| 1 | 1 | | 86R8955 SRS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Pacheco H.J.R. No. 63 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | proposing a constitutional amendment increasing the amount of time |
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| 7 | 7 | | a person must have been a practicing lawyer or judge to be eligible |
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| 8 | 8 | | to serve as a district court judge. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 7, Article V, Texas Constitution, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 7. The State shall be divided into judicial districts, |
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| 13 | 13 | | with each district having one or more Judges as may be provided by |
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| 14 | 14 | | law or by this Constitution. Each district judge shall be elected |
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| 15 | 15 | | by the qualified voters at a General Election and shall be a citizen |
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| 16 | 16 | | of the United States and of this State, who is licensed to practice |
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| 17 | 17 | | law in this State and has been a practicing lawyer or a Judge of a |
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| 18 | 18 | | Court in this State, or both combined, for six [four (4)] years next |
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| 19 | 19 | | preceding the judge's [his] election, who has resided in the |
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| 20 | 20 | | district in which the judge [he] was elected for two [(2)] years |
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| 21 | 21 | | next preceding the judge's [his] election, and who shall reside in |
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| 22 | 22 | | the [his] district during the judge's [his] term of office and hold |
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| 23 | 23 | | [his] office for the period of four [(4)] years, and who shall |
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| 24 | 24 | | receive for the judge's [his] services an annual salary to be fixed |
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| 25 | 25 | | by the Legislature. The Court shall conduct its proceedings at the |
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| 26 | 26 | | county seat of the county in which the case is pending, except as |
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| 27 | 27 | | otherwise provided by law. The judge [He] shall hold the regular |
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| 28 | 28 | | terms of [his] Court at the County Seat of each County in the [his] |
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| 29 | 29 | | district in such manner as may be prescribed by law. The |
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| 30 | 30 | | Legislature shall have power by General or Special Laws to make such |
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| 31 | 31 | | provisions concerning the terms or sessions of each Court as it may |
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| 32 | 32 | | deem necessary. |
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| 33 | 33 | | The Legislature shall also provide for the holding of |
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| 34 | 34 | | District Court when the Judge thereof is absent, or is from any |
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| 35 | 35 | | cause disabled or disqualified from presiding. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to |
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| 37 | 37 | | the Texas Constitution: |
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| 38 | 38 | | TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies |
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| 39 | 39 | | to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, |
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| 40 | 40 | | Regular Session, 2019, increasing the amount of time a person must |
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| 41 | 41 | | have been a practicing lawyer or judge to be eligible to serve as a |
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| 42 | 42 | | district court judge. The constitutional amendment takes effect |
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| 43 | 43 | | January 1, 2020, and applies only to a person elected on or after |
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| 44 | 44 | | that date to serve as a judge. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (b) This temporary provision expires January 1, 2027. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 47 | 47 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019. |
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| 48 | 48 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 49 | 49 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment increasing the amount |
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| 50 | 50 | | of time a person must have been a practicing lawyer or judge to be |
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| 51 | 51 | | eligible to serve as a district court judge." |
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