Disclaimer: You are cautioned that electronic mail is not a secure form
of communication and no attorney-client relationship exists until established by
written contract with our firm. This site is provided for information only and
does not constitute legal advice.
Section 37.10. TAMPERING
WITH GOVERNMENTAL RECORD.
(a) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) knowingly makes a false entry in,
or false alteration of, a governmental record;
(2) makes, presents, or uses any
record, document, or thing with knowledge of its falsity
and with intent that it be taken as a genuine
governmental record; (3)
intentionally destroys, conceals, removes, or otherwise
impairs the verity, legibility, or availability of a
governmental record; (4) possesses,
sells, or offers to sell a governmental record or a
blank governmental record form with intent that it be
used unlawfully; (5) makes,
presents, or uses a governmental record with knowledge
of its falsity; or (6) possesses,
sells, or offers to sell a governmental record or a
blank governmental record form with knowledge that it
was obtained unlawfully. (b) It is an
exception to the application of Subsection (a)(3) that
the governmental record is destroyed pursuant to legal
authorization or transferred under Section 441.204,
Government Code. With regard to the destruction of a
local government record, legal authorization includes
compliance with the provisions of Subtitle C, Title 6,
Local Government Code. (c)(1) Except as
provided by Subdivision (2) and by Subsection (d), an
offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor
unless the actor's intent is to defraud or harm another,
in which event the offense is a state jail felony.
(2) An offense under this section is a
felony of the third degree if it is shown on the trial
of the offense that the governmental record was a public
school record, report, or assessment instrument required
under Chapter 39, Education Code, or was a license,
certificate, permit, seal, title, letter of patent, or
similar document issued by government, by another state,
or by the United States, unless the actor's intent is to
defraud or harm another, in which event the offense is a
felony of the second degree. (d) An offense
under this section, if it is shown on the trial of the
offense that the governmental record is described by
Section 37.01(2)(D), is: (1) a Class
B misdemeanor if the offense is committed under
Subsection (a)(2) or Subsection (a)(5) and the defendant
is convicted of presenting or using the record;
(2) a felony of the third degree if the
offense is committed under:
(A) Subsection (a)(1), (3),
(4), or (6); or (B)
Subsection (a)(2) or (5) and the defendant is convicted
of making the record; and (3) a
felony of the second degree, notwithstanding
Subdivisions (1) and (2), if the actor's intent in
committing the offense was to defraud or harm another.
(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution
for possession under Subsection (a)(6) that the
possession occurred in the actual discharge of official
duties as a public servant. (f) It is a
defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(1), (a)(2),
or (a)(5) that the false entry or false information
could have no effect on the government's purpose for
requiring the governmental record. (g) A
person is presumed to intend to defraud or harm another
if the person acts with respect to two or more of the
same type of governmental records or blank governmental
record forms and if each governmental record or blank
governmental record form is a license, certificate,
permit, seal, title, or similar document issued by
government. (h) If conduct that constitutes
an offense under this section also constitutes an
offense under
Section 32.48 or
37.13, the actor may be prosecuted under any of
those sections. (i) With the consent of the
appropriate local county or district attorney, the
attorney general has concurrent jurisdiction with that
consenting local prosecutor to prosecute an offense
under this section that involves the state Medicaid
program.
The Gilbert G. Garcia Law Firm 220 North
Thompson, Suite 202 | Conroe, TX 77301 936.756.3333 | Fax
936.539.4357
Providing Criminal Defense Attorney
services in Montgomery and Walker Counties, including the cities of
Conroe, Willis,
Montgomery, Shenandoah, Huntsville, Oak Ridge and The Woodlands, Lake
Conroe, New Caney, Porter and Splendora.
Criminal Defense Lawyer Conroe TX