Art. 3.01 WORDS AND PHRASES

Here's a plain English summary of this rule:

When you read the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, most words mean exactly what you think they mean. The law uses everyday language, and words carry their normal, everyday meaning unless the Code says otherwise.

Some legal terms have special meanings that are different from how people use them in daily conversation. When that happens, the Code will spell out the specific definition for that word or phrase. If there's no special definition given, you should just use the common, ordinary meaning of the word.

This rule matters because it keeps the law from being confusing or overly technical. You don't need a law degree to understand most of the terms in this Code. Unless a word is specifically defined elsewhere, you can trust that it means what it normally means in everyday speech.