BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1708 By: Wentworth Criminal Justice 5-12-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, the county attorney of Medina County maintains a private practice in addition to performing her public duties which has resulted in a backlog of cases in the county court at law. Medina County has requested the authority to authorize the district attorney to try civil cases in county court in order to alleviate the backlog. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1708 sets forth additional responsibilities for the district attorney of the 38th judicial district. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 43.123, Government Code, as follows: Sec. 43.123. 38TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT. (a) Created from existing text. (b) Provides that the district attorney of the 38th judicial district also represents the state in all criminal cases and in all juvenile matters under Title 3, Family Code, in the county court at law, county court, and the justice of the peace courts in Medina County. (c) Authorizes the commissioners court of Medina County to provide funding to the district attorney for the prosecution of misdemeanor and juvenile cases and to determine the amount and the manner of payment of the funding provided to the district attorney under this section. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.