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By:  West                                                         S.B. No. 1011
	(In the Senate - Filed March 7, 2003; March 13, 2003, read 
first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; May 5, 2003, 
reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 
following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 5, 2003, sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1011                                   By:  West


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the questioning of prospective jurors during voir dire 
examination.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Article 35.17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended by adding Sections 3 and 4 to read as follows:
	3.  The attorney representing the state and the attorney 
representing the defendant are entitled to conduct a meaningful 
voir dire examination.  A question asked during the voir dire 
examination is proper if the question attempts to discover the 
views of a prospective juror on an issue that is applicable to the 
case.  A question asked during the voir dire examination is not 
proper if the question attempts to commit a prospective juror to 
reaching a verdict based on particular facts.  On proper objection, 
the judge may restrict counsel from engaging in questioning that is 
overly broad or vague.
	4.  This article is not intended to restrict a judge's 
authority to limit the duration of a voir dire examination to a 
reasonable period.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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