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Terms Used In Texas Penal Code 37.01

  • Act: means a bodily movement, whether voluntary or involuntary, and includes speech. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Another: means a person other than the actor. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Government: means :
    (A) the state;
    (B) a county, municipality, or political subdivision of the state; or
    (C) any branch or agency of the state, a county, municipality, or political subdivision. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Law: means the constitution or a statute of this state or of the United States, a written opinion of a court of record, a municipal ordinance, an order of a county commissioners court, or a rule authorized by and lawfully adopted under a statute. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • United States: includes a department, bureau, or other agency of the United States of America. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005

In this chapter:
(1) “Court record” means a decree, judgment, order, subpoena, warrant, minutes, or other document issued by a court of:
(A) this state;
(B) another state;
(C) the United States;
(D) a foreign country recognized by an act of congress or a treaty or other international convention to which the United States is a party;
(E) an Indian tribe recognized by the United States; or
(F) any other jurisdiction, territory, or protectorate entitled to full faith and credit in this state under the United States Constitution.
(2) “Governmental record” means:
(A) anything belonging to, received by, or kept by government for information, including a court record;
(B) anything required by law to be kept by others for information of government;
(C) a license, certificate, permit, seal, title, letter of patent, or similar document issued by government, by another state, by the United States, or by a foreign government engaged in a reciprocal treaty or memorandum of understanding with the United States;
(D) a standard proof of motor vehicle liability insurance form described by § 601.081, Transportation Code, a certificate of an insurance company described by Section 601.083 of that code, a document purporting to be such a form or certificate that is not issued by an insurer authorized to write motor vehicle liability insurance in this state, an electronic submission in a form described by § 502.046(i), Transportation Code, or an evidence of financial responsibility described by Section 601.053 of that code;
(E) an official ballot or other election record;
(F) the written documentation a mobile food unit is required to obtain under § 437.0074, Health and Safety Code; or
(G) a temporary tag issued under Chapter 502 or 503, Transportation Code.
(3) “Statement” means any representation of fact.