Art. 42A.551. PLACEMENT ON COMMUNITY SUPERVISION; EXECUTION OF SENTENCE. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (b) or (c), on conviction of a state jail felony under Section 481.115(b), 481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b), 481.1161(b)(3), 481.121(b)(3), or 481.129(g)(1), Health and Safety Code, that is punished under Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge shall suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on community supervision.
(b) If the defendant has been previously convicted of a felony, other than a felony punished under Section 12.44(a), Penal Code, or if the conviction resulted from an adjudication of the guilt of a defendant previously placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for the offense, the judge may:
(1) suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on community supervision; or
(2) order the sentence to be executed.
(c) Subsection (a) does not apply to a defendant who:
(1) under Section 481.1151(b)(1), Health and Safety Code, possessed more than five abuse units of the controlled substance;
(2) under Section 481.1161(b)(3), Health and Safety Code, possessed more than one pound, by aggregate weight, including adulterants or dilutants, of the controlled substance; or
(3) under Section 481.121(b)(3), Health and Safety Code, possessed more than one pound of marihuana.
(d) On conviction of a state jail felony punished under Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, other than a state jail felony listed in Subsection (a), subject to Subsection (e), the judge may:
(1) suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on community supervision; or
(2) order the sentence to be executed:
(A) in whole; or
(B) in part, with a period of community supervision to begin immediately on release of the defendant from confinement.
(e) In any case in which the jury assesses punishment, the judge must follow the recommendations of the jury in suspending the imposition of a sentence or ordering a sentence to be executed. If a jury assessing punishment does not recommend community supervision, the judge must order the sentence to be executed in whole.
(f) A defendant is considered to be finally convicted if the judge orders the sentence to be executed under Subsection (d)(2), regardless of whether the judge orders the sentence to be executed in whole or only in part.
(g) The judge may suspend in whole or in part the imposition of any fine imposed on conviction.
Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 770 (H.B. 2299), Sec. 1.01, eff. January 1, 2017.
Text of article effective on January 01, 2017
Last modified: September 28, 2016