By Danburg                                     H.J.R. No. 107

      75R1719 MWV-D                           

                                 A JOINT RESOLUTION

 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the qualifications

 1-2     of district judges.

 1-3           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 7, Article V, Texas Constitution, is

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 7.  (a)  The State shall be divided into judicial

 1-7     districts, with each district having one or more Judges as may be

 1-8     provided by law or by this Constitution.

 1-9           (b)  Each district judge shall be elected by the qualified

1-10     voters at a General Election and shall be a citizen of the United

1-11     States and of this State, who is licensed to practice law in this

1-12     State and has been a practicing lawyer or a Judge of a Court in

1-13     this State, or both combined, for 10 [four (4)] years next

1-14     preceding his election, who has resided in the district in which he

1-15     was elected for two [(2)] years next preceding his election, and

1-16     who shall reside in his district during his term of office and hold

1-17     his office for the period of four [(4)] years, and who shall

1-18     receive for his services an annual salary to be fixed by the

1-19     Legislature.

1-20           (c)  The Court shall conduct its proceedings at the county

1-21     seat of the county in which the case is pending, except as

1-22     otherwise provided by law.  A district judge [He] shall hold the

1-23     regular terms of his Court at the County Seat of each County in his

1-24     district in such manner as may be prescribed by law.  The

 2-1     Legislature shall have power by General or Special Laws to make

 2-2     such provisions concerning the terms or sessions of each Court as

 2-3     it may deem necessary.

 2-4           (d)  The Legislature shall also provide for the holding of

 2-5     District Court when the Judge thereof is absent, or is from any

 2-6     cause disabled or disqualified from presiding.

 2-7           SECTION 2.  The following temporary provision is added to the

 2-8     Texas Constitution:

 2-9           TEMPORARY PROVISION.  (a)  This temporary provision applies

2-10     to the constitutional amendment proposed by H.J.R. No. ____, Acts

2-11     of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, relating to the

2-12     qualifications of district judges.

2-13           (b)  The constitutional amendment takes effect January 1,

2-14     2001.

2-15           (c)  This temporary provision takes effect on the adoption of

2-16     the amendment by the voters and expires January 1, 2002.

2-17           SECTION 3.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

2-18     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.

2-19     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the

2-20     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment relating to the

2-21     requirement of 10 years legal experience for district judges."