Friday, December 4, 2009

Section 71.05 - Renunciation Defense

Sec. 71.05. RENUNCIATION DEFENSE.

Text of subsection (a) as amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 3

(a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Section 71.02 of this code that under circumstances manifesting a voluntary and complete renunciation of his criminal objective the actor withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subdivisions (1) through (7) or Subdivision (10) of Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 of this code and took further affirmative action that prevented the commission of the offense.

Text of subsection (a) as amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01

(a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Section 71.02 that under circumstances manifesting a voluntary and complete renunciation of his criminal objective the actor withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 and took further affirmative action that prevented the commission of the offense.
(b) For the purposes of this section and Subsection (d) of Section 71.02, renunciation is not voluntary if it is motivated in whole or in part:
     (1) by circumstances not present or apparent at the inception of the actor's course of conduct that increase the probability of detection or apprehension or that make more difficult the accomplishment of the objective; or
     (2) by a decision to postpone the criminal conduct until another time or to transfer the criminal act to another but similar objective or victim.

Text of subsection (c) as amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 3

(c) Evidence that the defendant withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subdivisions (1) through (7) or Subdivision (10) of Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 of this code and made substantial effort to prevent the commission of an offense listed in Subdivisions (1) through (7) or Subdivision (10) of Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 of this code shall be admissible as mitigation at the hearing on punishment if he has been found guilty under Section 71.02 of this code, and in the event of a finding of renunciation under this subsection, the punishment shall be one grade lower than that provided under Section 71.02 of this code.

Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 922, ch. 346, Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 1977. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 2374, ch. 587, Sec. 4, 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1981; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.