|
Senate Bill 237 |
Senate Author: Bettencourt et al. |
|
Effective: Vetoed |
House Sponsor: Gervin-Hawkins et al. |
Senate Bill 237 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to include a person charged with committing a Class B misdemeanor criminal trespass offense among the persons to whom a peace officer may issue a citation containing notice to appear instead of taking the person before a magistrate.
Governor's Reason for Veto: "Senate Bill 237 would add criminal trespass to the list of offenses for which law enforcement can "cite and release" instead of arrest an intruder. I appreciate the good intentions of the bill's author and supporters, but it would allow (and tempt) agencies to categorically mandate cite‑and‑release for this crime, taking away an important tool for officers to keep Texans safe. It would have a particularly troubling impact in the City of Austin, where local voters recently condemned the City's self-inflicted homelessness crisis, because businesses and homeowners count on criminal‑trespass arrests to protect themselves and their guests from homeless people who refuse to leave their property. It would also contravene the State's goal of maintaining law and order in communities along the border."