By Park                                                H.B. No. 308
       74R2336 GWK-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the waiver of trial by jury by a defendant charged with
    1-3  an offense punishable by fine only.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 1.13(c), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-6  amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (c)  Before a defendant who has no attorney, other than a
    1-8  defendant charged with an offense punishable by fine only, can
    1-9  agree to waive the jury, the court must appoint an attorney to
   1-10  represent him.
   1-11        SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to the
   1-12  trial of an offense that commences on or after the effective date
   1-13  of this Act.  A trial that commences before the effective date of
   1-14  this Act is covered by the law in effect when the trial commences,
   1-15  and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose.
   1-16        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-17        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.