Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR141 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 141
2	2	WHEREAS, The office of justice of the peace, first
3	3	established in 1362 by King Edward of England, and the office of
4	4	constable, first established in 1215 by King John of England,
5	5	were two of the first offices established in the American
6	6	colonies in 1620; and
7	7	WHEREAS, In Texas, both offices were created by the Texas
8	8	Constitution, and they serve a vital role in the delivery of
9	9	county government responsibilities to citizens on the local
10	10	level; and
11	11	WHEREAS, The justices of the peace are an integral part of
12	12	the Texas judiciary; they exercise jurisdiction in criminal
13	13	misdemeanor cases punishable by fine or sanctions and exercise
14	14	civil jurisdiction in matters of controversy under $5,000;
15	15	justices of the peace preside over those courts closest to the
16	16	people and were first established as "grass roots" courts in 1836
17	17	when Texas became a republic; and
18	18	WHEREAS, The constables serve as officers of the court as
19	19	bailiffs, execute civil and criminal processes issued by Texas
20	20	courts, and enforce criminal laws as certified peace officers;
21	21	constables were first documented in Texas in 1823 by Stephen F.
22	22	Austin when Texas was still under Mexican rule; and
23	23	WHEREAS, The men and women who accept the responsibilities
24	24	of the offices of justice of the peace and constable perform the
25	25	duties of their office with integrity, dedication, and the
26	26	required knowledge of the law, thereby contributing immeasurably
27	27	to the justice system, the safety of the citizens of Texas, and
28	28	the peace and order of our society; and
29	29	WHEREAS, The Justices of the Peace and Constables
30	30	Association of Texas, Incorporated, has represented the
31	31	interests of more than 4,000 Texas justices of the peace,
32	32	constables, and members of their staffs for over 60 years; and
33	33	WHEREAS, The dedication of a special day to focus attention
34	34	on the contributions of these public officials to our state is
35	35	appropriate and will enlighten the public as to their role in our
36	36	judicial system; now, therefore, be it
37	37	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st
38	38	Legislature, hereby proclaim February 25, 2009, Justices of the
39	39	Peace and Constables Day, welcome the visiting members of the
40	40	Justices of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas,
41	41	Incorporated, to the State Capitol, and commend the justices of
42	42	the peace and constables of our state for serving and protecting
43	43	the citizens of Texas; and, be it further
44	44	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
45	45	the Justices of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas,
46	46	Incorporated, as an expression of high regard from the Texas
47	47	Senate.
48	48	Williams
49	49	________________________________
50	50	President of the Senate
51	51	I hereby certify that the
52	52	above Resolution was adopted by
53	53	the Senate on February 25, 2009.
54	54	________________________________
55	55	Secretary of the Senate
56	56	________________________________
57	57	Member, Texas Senate