| 1 | 1 | | 81R2777 KFF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 1399 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the powers and duties of a municipal court judge with |
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| 8 | 8 | | respect to certain inquests. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 49, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Subchapter C to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER C. DUTIES PERFORMED BY MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES |
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| 13 | 13 | | Art. 49.51. POWERS AND DUTIES. A judge of a municipal court |
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| 14 | 14 | | may conduct an inquest under this chapter into the death of a person |
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| 15 | 15 | | who dies in the municipality served by the judge to the same extent |
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| 16 | 16 | | a justice of the peace serving the precinct in which the body or |
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| 17 | 17 | | body part was found may conduct an inquest under Subchapter A into |
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| 18 | 18 | | the death of that person. The municipal court judge may exercise |
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| 19 | 19 | | any power granted to, and shall perform any duty imposed on, the |
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| 20 | 20 | | justice of the peace by Subchapter A or another law relating to |
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| 21 | 21 | | inquests conducted by a justice of the peace. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Article 49.07, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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| 23 | 23 | | amended by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c-1) A person who is required by this subchapter to give |
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| 25 | 25 | | notice to a justice of the peace or county judge may instead give |
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| 26 | 26 | | notice to a judge of a municipal court in the municipality in which |
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| 27 | 27 | | the body or body part was found. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 29 | 29 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 30 | 30 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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