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Texas Penal Code - PENAL § 36.03. Coercion of Public Servant or Voter

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(a) A person commits an offense if by means of coercion he:

(1) influences or attempts to influence a public servant in a specific exercise of his official power or a specific performance of his official duty or influences or attempts to influence a public servant to violate the public servant's known legal duty;  or

(2) influences or attempts to influence a voter not to vote or to vote in a particular manner.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor unless the coercion is a threat to commit a felony, in which event it is a felony of the third degree.

(c) It is an exception to the application of Subsection (a)(1) of this section that the person who influences or attempts to influence the public servant is a member of the governing body of a governmental entity, and that the action that influences or attempts to influence the public servant is an official action taken by the member of the governing body.  For the purposes of this subsection, the term “official action” includes deliberations by the governing body of a governmental entity.

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Texas Penal Code - PENAL § 36.03. Coercion of Public Servant or Voter - last updated April 14, 2021 | https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-36-03.html


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