By: Flynn (Senate Sponsor - Deuell) H.B. No. 1897
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 2011;
May 13, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
Jurisprudence; May 21, 2011, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 21, 2011, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the jurisdiction of, number of jurors in, and the clerk
serving the County Court at Law of Van Zandt County.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 25.2362, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (i) to read
as follows:
(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
25.0003 and other law, and except as limited by Subsection (b), a
county court at law in Van Zandt County has concurrent jurisdiction
with the district court in:
(1) felony cases to:
(A) conduct arraignments;
(B) conduct pretrial hearings;
(C) accept guilty pleas; and
(D) conduct jury trials on assignment of a
district judge presiding in Van Zandt County and acceptance of the
assignment by the judge of the county court at law;
(2) Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases;
(3) family law matters;
(4) juvenile matters;
(5) probate matters;
(6) guardianship matters; and
(7) [(6)] appeals from the justice and municipal
courts.
(f) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
law in family court matters and proceedings [of concurrent
jurisdiction with the district court], and the county clerk shall
serve as clerk of a county court at law in all other matters. Each
clerk shall establish a separate docket for a county court at law.
(i) If a jury trial is requested in a case that is in a
county court at law's jurisdiction, the jury shall be composed of
six members unless the constitution requires a 12-member jury.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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