Texas Health and Safety Code 166.097 – Criminal Penalty; Prosecution
(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages another person’s out-of-hospital DNR order or DNR identification device without that person’s consent or the consent of the person or persons authorized to execute or issue an out-of-hospital DNR order on behalf of the person under this subchapter. An offense under this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) A person is subject to prosecution for criminal homicide under Chapter 19, Penal Code, if the person, with the intent to cause cardiopulmonary resuscitation or certain other life-sustaining treatment designated by department rule to be withheld from another person contrary to the other person’s desires, falsifies or forges an out-of-hospital DNR order or intentionally conceals or withholds personal knowledge of a revocation and thereby directly causes cardiopulmonary resuscitation and certain other life-sustaining treatment designated by department rule to be withheld from the other person with the result that the other person’s death is hastened.
Attorney's Note
Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $4,000 |
Terms Used In Texas Health and Safety Code 166.097
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Rule: includes regulation. See Texas Government Code 311.005