Texas Penal Code Practice

What constitutes a Criminal Episode under the Texas Penal Code?

1. Committing an offense against multiple property items

2. Committing two or more offenses affecting more than one person or property, regardless of harm

3. Having multiple criminal records

4. Escaping from custody after committing a crime

The correct answer is: Committing two or more offenses affecting more than one person or property, regardless of harm

In the Texas Penal Code, a Criminal Episode is defined as committing two or more offenses that are interrelated or connected, affecting more than one person or kind of property, regardless of whether harm occurs or not. This concept allows for the prosecution of multiple offenses committed during the same continuous criminal act or transaction as a single episode, which can lead to enhanced penalties for the perpetrator. Option A, committing an offense against multiple property items, does not fully capture the essence of a Criminal Episode, as it focuses solely on the property aspect and does not consider offenses against multiple persons. Option C, having multiple criminal records, is unrelated to the definition of a Criminal Episode. Criminal records pertain to an individual's history of criminal charges and convictions, rather than the commission of multiple offenses within a single episode. Option D, escaping from custody after committing a crime, pertains to the offense of escape, which is separate from the concept of a Criminal Episode as outlined in the Texas Penal Code.