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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the imposition of consecutive fines in sentencing a |
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defendant for offenses arising out of the same criminal episode. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 3.03(a), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) When the accused is found guilty of more than one |
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offense arising out of the same criminal episode prosecuted in a |
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single criminal action, a sentence for each offense for which he has |
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been found guilty shall be pronounced. Except as provided by |
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Subsection (b) and Section 3.05, the sentences shall run |
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concurrently. |
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SECTION 2. Section 3.04(b), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) In the event of severance under this section, the |
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provisions of Section 3.03 do not apply, and, except as provided by |
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Section 3.05, the court in its discretion may order the sentences to |
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run either concurrently or consecutively. |
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SECTION 3. Chapter 3, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 3.05 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 3.05. IMPOSITION OF CONSECUTIVE FINES. If the |
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defendant is convicted of more than one offense arising out of the |
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same criminal episode, the fines imposed for the offenses run |
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consecutively. |
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SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |