By Garcia                                             H.B. No. 2515
         77R7682 JMC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to juror questioning of witnesses in capital cases.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Chapter 36, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended
 1-5     by adding Article 36.065 to read as follows:
 1-6           Art. 36.065.  JUROR QUESTIONING IN CAPITAL CASES. (a)  A
 1-7     juror in a capital case may ask a testifying witness a question by
 1-8     submitting the question in writing to the bailiff. The bailiff
 1-9     shall give the written question to the judge and the judge shall
1-10     ask the witness the juror's question.
1-11           (b)  A question asked by a juror under this article shall be
1-12     treated in the same manner as a question asked by the prosecutor or
1-13     defense attorney.
1-14           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
1-15     applies only to a proceeding in the prosecution of an offense
1-16     committed on or after that date.  A proceeding in the prosecution
1-17     of an offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
1-18     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
1-19     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
1-20     purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
1-21     effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
1-22     before that date.