By Ramsay H.B. No. 1239
76R5232 DB-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of a judicial district composed of Wood
1-3 County and the composition of the 114th and 294th judicial
1-4 districts.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government Code, is
1-7 amended by adding Section 24.556 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 24.556. 410TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (WOOD COUNTY). (a)
1-9 The 410th Judicial District is composed of Wood County.
1-10 (b) The 410th District Court has concurrent jurisdiction
1-11 with the county court in Wood County over all matters of civil and
1-12 criminal jurisdiction, original and appellate, in cases over which
1-13 the county court has jurisdiction under the constitution and laws
1-14 of this state. Matters and proceedings in the concurrent
1-15 jurisdiction of the 410th District Court and the county court may
1-16 be filed in either court and all cases of concurrent jurisdiction
1-17 may be transferred between the 410th District Court and the county
1-18 court. However, a case may not be transferred from one court to
1-19 another without the consent of the judge of the court to which it
1-20 is transferred, and a case may not be transferred unless it is
1-21 within the jurisdiction of the court to which it is transferred.
1-22 SECTION 2. Section 24.216, Government Code, is amended to
1-23 read as follows:
1-24 Sec. 24.216. 114TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (SMITH COUNTY [AND WOOD
2-1 COUNTIES]). (a) The 114th Judicial District is composed of Smith
2-2 County [and Wood counties].
2-3 (b) The terms of the 114th District Court [in each county of
2-4 the district] begin on the first Mondays in January and July.
2-5 SECTION 3. Section 24.471, Government Code, is amended to
2-6 read as follows:
2-7 Sec. 24.471. 294TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (VAN ZANDT COUNTY [AND
2-8 WOOD COUNTIES]). (a) The 294th Judicial District is composed of
2-9 Van Zandt County [and Wood counties].
2-10 (b) The 294th District Court has concurrent jurisdiction
2-11 with the county court in [Wood and] Van Zandt County [counties]
2-12 over all matters of civil and criminal jurisdiction, original and
2-13 appellate, in cases over which the county court has jurisdiction
2-14 under the constitution and laws of this state. Matters [In each of
2-15 the counties, matters] and proceedings in the concurrent
2-16 jurisdiction of the 294th District Court and the county court may
2-17 be filed in either court and all cases of concurrent jurisdiction
2-18 may be transferred between the 294th District Court and the county
2-19 court. However, a case may not be transferred from one court to
2-20 another without the consent of the judge of the court to which it
2-21 is transferred, and a case may not be transferred unless it is
2-22 within the jurisdiction of the court to which it is transferred.
2-23 SECTION 4. (a) The 410th Judicial District is created and
2-24 this Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-25 (b) The local administrative district judge shall transfer
2-26 all cases from Wood County that are pending in the 114th District
2-27 Court or the 294th District Court on the effective date of this Act
3-1 to the 410th District Court.
3-2 (c) When a case is transferred from one court to another as
3-3 provided by Subsection (b) of this section, all processes, writs,
3-4 bonds, recognizances, or other obligations issued from the
3-5 transferring court are returnable to the court to which the case is
3-6 transferred, as if originally issued by that court. The obligees
3-7 in all bonds and recognizances taken in and for a court from which
3-8 a case is transferred, and all witnesses summoned to appear in a
3-9 court from which a case is transferred, are required to appear
3-10 before the court to which a case is transferred as if originally
3-11 required to appear before the court to which the transfer is made.
3-12 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.