| 1 | 1 | | 82R8596 PMO-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Quintanilla H.B. No. 2009 |
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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 postponement of jury service in certain counties. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 62, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 62.0147 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 62.0147. MEANS OF POSTPONEMENT OF JURY SERVICE IN |
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| 12 | 12 | | CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a county that |
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| 13 | 13 | | has: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) a council of judges composed of the judges of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | district courts and county courts at law; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) a designated jury duty court that addresses |
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| 17 | 17 | | administrative matters related to jury service paid for by the |
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| 18 | 18 | | county. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) A person summoned for jury service may request a |
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| 20 | 20 | | postponement of the person's initial appearance for jury service. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The person may request the postponement by contacting the council |
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| 22 | 22 | | of judges' designee, in person, in writing, or by telephone before |
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| 23 | 23 | | the date on which the person is summoned to appear. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) On receipt of a request under Subsection (b), the |
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| 25 | 25 | | council of judges' designee shall grant the person a postponement |
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| 26 | 26 | | if: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) the person has not been granted a postponement in |
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| 28 | 28 | | that county since the date on which the jury wheel from which the |
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| 29 | 29 | | person was selected to appear was most recently reconstituted; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) the designee and the person determine a substitute |
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| 31 | 31 | | date on which the person will appear for jury service that is not |
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| 32 | 32 | | later than six months after the date on which the person was |
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| 33 | 33 | | originally summoned to appear. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) A person who is granted a postponement under Subsection |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) may request additional postponements in the manner described by |
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| 36 | 36 | | Subsection (b). The council of judges' designee may grant an |
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| 37 | 37 | | additional postponement if the designee and the person determine |
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| 38 | 38 | | that the person has a legitimate reason for the postponement. |
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| 39 | 39 | | Before the designee may grant the additional postponement, the |
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| 40 | 40 | | designee and the person must determine a date on which the person |
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| 41 | 41 | | will appear for jury service that is not later than six months after |
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| 42 | 42 | | the date on which the person was to appear after the later of the |
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| 43 | 43 | | date of: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) a postponement under Subsection (c); or |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) the last postponement granted under this |
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| 46 | 46 | | subsection. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 48 | 48 | | to a person summoned to appear for jury service who is required to |
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| 49 | 49 | | appear on or after the effective date of this Act. A person |
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| 50 | 50 | | summoned to appear for jury service who is required to appear before |
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| 51 | 51 | | the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
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| 52 | 52 | | the date the person is required to appear, and the former law is |
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| 53 | 53 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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