions start with a motion, which defense counsel files in whatever court owns the case. Families can pitch in:

1. Round up paychecks, a lease or deed, kin who live nearby and a true monthly budget. Ability to pay sits on the art. 17.15 checklist.
2. Hand those papers to the lawyer so they go to the judge along with the motion.
3. Keep a calendar. When prosecutors drag their feet, art. 17.151 forces either a personal bond or reduced bail.

Felony prosecutors get 90 days to announce ready for trial. Misdemeanors carrying over 180 days allow them 30 days, lighter jail misdemeanors 15, and ticket-level offenses only 5. Exceptions exist. Ring the District Clerk at 903-577-6721 about felonies, or the County Clerk at 903-577-6796 about Class A and B matters.

Folks without lawyer money get private attorneys whom local judges appoint. Under the county plan, your person can:

• Raise a hand at the magistrate hearing and request counsel.
• Grab a request form at the justice court offices, 100 South Madison Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455, 903-577-6760, or from the Mount Pleasant Municipal Judge, then return it to that same office.
• Once the case reaches County Court, or an indictment arrives in District Court, file a sworn statement about money with that judge.

The magistrate forwards that request within 24 hours. Counties this size then have three working days to name counsel (arts. 1.051 and 15.17). Art. 26.04 then expects that attorney to try calling or visiting by the next working day's end.

Watching over every county plan is the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994. Its TIDC plan search shows every county's rules.

Every local criminal court sits on First Street or Madison Avenue:

• 76th and 276th District Courts (felonies): 105 West First Street, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455, 903-577-6736. The District Clerk holds felony files, 903-577-6721.
• County Court (Class A and B): County Courthouse, 100 West First Street, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455. County Judge's office, 903-577-6791; County Clerk, 903-577-6796.
• Justice of the Peace courts (Class C): 100 South Madison Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455. Precincts 1, 3 and 4, 903-577-6760; Precinct 2, 903-577-6756.
• Municipal Court (city limits): 501 North Madison Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455, 903-575-4010.
• Federal cases go to Texarkana: United States Courthouse and Post Office, 500 North State Line Avenue, Room 301, Texarkana, TX 75501, 903-794-8561.

Refunds go to whoever's name sits on the cash receipt once the bond's terms are met. Clerks on First Street may keep 5%, never more than $50, but only once the judge convicts or orders deferred adjudication (Local Government Code 117.055). Under arts. 17.02 and 17.53, leftover cash can also settle the accused's own fines and costs.

Skipping court sets off a chain:

• The judge enters a forfeiture judgment, the first step toward keeping the bail (arts. 22.01 and 22.02).
• Art. 22.13 lets bondsmen off the hook when your person is back in custody soon enough: 270 days for felonies, 180 for misdemeanors.
• Penal Code § 38.10 turns bail jumping into a fresh crime, graded by the original charge, Class C at the bottom and third-degree felony at the top.

Ask whichever clerk accepted the cash: the District Clerk, 903-577-6721, on felonies, or the County Clerk, 903-577-6796, on misdemeanors.

Sort out money and property before release day ends. Jail staff at 903-577-7200 explain refunds of leftover commissary funds and when personal items can be collected at 304 South Van Buren Avenue, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455.

Carry photo ID. Fetching another person's things might call for their signed permission, so check ahead. Deposit basics for the rest of a stay are on our inmate money page.

Federal charges against people arrested here land in Texarkana's federal court (Eastern District of Texas). Find its clerk inside the federal courthouse and post office building, 500 North State Line Avenue, Room 301, Texarkana, TX 75501, 903-794-8561.

• A federal magistrate judge holds the release or detention hearing at the first appearance. No bondsmen work in federal court (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Federal detainees awaiting trial are the responsibility of deputy U.S. marshals, based for this district at 211 West Ferguson Street, 4th Floor, Tyler, TX 75702, 903-590-1370.
• Federal detainees often stay in county jails, and the Van Buren Avenue jail has housed some. Ask the Marshals where your person is.
• Defendants lacking money for counsel may be matched with an attorney from the Federal Public Defender, 110 North College Avenue, Suite 1122, Tyler, TX 75702, 903-531-9233.
• After a prison sentence, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator shows where they went.

No. Paying the county bond leaves an immigration detainer standing. Expect this sequence:

1. Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) send Form I-247A to Van Buren Avenue. That form is the detainer.
2. The jail may hold your person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, so agents can arrive (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas jails must obey detainers (art. 2A.060). Paperwork proving citizenship or lawful status lifts that duty. Government Code § 752.053, from 2017, also outlaws any county or city rule that slows immigration enforcement.
4. Senate Bill 8 (2025) pushes jail-keeping sheriffs statewide into seeking 287(g) pacts with ICE; requests are due December 1, 2026. To hear what Van Buren Avenue has done, ring the Sheriff's Office at 903-572-6641.
5. Once agents take over, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator using full name plus birth country. No luck? The Dallas Field Office of ICE, whose territory includes North Texas, sits at 8101 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, 972-367-2200.

A judge on First Street can hand down two kinds of state time:

• State jail. For the lowest felony level, the state jail felony.
• Prison. For third-degree felonies and anything heavier (Penal Code §§ 12.32 through 12.35).

Each sits under a single state agency: the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Newly sentenced folks often wait on Van Buren Avenue after sentencing. Later the state moves them to an intake center for tests and classification, then onward to an assigned unit.

• On the TDCJ inmate search, a surname with first initial works, and so does an SID or TDCJ number from paperwork.
• Our Texas state prisons page lists addresses and visiting basics for every unit.
• Court-ordered probation, called community supervision, is overseen by the 76th-276th Judicial District Community Supervision and Corrections Department, 115 West 1st Street, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455, 903-572-5000.

Family Code § 51.02 routes kids aged 10 to 16 when it happened into juvenile court. Seventeen counts as adult. No bail applies to children. Instead:

• Officers must notify mom, dad or a guardian promptly (Family Code § 52.02). Next stop for the child is either a juvenile processing office or detention.
• Family Code § 54.01 sets a fast clock for a detention hearing. Give it two working days from pickup; for Friday or Saturday arrests, count one. An appointed attorney stands beside the child.
• The judge weighs whether home is safe and sets the rules.

The county's Juvenile Probation Department, 100 West First Street, Suite 400, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455, 903-577-6737, can share which center houses a youth and the hearing date.