1-1 By: Saunders, Kamel (Senate Sponsor - Nixon) H.B. No. 1388
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1995;
1-3 May 11, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; May 24, 1995, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 24, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to certain information collected in the jury selection
1-9 process.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 62.011(b), Government Code, is amended to
1-12 read as follows:
1-13 (b) A plan authorized by this section for the selection of
1-14 names of prospective jurors must:
1-15 (1) be proposed in writing to the commissioners court
1-16 by a majority of the district and criminal district judges of the
1-17 county at a meeting of the judges called for that purpose;
1-18 (2) specify that the source of names of persons for
1-19 jury service is the same as that provided by Section 62.001 and
1-20 that the names of persons listed in a register of persons exempt
1-21 from jury service may not be used in preparing the record of names
1-22 from which a jury list is selected, as provided by Sections 62.108
1-23 and 62.109;
1-24 (3) provide a fair, impartial, and objective method of
1-25 selecting names of persons for jury service with the aid of
1-26 electronic or mechanical equipment;
1-27 (4) designate the district clerk as the officer in
1-28 charge of the selection process and define his duties; and
1-29 (5) <specify that a true and complete written list of
1-30 the names and addresses of persons summoned to begin jury service
1-31 on a particular date shall be filed of record with the county clerk
1-32 at least 10 days before that date; and>
1-33 <(6)> provide that the method of selection either will
1-34 use the same record of names for the selection of persons for jury
1-35 service until that record is exhausted or will use the same record
1-36 of names for a period of time specified by the plan.
1-37 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
1-38 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-39 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-40 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-41 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-42 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-43 * * * * *