Art. 18.18. DISPOSITION OF GAMBLING PARAPHERNALIA, PROHIBITED WEAPON, CRIMINAL INSTRUMENT, AND OTHER CONTRABAND.  (a)  Following the final conviction of a person for possession of a gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment, or gambling paraphernalia, for an offense involving a criminal instrument, for an offense involving an obscene device or material, for an offense involving child pornography, or for an offense involving a scanning device or re-encoder, the court entering the judgment of conviction shall order that the machine, device, gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, instrument, obscene device or material, child pornography, or scanning device or re-encoder be destroyed or forfeited to the state.  Not later than the 30th day after the final conviction of a person for an offense involving a prohibited weapon, the court entering the judgment of conviction on its own motion, on the motion of the prosecuting attorney in the case, or on the motion of the law enforcement agency initiating the complaint on notice to the prosecuting attorney in the case if the prosecutor fails to move for the order shall order that the prohibited weapon be destroyed or forfeited to the law enforcement agency that initiated the complaint.  If the court fails to enter the order within the time required by this subsection, any magistrate in the county in which the offense occurred may enter the order.  Following the final conviction of a person for an offense involving dog fighting, the court entering the judgment of conviction shall order that any dog-fighting equipment be destroyed or forfeited to the state.  Destruction of dogs, if necessary, must be carried out by a veterinarian licensed in this state or, if one is not available, by trained personnel of a humane society or an animal shelter.  If forfeited, the court shall order the contraband delivered to the state, any political subdivision of the state, or to any state institution or agency.  If gambling proceeds were seized, the court shall order them forfeited to the state and shall transmit them to the grand jury of the county in which they were seized for use in investigating alleged violations of the Penal Code, or to the state, any political subdivision of the state, or to any state institution or agency.
(b)  If there is no prosecution or conviction following seizure, the magistrate to whom the return was made shall notify in writing the person found in possession of the alleged gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, scanning device or re-encoder, criminal instrument, or dog-fighting equipment to show cause why the property seized should not be destroyed or the proceeds forfeited.  The magistrate, on the motion of the law enforcement agency seizing a prohibited weapon, shall order the weapon destroyed or forfeited to the law enforcement agency seizing the weapon, unless a person shows cause as to why the prohibited weapon should not be destroyed or forfeited.  A law enforcement agency shall make a motion under this section in a timely manner after the time at which the agency is informed in writing by the attorney representing the state that no prosecution will arise from the seizure.
(c) The magistrate shall include in the notice a detailed description of the property seized and the total amount of alleged gambling proceeds;  the name of the person found in possession;  the address where the property or proceeds were seized;  and the date and time of the seizure.
(d) The magistrate shall send the notice by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the person found in possession at the address where the property or proceeds were seized.  If no one was found in possession, or the possessor's address is unknown, the magistrate shall post the notice on the courthouse door.
(e)  Any person interested in the alleged gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, scanning device or re-encoder, criminal instrument, or dog-fighting equipment seized must appear before the magistrate on the 20th day following the date the notice was mailed or posted.  Failure to timely appear forfeits any interest the person may have in the property or proceeds seized, and no person after failing to timely appear may contest destruction or forfeiture.
(f)  If a person timely appears to show cause why the property or proceeds should not be destroyed or forfeited, the magistrate shall conduct a hearing on the issue and determine the nature of property or proceeds and the person's interest therein.  Unless the person proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the property or proceeds is not gambling equipment, altered gambling equipment, gambling paraphernalia, gambling device, gambling proceeds, prohibited weapon, obscene device or material, child pornography, criminal instrument, scanning device or re-encoder, or dog-fighting equipment and that he is entitled to possession, the magistrate shall dispose of the property or proceeds in accordance with Paragraph (a) of this article.
(g)  For purposes of this article:
(1)  "criminal instrument" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code;
(2)  "gambling device or equipment, altered gambling equipment or gambling paraphernalia" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code;
(3)  "prohibited weapon" has the meaning defined in the Penal Code;
(4)  "dog-fighting equipment" means:
(A)  equipment used for training or handling a fighting dog, including a harness, treadmill, cage, decoy, pen, house for keeping a fighting dog, feeding apparatus, or training pen;
(B)  equipment used for transporting a fighting dog, including any automobile, or other vehicle, and its appurtenances which are intended to be used as a vehicle for transporting a fighting dog;
(C)  equipment used to promote or advertise an exhibition of dog fighting, including a printing press or similar equipment, paper, ink, or photography equipment; or
(D)  a dog trained, being trained, or intended to be used to fight with another dog;
(5)  "obscene device" and "obscene" have the meanings assigned by Section 43.21, Penal Code;
(6)  "re-encoder" has the meaning assigned by Section 522.001, Business & Commerce Code;
(7)  "scanning device" has the meaning assigned by Section 522.001, Business & Commerce Code; and
(8)  "obscene material" and "child pornography" include digital images and the media and equipment on which those images are stored.
(h)  No provider of an electronic communication service or of a remote computing service to the public shall be held liable for an offense involving obscene material or child pornography under this section on account of any action taken in good faith in providing that service.
Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.  Amended by Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 986, ch. 399, Sec. 2(E), eff. Jan. 1, 1974.
Subsecs. (a), (b), (e), (f), (g) amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., pp. 1611, ch. 305, Sec. 2, 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983.  Amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 1899, ch. 351, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1983;  Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 980, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987;  Subsecs. (g)(4), (g)(6) amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 167, Sec. 5.01(a)(6), eff. Sept. 1, 1987;  Subsecs. (a), (b) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 157, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Subsecs. (f), (g) amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 441, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003;  Subsecs. (a), (b), (e), (f), (g) amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 649, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 522 (H.B. 839), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 522 (H.B. 839), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 885 (H.B. 2278), Sec. 2.13, eff. April 1, 2009.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921 (H.B. 3167), Sec. 17.002(1), eff. September 1, 2007.