1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of a county court at law in Navarro 1-3 County. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Sections 25.1771 and 25.1772 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 25.1771. NAVARRO COUNTY. Navarro County has one 1-8 statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Navarro County. 1-9 Sec. 25.1772. NAVARRO COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. 1-10 (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 1-11 and other law, and except as limited by Subsection (b), a county 1-12 court at law in Navarro County has concurrent jurisdiction with the 1-13 district court, notwithstanding any law granting exclusive 1-14 jurisdiction to the district court. 1-15 (b) A county court at law does not have general supervisory 1-16 control or appellate review of the commissioners court or 1-17 jurisdiction of: 1-18 (1) felony cases involving capital murder; 1-19 (2) suits on behalf of the state to recover penalties 1-20 or escheated property; 1-21 (3) misdemeanors involving official misconduct; or 1-22 (4) contested elections. 1-23 (c) The judge of a county court at law must have the same 1-24 qualifications as those required by law for a district judge. 1-25 (d) In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, the judge of a 2-1 county court at law and the district judge may exchange benches, 2-2 transfer cases subject to acceptance, and otherwise manage their 2-3 respective dockets in accordance with directives of the local 2-4 administrative judge and local administrative rules. 2-5 (e) Notwithstanding Section 74.0911, the judge of the 13th 2-6 District Court serves as the local administrative judge for the 2-7 district and county courts at law in Navarro County. The district 2-8 judge may delegate the power to assign or transfer cases. 2-9 (f) The local administrative judge shall assign felony cases 2-10 in which the district court and statutory county court have 2-11 concurrent jurisdiction to the district court, except that the 2-12 local administrative judge may assign a case to the statutory 2-13 county court if assignment to that court is necessary for the 2-14 efficient management of the courts' dockets. 2-15 (g) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at 2-16 law in all matters in which the county court at law has concurrent 2-17 jurisdiction with the district court. The county clerk serves as 2-18 clerk of the county court at law in all other matters. 2-19 (h) Practice in a county court at law is that prescribed by 2-20 law for county courts. 2-21 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 25.1771, Government Code, 2-22 as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Navarro County is 2-23 created September 1, 2003, or on an earlier date determined by the 2-24 Commissioners Court of Navarro County by an order entered in its 2-25 minutes following a nonbinding referendum held in the county in 2-26 which the voters express a public opinion on the creation of the 3-1 court as provided by Section 3 of this Act. 3-2 SECTION 3. (a) Before entering an order as provided by 3-3 Section 2 of this Act to create the County Court at Law of Navarro 3-4 County on a date earlier than September 1, 2003, the Commissioners 3-5 Court of Navarro County shall order a nonbinding referendum to be 3-6 held in the county on the question of whether to create a county 3-7 court at law in the county as provided by this Act. 3-8 (b) The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or 3-9 against the proposition: "Creating a county court at law in 3-10 Navarro County." 3-11 (c) The proposition shall be printed on the ballot under the 3-12 heading: "Referendum Proposition." Beneath the heading shall be 3-13 printed the following: "This referendum is an expression of public 3-14 opinion only and has no binding effect as law." 3-15 (d) The nonbinding referendum shall be conducted as provided 3-16 by the Election Code. 3-17 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 3-18 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 3-19 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 3-20 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 3-21 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1808 passed the Senate on May 10, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 0, one present, not voting. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1808 passed the House on May 23, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, two present, not voting. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House Approved: _______________________________ Date _______________________________ Governor