78R9600 KLA-D

By:  Chavez                                                       H.B. No. 3595


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the statutory county courts in El Paso County. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Sections 25.0732(w), (x), and (z), Government Code, are amended to read as follows: (w) In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, a judge of a statutory county court in El Paso County and a judge of a district court or another statutory county court in El Paso County may transfer cases between the courts in the same manner judges of district courts transfer cases under Section 24.303. [This subsection does not apply to a county criminal court at law in El Paso County.] (x) A judge of a statutory county court in El Paso County and a judge of a district court in El Paso County may exchange benches and may sit and act for each other in any matter pending before the court. [This subsection does not apply to a county criminal court at law in El Paso County.] (z) The County Criminal Courts No. 1 and No. 2 have the criminal jurisdiction provided by law for county courts and appellate jurisdiction in appeals of criminal cases from justice courts and municipal courts in the county as provided by Article 45.042, Code of Criminal Procedure[, but have no other jurisdiction]. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.