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House Bill 51 |
House Author: Canales |
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Effective: Vetoed |
Senate Sponsor: Zaffirini |
House Bill 51 amends the Government Code to require the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System to create, promulgate, and update standard forms for use in criminal actions by the courts. The bill requires a court to accept such a form unless it has been completed in a manner that causes a substantive defect that cannot be cured.
Governor's Reason for Veto: "House Bill 51 would require the creation and use of standardized forms for certain actions in criminal cases. The Office of Court Administration can already create forms for courts to use, so House Bill 51 is unnecessary for that purpose. But in going further and mandating that judges use these standardized forms, the bill as drafted could create larger problems. The author's good intentions are appreciated, but the bill may end up discouraging judges from giving individualized attention to the important matters being waived or otherwise addressed by the forms, and it risks creating loopholes for criminal defendants to exploit whenever the forms are not used. It also could preclude judges from handling these matters orally on the record, which unduly restricts the ability of judges to run their courtrooms."