By: Hughes H.B. No. 3637
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the role of a jury in a criminal case.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 36.13, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 36.13. ROLE OF JURY [IS JUDGE OF FACTS]. Unless
otherwise provided in this Code, the jury is the exclusive judge of
the facts, but it is bound to receive the law from the court and be
governed thereby. The court shall inform the jury of its role to
judge the facts and to apply the law in relation to the facts in
controversy.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a jury selected on or after the effective date of this Act. A
jury selected before the effective date of this Act is governed by
the law in effect on the date the jury was selected, and the former
law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.