LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 23, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
               Judicial Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2307  by Clark (Relating to the creation of a county
               court at law in Cooke County, to the jurisdiction of the
               County Court of Cooke County, and to an exemption from
               certain judicial training and instruction for the judge
               of the county court.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would create a county court at law for Cooke County.  The bill
would set judicial qualifications and compensation and would specifically
prohibit the judge from the private practice of law.  The bill would
also grant the commissioners court the authority to employ the necessary
staff to serve the court and would establish the level of compensation
for court reporters.

The bill would require the laws governing the drawing, selection,
service, and pay of jurors for county courts to apply to a county court
at law.  The bill would set the number of jurors for a county court at
law at six and would allow jurors impaneled by the district court to
serve the county court at law.  The bill identifies the practices and
procedures associated with a county court of law that differ from other
county courts or district court and would allow for the transfer of cases
to the county court of law.

Finally, the bill would exempt the county judge from certain judicial
training and instruction.

The bill would take effect and the new court would be created December 1,
2001.
 
Under current law, Cooke County has one district court and one
constitutional county court; however, it does not have a statutory
county court at law.  The bill would create the first county court at
law in Cooke County.  The Cooke County Judge, County Clerk's Office, and
County Auditor's Office provided estimates of expenditures for this
fiscal note. The county has existing courtroom and office space
available for the new court.  The estimated initial capital outlay is
$2,000.  Because the court would be established December 1, 2001 rather
than the beginning of the fiscal year, the estimated cost to Cooke
County in FY 2002 would be $125,065.  In FY 2003 and thereafter, net
costs are estimated at $164,086.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, DB