SRC-AXB S.B. 409 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 409
76R1709  JMC-DBy: Duncan
Jurisprudence
2/24/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, the court trying a felony case is authorized to order the jury
not to separate, except for housing female and male jurors separately.  The
Rules of Civil Procedure include language which allows the jury to
separate.  This bill would authorize a trial judge to permit jurors to
separate for meals or other purposes. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 409 permits jurors in a felony case to separate for meals
or other purposes. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article 35.23, Code of Criminal Procedure, to authorize
a court in a felony case, to order that the jury not be allowed to
separate, except to the extent of permitting jurors to separate for meals
or other proper purposes. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.  
  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.