Tex. Code of Criminal Procedure § 38.19
This is the official text of Tex. Code of Criminal Procedure § 38.19, part of Texas’s Code of Criminal Procedure — sets the procedural rules for criminal cases in Texas.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 38.19.
Official statutory text
Art. 38.19. INTENT TO DEFRAUD: CERTAIN OFFENSES. (a) This article applies to the trial of an offense under any of the following sections of the Penal Code:
(1) Section 32.21 (Forgery);
(2) Section 32.31 (Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse);
(3) Section 32.51 (Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information); or
(4) Section 32.315 (Fraudulent Use or Possession of Credit Card or Debit Card Information).
(b) In the trial of an offense to which this article applies, the attorney representing the state is not required to prove that the defendant committed the act with intent to defraud any particular person. It is sufficient to prove that the offense was, in its nature, calculated to injure or defraud any of the sovereignties, bodies corporate or politic, officers or persons, named in the definition of the offense in the Penal Code.
(1) Section 32.21 (Forgery);
(2) Section 32.31 (Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse);
(3) Section 32.51 (Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information); or
(4) Section 32.315 (Fraudulent Use or Possession of Credit Card or Debit Card Information).
(b) In the trial of an offense to which this article applies, the attorney representing the state is not required to prove that the defendant committed the act with intent to defraud any particular person. It is sufficient to prove that the offense was, in its nature, calculated to injure or defraud any of the sovereignties, bodies corporate or politic, officers or persons, named in the definition of the offense in the Penal Code.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a criminal defense matter in Texas?
See all Texas Criminal Defense lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.