Art. 38.33. PRESERVATION AND USE OF EVIDENCE OF CERTAIN MISDEMEANOR CONVICTIONS    


1. The court shall order that a defendant who is convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor offense that is punishable by confinement in jail have a thumbprint of the defendant's right thumb rolled legibly on the judgment or the docket sheet in the case. The court shall order a defendant who is placed on probation under Section 5 of Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, for an offense described by this section to have a thumbprint of the defendant's right thumb rolled legibly on the order placing the defendant on probation. If the defendant does not have a right thumb, the defendant must have a thumbprint of the defendant's left thumb rolled legibly on the judgment, order, or docket sheet. The defendant must have a fingerprint of the defendant's index finger rolled legibly on the judgment, order, or docket sheet if the defendant does not have a right thumb or a left thumb. The judgment, order, or docket sheet must contain a statement that describes from which thumb or finger the print was taken, unless a rolled 10-finger print set was taken. A clerk or bailiff of the court or other person qualified to take fingerprints shall take the thumbprint or fingerprint, either by use of the ink-rolled print method or by use of a live-scanning device that prints the thumbprint or fingerprint image on the judgment, order, or docket sheet.

Sec. 2. This article does not prohibit a court from including in the records of the case additional information to identify the defendant.

Added by Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 1851, ch. 751, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1979. Sec. 1 amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 1586, ch. 303, Sec. 7, eff. Jan. 1, 1984. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 721, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Sec. 1 amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 603, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 10, Sec. 7.01, eff. Dec. 1, 1991.