(a) A presentence report must be in writing and include:
(1) the circumstances of the offense with which the defendant is charged;
(2) the amount of restitution necessary to adequately compensate a victim of the offense;
(3) the criminal and social history of the defendant;
(4) a proposed supervision plan describing programs and sanctions that the community supervision and corrections department will provide the defendant if the judge suspends the imposition of the sentence or grants deferred adjudication community supervision;
(5) if the defendant is charged with a state jail felony, recommendations for conditions of community supervision that the community supervision and corrections department considers advisable or appropriate based on the circumstances of the offense and other factors addressed in the report;
(6) the results of a psychological evaluation of the defendant that determines, at a minimum, the defendant’s IQ and adaptive behavior score if the defendant:
(A) is convicted of a felony offense; and
(B) appears to the judge, through the judge’s own observation or on the suggestion of a party, to have a mental impairment;
(7) information regarding whether the defendant is a current or former member of the state military forces or whether the defendant currently serves or has previously served in the armed forces of the United States in an active-duty status and, if available, a copy of the defendant’s military discharge papers and military records;
(8) if the defendant has served in the armed forces of the United States in an active-duty status, a determination as to whether the defendant was deployed to a combat zone and whether the defendant may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury; and
(9) any other information relating to the defendant or the offense as requested by the judge.
(b) A presentence report is not required to contain a sentencing recommendation.

Attorney's Note

Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
State jail felonybetween 180 days and 2 yearsup to $10,000
For details, see Texas Penal Code § 12.35

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Terms Used In Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 42A.253

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
  • Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • United States: includes a department, bureau, or other agency of the United States of America. See Texas Government Code 311.005