88R9896 AJZ-F
By: Jones of Harris H.B. No. 1835
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the venue for prosecution of misdemeanor cases in
justice courts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 4.12(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Except as otherwise provided by this article, a
misdemeanor case to be tried in justice court shall be tried:
(1) in the precinct in which the offense was
committed;
(2) in the precinct in which the defendant or any of
the defendants reside;
(3) with the written consent of the state and each
defendant or the defendant's attorney, in any other precinct within
the county; or
(4) if the offense was committed in a county with a
population of 3.3 million or more, in any precinct that is:
(A) [in the county that is] adjacent to the
precinct in which the offense was committed; and
(B) located in that county.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a misdemeanor case that is initially filed in a justice court on
or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the
offense for which the case is filed occurred before, on, or after
the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.