By: Averitt S.B. No. 2229
(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2009; March 31, 2009, read
first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
April 16, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5,
Nays 0; April 16, 2009, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of a county court at law in Bosque County
and the composition of the Bosque, Comanche, and Hamilton Counties
juvenile board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
amended by adding Sections 25.0201 and 25.0202 to read as follows:
Sec. 25.0201. BOSQUE COUNTY. Bosque County has one
statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Bosque County.
Sec. 25.0202. BOSQUE COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS.
(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003
and other law, a county court at law in Bosque County has concurrent
jurisdiction with the district court in:
(1) family law cases and proceedings;
(2) civil cases in which the matter in controversy
exceeds $500 but does not exceed $100,000, excluding interest,
court costs, and attorney's fees; and
(3) contested probate matters under Section 5(b),
Texas Probate Code.
(b) The County Court at Law of Bosque County has primary
jurisdiction over juvenile matters.
(c) A county court at law has the same terms of court as the
County Court of Bosque County.
(d) The judge of a county court at law may not engage in the
private practice of law and must meet the qualifications
established by Section 25.0014.
(e) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid as
provided by Section 25.0005. The judge's salary shall be paid out
of the county treasury on order of the commissioners court.
Notwithstanding any other law, the judge is entitled to necessary
office and operational expenses, including administrative and
clerical personnel, on the approval of the commissioners court.
Administrative and clerical personnel to which a judge is entitled
on approval under this subsection includes a court coordinator,
court reporter, and bailiff.
(f) If a family law case or proceeding is tried before a
jury, the jury shall be composed of 12 members. In all other cases,
except as otherwise required by law, the jury shall be composed of
six members.
(g) Jurors regularly impaneled for a week by the district
court may, on request of the county judge or the judge of a county
court at law, be made available and shall serve for the week in the
county court or the county court at law.
SECTION 2. Subsection (a), Section 152.0241, Human
Resources Code, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Bosque County is included in the Bosque, Comanche, and
Hamilton counties juvenile board. The juvenile board is composed
of:
(1) the county judge in Bosque County;
(2) the county judge in Comanche County;
(3) the county judge in Hamilton County; [and]
(4) the 220th Judicial District judge; and
(5) the judge of the County Court at Law of Bosque
County.
SECTION 3. The County Court at Law of Bosque County is
created October 1, 2009.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect October 1, 2009.
* * * * *