| 1 | 1 | | 84R2855 AJZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 560 |
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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 the qualifications for service as a grand juror. |
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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. Article 19.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Art. 19.08. QUALIFICATIONS. No person shall be selected or |
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| 12 | 12 | | serve as a grand juror who does not possess the following |
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| 13 | 13 | | qualifications: |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1. The person must be a citizen of the state, and of |
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| 15 | 15 | | the county in which the person is to serve, and be qualified under |
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| 16 | 16 | | the Constitution and laws to vote in said county, provided that the |
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| 17 | 17 | | person's failure to register to vote shall not be held to disqualify |
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| 18 | 18 | | the person in this instance; |
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| 19 | 19 | | 2. The person must be of sound mind and good moral |
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| 20 | 20 | | character; |
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| 21 | 21 | | 3. The person must be able to read and write; |
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| 22 | 22 | | 4. The person must not have been convicted of |
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| 23 | 23 | | misdemeanor theft or a felony; |
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| 24 | 24 | | 5. The person must not be under indictment or other |
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| 25 | 25 | | legal accusation for misdemeanor theft or a felony; |
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| 26 | 26 | | 6. The person must not be related within the third |
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| 27 | 27 | | degree of consanguinity or second degree of affinity, as determined |
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| 28 | 28 | | under Chapter 573, Government Code, to any person selected to serve |
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| 29 | 29 | | or serving on the same grand jury; |
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| 30 | 30 | | 7. The person must not have served as a [grand juror |
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| 31 | 31 | | or] jury commissioner in the year preceding [before] the date on |
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| 32 | 32 | | which the term of court for which the person has been selected as a |
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| 33 | 33 | | grand juror begins; |
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| 34 | 34 | | 8. The person must not be a complainant in any matter |
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| 35 | 35 | | to be heard by the grand jury during the term of court for which the |
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| 36 | 36 | | person has been selected as a grand juror; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9. The person must not have served as a grand juror |
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| 38 | 38 | | during the two-year period preceding the date on which the term of |
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| 39 | 39 | | court for which the person has been selected as a grand juror |
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| 40 | 40 | | begins. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 42 | 42 | | to qualifications for grand jury service for a person required to |
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| 43 | 43 | | appear for grand jury service by a summons made on or after |
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| 44 | 44 | | September 1, 2015. The qualifications of a person required to |
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| 45 | 45 | | appear for grand jury service before September 1, 2015, are |
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| 46 | 46 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the summons is made, and |
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| 47 | 47 | | the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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