Maybe someone wrote a check to your company to pay an outstanding bill, but they forgot to sign it. Perhaps someone improperly signed or refused to sign a deed to transfer property despite having received partial compensation for it already.
In situations where people omit a signature or refuse to sign valid paperwork, you might feel tempted to just copy the signature from another document and move on with your life. After all, that person intended or needed to sign that document, check or form.
However, signing paperwork on behalf of other people could lead to forgery charges under Texas law. Instead of signing on behalf of someone else, you should contact them and ask them to either physically or digitally sign the necessary document.
Many forms of forgery can result in felony charges
Signing as someone else is a crime regardless of the reason that you do it, but some circumstances are more severe than others. Some forms of forgery might result in misdemeanor charges, but most forms that have financial or legal implications can result in felony charges, especially if the property involved is valuable.
Under current Texas criminal statutes, you could face felony charges for forgeries involving credit cards, checks, bank accounts, deed, payment authorization, mortgage security instrument or contract, particularly if the property or service involved in the transaction, contract or paperwork is worth $2,500 or more.
If you have been charged with forgery or accused of signing someone else’s name on a document, the consequences could be severe. Discussing the situation with an experienced criminal defense attorney could help you avoid mistakes now that may have implications on your rights later.