| The Houston, Texas, criminal defense law firm of Attorney Andy Nolen, represents people who have been accused of a state crime in Texas, including in communities such as League City, Angleton, Pearland, Alvin, Clear Lake, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Baytown, Pasadena, Memorial, Spring Branch, River Oaks, West University, and Bellaire. Counties that this firm serves include: Galveston County • Fort Bend County • Montgomery County • Brazoria County • Harris County. Cases handled include: Domestic Violence, Theft, Shoplifting, Drunk Driving, Evading Arrest |
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| HOUSTON CRIMINAL LAWYER OVER 15 YEARS CRIMINAL LAW EXPERIENCE LICENSED IN BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL COURT |
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| CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CHAPTER 18. SEARCH WARRANTS (d) The sale under this article of any property that has a fair market value of $500 or more shall be preceded by a notice published once at least 14 days prior to the date of such sale in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality or county where the sale is to take place, stating the general description of the property, the names of the owner if known, and the date and place that such sale will occur. This article does not require disposition by sale. (e) The real owner of any property disposed of shall have the right to file a claim to the proceeds with the commissioners court of the county or with the governing body of the municipality in which the disposition took place. A claim by the real owner must be filed not later than the 30th day after the date of disposition. If the claim is allowed by the commissioners court or the governing body of the municipality, the municipal or county treasurer shall pay the owner such funds as were paid into the treasury of the municipality or county as proceeds of the disposition. If the claim is denied by the commissioners court or the governing body or if said court or body fails to act upon such claim within 90 days, the claimant may sue the municipal or county treasurer in a court of competent jurisdiction in the county, and upon sufficient proof of ownership, recover judgment against such municipality or county for the recovery of the proceeds of the disposition. (f) For the purposes of this article: (1) "Person designated by a municipality" means an officer or employee of a municipality who is designated by the municipality to be primarily responsible for the disposition of property under this article. (2) "Property held as evidence" means property related to a charge that has been filed or to a matter that is being investigated for the filing of a charge. (g) If the provisions of this section have been met and the property is scheduled for disposition, the municipal or county law enforcement agency that originally seized the property may request and have the property converted to agency use. The agency at any time may transfer the property to another municipal or county law enforcement agency for the use of that agency. The agency last using the property shall return the property to the person designated by the municipality, county purchasing agent, or sheriff, as the case may be, for disposition when the agency has completed the intended use of the property. (h) If the abandoned or unclaimed personal property is money, the person designated by the municipality, the county purchasing agent, or the sheriff of the county, as appropriate, may, after giving notice under Subsection (b) or (c) of this article, deposit the money in the treasury of the municipality or county giving notice without conducting the sale as required by Subsection (d) of this article. (i) While offering the property for sale under this article, if a person designated by a municipality, county purchasing agent, or sheriff considers any bid as insufficient, the person, agent, or sheriff may decline the bid and reoffer the property for sale. (j) Chapters 72, 74, 75, and 76, Property Code, do not apply to unclaimed or abandoned property to which this article applies. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722. Amended by Acts 1967, 60th Leg., p. 1737, ch. 659, Sec. 15, eff. Aug. 27, 1967; Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 985, ch. 399, Sec. 2(E), eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 1002, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 12, Sec. 4, eff. Oct. 18, 1989; Subsec. (g) amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 254, Sec. 1, eff. June 5, 1991. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 157, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Subsecs. (c), (d) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 3, eff. May 28, 1993; Subsec. (f) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 1993; Subsec. (h) added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 1, eff. May 28, 1993; Subsec. (i) added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 4, eff. May 28, 1993; Subsec. (c) amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Subsec. (d) amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 3.02, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Subsec. (f) amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 3.03, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Subsec. (h) amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 3.04, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Subsec. (i) amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 3.05, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Subsec. (j) added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 402, Sec. 18, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Art. 18.18. DISPOSITION OF GAMBLING PARAPHERNALIA, PROHIBITED WEAPON, CRIMINAL INSTRUMENT, AND OTHER CONTRABAND. Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 885, Sec. 2.13 Text of subsection effective on April 1, 2009 (g) For purposes of this article: (1) "criminal instrument" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code; (2) "gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code; (3) "prohibited weapon" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code; (4) "dog-fighting equipment" means: (A) equipment used for training or handling a fighting dog, including a harness, treadmill, cage, decoy, pen, house for keeping a fighting dog, feeding apparatus, or training pen; (B) equipment used for transporting a fighting dog, including any automobile, or other vehicle, and its appurtenances which are intended to be used as a vehicle for transporting a fighting dog; (C) equipment used to promote or advertise an exhibition of dog fighting, including a printing press or similar equipment, paper, ink, or photography equipment; or (D) a dog trained, being trained, or intended to be used to fight with another dog; (5) "obscene device" and "obscene" have the meanings assigned by Section 43.21, Penal Code; (6) "re-encoder" has the meaning assigned by Section 522.001, Business & Commerce Code; (7) "scanning device" has the meaning assigned by Section 522.001, Business & Commerce Code; and (8) "obscene material" and "child