Young County increasing penalty for crimes during disaster declaration

With the COVID-19 pandemic underway, Young County will be enacting measure to increase the penalty for certain crimes committed within the governor’s disaster declaration.

According to a press release from the office of Young County District Attorney Dee Peavy, the disaster declaration enacted by Governor Greg Abbott on March 13 allows for the utilization of Texas Penal Code 12.50, which increases the punishment range for offense committed during the duration of the declaration.

“Our office along with the County Attorney’s office and local law enforcement agencies will aggressively pursue these and other enhancements available for all criminal activities during this period of uncertainty,” the press release reads.

Those crimes include assault, arson, robbery, burglary, burglary of a coin-operated of coin collection machine, burglary of a vehicle, criminal trespass and theft. The punishment will be increased by one degree, according to the penal code, with the exception of Class A misdemeanors which the minimum punishment is increased to 180 days and first degree felonies, which are unaffected.

For the full story, see the Saturday, March 21 edition of The Graham Leader.