Texas Adopts Provisions Regarding Criminal Prosecution of Mortgage Fraud

On June 17, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law S.B. 485, which adds an article to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure to provide that offenses that are prosecuted as mortgage fraud may be brought in (i) the county in which the real estate is located, (ii) any county in which part of the transaction occurred, including the generation of documentation supporting the transaction, or (iii) any county authorized by Article 13.27, i.e., any county in which any material document was sent or any county in which any such material document was delivered. The amendment is effective September 1, 2011.