pornography" include digital images and the media and equipment on which those images are stored. (a) Following the final conviction of a person for possession of a gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment, or gambling paraphernalia, for an offense involving a criminal instrument, for an offense involving an obscene device or material, for an offense involving child pornography, or for an offense involving a scanning device or re-encoder, the court entering the judgment of conviction shall order that the machine, device, gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, instrument, obscene device or material, child pornography, or scanning device or re-encoder be destroyed or forfeited to the state. Not later than the 30th day after the final conviction of a person for an offense involving a prohibited weapon, the court entering the judgment of conviction on its own motion, on the motion of the prosecuting attorney in the case, or on the motion of the law enforcement agency initiating the complaint on notice to the prosecuting attorney in the case if the prosecutor fails to move for the order shall order that the prohibited weapon be destroyed or forfeited to the law enforcement agency that initiated the complaint. If the court fails to enter the order within the time required by this subsection, any magistrate in the county in which the offense occurred may enter the order. Following the final conviction of a person for an offense involving dog fighting, the court entering the judgment of conviction shall order that any dog-fighting equipment be destroyed or forfeited to the state. Destruction of dogs, if necessary, must be carried out by a veterinarian licensed in this state or, if one is not available, by trained personnel of a humane society or an animal shelter. If forfeited, the court shall order the contraband delivered to the state, any political subdivision of the state, or to any state institution or agency. If gambling proceeds were seized, the court shall order them forfeited to the state and shall transmit them to the grand jury of the county in which they were seized for use in investigating alleged violations of the Penal Code, or to the state, any political subdivision of the state, or to any state institution or agency. (b) If there is no prosecution or conviction following seizure, the magistrate to whom the return was made shall notify in writing the person found in possession of the alleged gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, scanning device or re-encoder, criminal instrument, or dog-fighting equipment to show cause why the property seized should not be destroyed or the proceeds forfeited. The magistrate, on the motion of the law enforcement agency seizing a prohibited weapon, shall order the weapon destroyed or forfeited to the law enforcement agency seizing the weapon, unless a person shows cause as to why the prohibited weapon should not be destroyed or forfeited. A law enforcement agency shall make a motion under this section in a timely manner after the time at which the agency is informed in writing by the attorney representing the state that no prosecution will arise from the seizure. (c) The magistrate shall include in the notice a detailed description of the property seized and the total amount of alleged gambling proceeds; the name of the person found in possession; the address where the property or proceeds were seized; and the date and time of the seizure. (d) The magistrate shall send the notice by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the person found in possession at the address where the property or proceeds were seized. If no one was found in possession, or the possessor's address is unknown, the magistrate shall post the notice on the courthouse door. (e) Any person interested in the alleged gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, scanning device or re-encoder, criminal instrument, or dog-fighting equipment seized must appear before the magistrate on the 20th day following the date the notice was mailed or posted. Failure to timely appear forfeits any interest the person may have in the property or proceeds seized, and no person after failing to timely appear may contest destruction or forfeiture. (f) If a person timely appears to show cause why the property or proceeds should not be destroyed or forfeited, the magistrate shall conduct a hearing on the issue and determine the nature of property or proceeds and the person's interest therein. Unless the person proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the property or proceeds is not gambling equipment, altered gambling equipment, gambling paraphernalia, gambling device, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, criminal instrument, scanning device or re-encoder, or dog-fighting equipment and that he is entitled to possession, the magistrate shall dispose of the property or proceeds in accordance with Paragraph (a) of this article. Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921, Sec. 17.002 Text of subsection effective until April 1, 2009 (g) For purposes of this article: (1) "criminal instrument" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code; (2) "gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code; (3) "prohibited weapon" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code; (4) "dog-fighting equipment" means: (A) equipment used for training or handling a fighting dog, including a harness, treadmill, cage, decoy, pen, house for keeping a fighting dog, feeding apparatus, or training pen; (B) equipment used for transporting a fighting dog, including any automobile, or other vehicle, and its appurtenances which are intended to be used as a vehicle for transporting a fighting dog; (C) equipment used to promote or advertise an exhibition of dog fighting, including a printing press or similar equipment, paper, ink, or photography equipment; or (D) a dog trained, being trained, or intended to be used to fight with another dog; (5) "obscene device" and "obscene" have the meanings assigned by Section 43.21, Penal Code; (6) "re-encoder" has the meaning assigned by Section 35.60, Business & Commerce Code; (7) "scanning device" has the meaning assigned by Section 35.60, Business & Commerce Code; and (8) "obscene material" and "child pornography" include digital images and the media and equipment on which those images are stored. (h) No provider of an electronic communication service or of a remote computing service to the public shall be held liable for an offense involving obscene material or child pornography under this section on account of any action taken in good faith in providing that service. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722. Amended by Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 986, ch. 399, Sec. 2(E), eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Subsecs. (a), (b), (e), (f), (g) amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., pp. 1611, ch. 305, Sec. 2, 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983. Amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 1899, ch. 351, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Subsec. (a) amended by |
