H.B. No. 3417
AN ACT
relating to the jurisdiction of criminal law hearing officers in
Cameron County.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 54.1356(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) A criminal law hearing officer appointed under this
subchapter has limited concurrent jurisdiction over criminal cases
filed in the district courts, statutory county courts, and justice
courts of the county. The jurisdiction of the criminal law hearing
officer is limited to:
(1) determining probable cause for further detention
of any person detained on a criminal complaint, information, or
indictment filed in the district courts, statutory county courts,
or justice courts of the county;
(2) committing the defendant to jail, discharging the
defendant from custody, or admitting the defendant to bail, as the
law and facts of the case require;
(3) issuing search warrants and arrest warrants as
provided by law for magistrates; [and]
(4) as to criminal cases filed in justice courts,
disposing of cases as provided by law, other than by trial, and
collecting fines and enforcing judgments and orders of the justice
courts in criminal cases;
(5) hearing, considering, and ruling on writs of
habeas corpus filed under Article 17.151, Code of Criminal
Procedure; and
(6) on motion of the district attorney:
(A) dismissing a criminal case when the arresting
agency has not timely filed the offense report with the district
attorney; and
(B) reducing the amount of bond on prisoners held
at the county jail whose cases have not been filed in a district
court or a statutory county court.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 3417 was passed by the House on May
12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 149, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 3417 was passed by the Senate on May
26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor