By Armbrister                                         S.B. No. 1779
         77R7046 RJA-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the creation of the County Court at Law of Aransas
 1-3     County and to the jurisdiction of the County Court of Aransas
 1-4     County.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
 1-7     amended by adding Sections 25.0061 and 25.0062 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 25.0061.  ARANSAS COUNTY. Aransas County has one
 1-9     statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Aransas County. 
1-10           Sec. 25.0062.  ARANSAS COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a)
1-11     In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and
1-12     other law, a county court at law of Aransas County has concurrent
1-13     jurisdiction with the district court in:
1-14                 (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and
1-15                 (2)  felony cases to conduct arraignments, conduct
1-16     pretrial hearings, and accept guilty pleas.
1-17           (b)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
1-18     law in matters of concurrent jurisdiction with the district court,
1-19     and the county clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law in
1-20     all other cases.  The district clerk shall establish a separate
1-21     docket for a county court at law.  The commissioners court shall
1-22     provide the deputy clerks, bailiffs, and other personnel necessary
1-23     to operate a county court at law.
1-24           (c)  The jury is composed of 12 members in all matters of
 2-1     concurrent jurisdiction with the district court and six members in
 2-2     misdemeanor criminal cases and all other cases.
 2-3           SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 26, Government Code, is
 2-4     amended by adding Section 26.104 to read as follows:
 2-5           Sec. 26.104.  ARANSAS COUNTY. The County Court of Aransas
 2-6     County has no probate, juvenile, civil, or criminal jurisdiction.
 2-7           SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Section 25.0061, Government Code,
 2-8     as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Aransas County is
 2-9     created December 31, 2002, or on an earlier date determined by the
2-10     commissioners court by an order entered in its minutes.
2-11           SECTION 4. (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
2-12     section:
2-13                 (1)  this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
2-14     vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-15     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution; and
2-16                 (2)  if this Act does not receive the vote necessary
2-17     for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-18           (b)  Section 2 of this Act takes effect on the date the
2-19     County Court at Law of Aransas County is created.
2-20           SECTION 5. On the effective date of Section 2 of this Act,
2-21     the judge of the County Court of Aransas County shall transfer all
2-22     pending probate, juvenile, civil, and criminal cases in the court
2-23     to the County Court at Law of Aransas County.
2-24           SECTION 6. When a case is transferred as provided by Section
2-25     5 of this Act, all processes, writs, or other obligations issued
2-26     from the County Court of Aransas County are returnable to the
2-27     County Court at Law of Aransas County as if originally issued by
 3-1     that court.  The obligees on all bonds taken for the County Court
 3-2     of Aransas County and all witnesses summoned to appear in the
 3-3     County Court of Aransas County are required to appear before the
 3-4     County Court at Law of Aransas County as if originally required to
 3-5     appear before it.