1-1     By:  King (Senate Sponsor - Madla)                    H.B. No. 3060

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;

 1-3     May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 13, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 13, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to recording of proceedings in a county court at law in

 1-9     Medina County.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 25.1652, Government Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Subsection (j) to read as follows:

1-13           (j)  A judge of a county court at law may provide that any

1-14     criminal proceeding in the county court at law be recorded by a

1-15     good quality electronic recording device instead of by a court

1-16     reporter unless, on written motion filed with the court not later

1-17     than the 10th day before the trial, the defendant requests that a

1-18     court reporter be present.  If a recording device is used, the

1-19     court reporter need not be present at the proceeding to certify the

1-20     statement of facts.

1-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-27     passage, and it is so enacted.

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