By: Raymond (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 1386
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2015;
May 7, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
Justice; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE VOTE
YeaNayAbsentPNV
WhitmireX
HuffmanX
BurtonX
CreightonX
HinojosaX
MenéndezX
PerryX
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the prohibition of more than one counsel appearing in a
misdemeanor case.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 45.020(b), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(b) [Not more than one counsel shall conduct either the
prosecution or defense.] State's counsel may open and conclude the
argument in the case.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a criminal proceeding that commences on or after the effective
date of this Act. A criminal proceeding that commences before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the proceeding commences, and the former law is continued in
effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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