LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 21, 2003

TO:	Honorable Robert Duncan, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1011 by West (Relating to the questioning of prospective jurors during voir dire examination.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 35 relating to the questioning of prospective jurors during voir dire.  The bill would provide that an attorney in a criminal case may not ask a question in voir dire that is designed to commit a juror to reaching a verdict based on particular facts.  The bill would require that a judge allow an attorney to ask questions about issues which an attorney, in good faith, believes will arise in the case.  The bill would allow a judge to order an attorney to show the propriety of a question in an ex parte proceeding recorded by a court reporter.  The bill would take effect September 1, 2003.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.  To the extent local courts conduct additional ex parte proceedings recorded by court reporters, the fiscal implication is not anticipated to be significant.

Source Agencies:	212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General
LBB Staff:	JK, GO, VDS, TB