1-1     By:  Merritt (Senate Sponsor - Cain)                  H.B. No. 3649
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
 1-3     May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 10, 2001, reported favorably by
 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 10, 2001, sent to
 1-6     printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to the jurisdiction of and composition of juries in the
1-10     County Court at Law of Gregg County.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1. Section 25.0942, Government Code, is amended by
1-13     amending Subsection (a)  and adding Subsection (l) to read as
1-14     follows:
1-15           (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
1-16     25.0003 and other law, a county court of law in Gregg County has,
1-17     concurrent [jurisdiction] with the district court, the jurisdiction
1-18     provided by the constitution and general law for district courts,
1-19     except that the county court at law does not have jurisdiction in
1-20     capital felony cases [in family law cases and proceedings].
1-21           (l)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a jury
1-22     in a county court at law shall be composed of six members, unless
1-23     the constitution requires a 12-member jury.  Failure to object
1-24     before a six-member jury is seated and sworn constitutes a waiver
1-25     of a 12-member jury.  In matters in which the constitution does not
1-26     require a 12-member jury and the county court at law has concurrent
1-27     jurisdiction with the district court, the jury shall be composed of
1-28     12 members if a party to the suit requests a 12-member jury.  In a
1-29     civil case tried in a county court at law, the parties may, by
1-30     mutual agreement and with the consent of the judge, agree to try
1-31     the case with any number of jurors and have a verdict rendered and
1-32     returned by the vote of any number of those jurors that is less
1-33     than the total number of jurors.
1-34           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2003.
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