MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
8:30 a.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
was held on Wednesday, March 27, 2002, in the Capitol Extension,
Room E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
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MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Royce West Senator David Bernsen
Senator Robert Duncan Senator J. E. Brown
Senator Rodney Ellis
Senator Mike Jackson
Senator Jeff Wentworth
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The chair called the meeting to order at 8:40 a.m.
The chair gave opening remarks.
The chair laid out charge 4: Study and make recommendations
for improving the structure of the state's trial court
system, including, but not limited to: improving the
quality, cost-effectiveness, and uniformity of the visiting
judge program; devising objective criteria to be used by
the Legislature to determine when and where additional
trial courts should be created; and clarifying
jurisdictional conflicts between courts.
The clerk called roll. There being a quorum present, the
following business was transacted:
Senator Jackson moved approval of the minutes from the previous
hearing held on February 21, 2002; without objection, it was so
ordered.
The following witnesses testified:
Panel 2
Judge B.B. Schraub, representing the 3rd Administrative Judicial
Region
Judge Steve Ables, representing the 6th Administrative Judicial
Region
Judge Olen Underwood, representing the 2nd Administrative
Judicial Region
Judge David Peeples, representing the 4th Administrative
Judicial Region
Judge Jeff Walker, representing the 8th Administrative Judicial
Region
Judge John Ovard, representing the 1st Administrative Judicial
Region
Panel 3
Judge Larry Wagenbach, representing self
Judge Orlinda Naranjo, representing Travis County Court at Law
Judge Jimmy White, representing the 1st Administrative Region
Judge Richard Bosworth, representing the 1st Administrative
Region
Panel 4
Judge Gene Terry, representing Marion County/TAC
Jim Allison, representing the County Judges and Commissioners
Association of Texas
Judge Giles Dalby, representing Garza County and the
Constitutional Court Judicial Education Committee
Judge Cletis Millsap, representing Hopkins County
At 11:40 a.m. Senator Wentworth assumed the chair.
Panel 5
Jerry Benedict, representing the Office of Court Administration
Chuck Demos, representing Office of the Texas
Comptroller/Judiciary
At 11:45 a.m. Senator West resumed the chair.
At 11:54 a.m. the chair announced that the Committee recess for
lunch.
At 1:07 p.m. the Committee reconvened.
Panel 6
Kellie Bailey, representing the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association
Paulette Burks, representing the County and District Clerks
Association
Becky Wilbanks, representing the County and District Clerks
Association
Galen Sumrow, representing the Texas District and County
Attorneys' Association
Joseph Martinez, representing the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association
Judge Morris L. Overstreet, representing self
Panel 1
Chief Justice Thomas Phillips, representing self
The following people registered but did not testify:
Judge Dean Rucker, representing the 7th Administrative Judicial
Region
Missy Jackson, representing the Employers Retirement System
Judge M. Brock Jones, representing self (112th Judicial
District)
Janet Monteros, representing the Mexican American Bar of Texas
Judge Lawrence E. Naiser, representing Wharton County
The chair announced that the Senate Jurisprudence Committee will
hold the next hearing in Houston, Texas on April 25, 2002. The
Committee will discuss Charge 1 regarding progressive sanctions
for juvenile offenders.
There being no further business, at 2:10 p.m. Senator Wentworth
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
______________________
Senator Royce West, Chair
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Stephanie Hoover, Clerk