By McClendon                                    H.B. No. 3537

      75R3716 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the removal and suspension of judges in municipal

 1-3     courts of record in San Antonio.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 30.084(i), Government Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (i) A municipal judge may be removed from office by the

 1-8     governing body of the city at any time for incompetency,

 1-9     misconduct, malfeasance, or disability [for cause under the

1-10     provisions applicable to removal of a judge of a county court.  A

1-11     municipal judge is answerable to the governing body of the city

1-12     only on budgetary matters].  If a municipal judge is charged with

1-13     the commission of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor, or of a felony

1-14     under an information or indictment, the governing body of the city

1-15     shall temporarily suspend the judge from office until the time of

1-16     disposition of the charge.  Unless the judge pleads guilty or is

1-17     found to be guilty, the governing body of the city shall reinstate

1-18     the judge at the time of disposition of the charge.

1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.