1-1     By:  Jackson                                          S.B. No. 1681
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2001; March 14, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
 1-4     April 3, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 3, 2001,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1681                 By:  Jackson
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the waiver of a jury trial in the prosecution of a
1-11     misdemeanor offense within the jurisdiction of the justice and
1-12     municipal courts.
1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14           SECTION 1.  Subsection (c), Section 27.14, Code of Criminal
1-15     Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
1-16           (c)  In a misdemeanor case for which the maximum possible
1-17     punishment is by fine only, payment of a fine[,] or an amount
1-18     accepted by the court constitutes a finding of guilty in open
1-19     court[,] as though a plea of nolo contendere had been entered by
1-20     the defendant and constitutes a waiver of a jury trial in writing.
1-21           SECTION 2.  Subsection (c), Section 27.14, Code of Criminal
1-22     Procedure, as amended by this Act, applies only to a fine paid or
1-23     an amount accepted by the court in a misdemeanor case on or after
1-24     the effective date of this Act.  A fine paid or an amount accepted
1-25     by the court in a misdemeanor case before the effective date of
1-26     this Act is covered by the law in effect immediately before the
1-27     effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for
1-28     that purpose.
1-29           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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