Record of a Fraudulent Court
Chapter 37 of the Texas Penal Code defines offenses relating to perjury and other falsification.
“Record of a Fraudulent Court”, as per § 37.13 of the Texas Penal Code, occurs when a person makes, presents, or uses any document or other record with:
- knowledge that the document or other record is not a record of a court created under or established by the constitution or laws of this state or of the United States; and
- the intent that the document or other record be given the same legal effect as a record of a court created under or established by the constitution or laws of this state or of the United States.
An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant has previously been convicted under this section on two or more occasions.
Punishment Range
Misdemeanor A
- Confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year
- Fine not to exceed $4,000
- Both such fine and confinement
Third Degree Felony
- Imprisonment in the institutional division for not more than 10 years or less than two years
- In addition to imprisonment, may receive a fine not to exceed $10,000