By Cain                                         S.B. No. 1818

      75R3581 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the jurisdiction of the county courts at law in Smith

 1-3     County.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 25.2142(a-1), Government Code, is amended

 1-6     to read as follows:

 1-7           (a-1)  A county court at law's felony jurisdiction is limited

 1-8     to jurisdiction in third degree felony cases and jurisdiction to

 1-9     conduct arraignments, conduct pretrial hearings, accept guilty

1-10     pleas, and conduct probation revocation hearings in felony cases.

1-11     A county court at law does not have jurisdiction of:

1-12                 (1)  [felony cases;]

1-13                 [(2)]  suits on behalf of the state to recover

1-14     penalties, forfeiture, or escheat;

1-15                 (2) [(3)]  misdemeanors involving official misconduct;

1-16     or

1-17                 (3) [(4)]  contested elections.

1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.