Texas House Bill HB410

Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Caption

Relating to the administration and operation of the appellate judicial system for the Second Court of Appeals District; changing an appellate judicial system court costs fee in certain counties.

Impact

The implementation of HB410 is expected to streamline court costs associated with appeals in the Second Court of Appeals District. By allowing the county commissioners to set these fees, the bill seeks to provide local governments with a reliable source of funding to facilitate the processing of appeals efficiently. Moreover, it aims to ease some of the financial strains on the appellate system by ensuring that a portion of the civil suits' filing fees is allocated specifically for appellate court operations, thus potentially enhancing judicial efficiency in these counties.

Summary

House Bill 410 seeks to enhance the administration and operation of the appellate judicial system specifically for the counties within the Second Court of Appeals District. The bill proposes that the commissioners' court in each of these counties has the authority to create an appellate judicial system which will aid the court of appeals in handling appeals and that it can set a court cost fee not exceeding $5 for civil suits filed in various county courts. This aims to generate funding needed to cover the costs associated with operating the appellate court system.

Contention

Notably, the bill's focus on local authority could also raise concerns regarding the consistency of appellate court operations across different counties. Critics may argue that varying fee structures could lead to unequal access to justice among residents in different jurisdictions, depending on how each county decides to implement these fees. Furthermore, there may be apprehensions regarding the use of collected fees and oversight of their allocation, as they will be directed to a specialized fund solely for appellate purposes, preventing the funds from being used for other county needs.