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79R2740 YDB-D

By:  Hardcastle                                                   H.B. No. 788



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the jurisdiction of the district court and the county 
courts in the 50th Judicial District.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 24.152(b), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(b)  Except for the jurisdiction each county court retains to 
receive and enter guilty pleas in misdemeanor cases [In addition to 
other jurisdiction provided by law], the district court in Baylor, 
Cottle, King, and Knox Counties [counties] has, in addition to 
other jurisdiction provided by law, the civil and criminal
jurisdiction of a county court.
	SECTION 2.  Section 26.112, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 26.112.  BAYLOR COUNTY.  The County Court of Baylor 
County has the general jurisdiction of a probate court [and the 
general criminal jurisdiction of a county court] but has no other 
civil or criminal jurisdiction except to receive and enter guilty 
pleas in misdemeanor cases.
	SECTION 3.  Section 26.151, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 26.151.  COTTLE COUNTY.  The County Court of Cottle 
County has the general jurisdiction of a probate court [and the 
general criminal jurisdiction of a county court] but has no other 
civil or criminal jurisdiction except to receive and enter guilty 
pleas in misdemeanor cases.
	SECTION 4.  Section 26.235, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 26.235.  KING COUNTY.  The County Court of King County 
has the general jurisdiction of a probate court [and the general 
criminal jurisdiction of a county court] but has no other civil or 
criminal jurisdiction except to receive and enter guilty pleas in 
misdemeanor cases.
	SECTION 5.  Section 26.238, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 26.238.  KNOX COUNTY.  The County Court of Knox County 
has the general jurisdiction of a probate court [and the general 
criminal jurisdiction of a county court] but has no other civil or 
criminal jurisdiction except to receive and enter guilty pleas in 
misdemeanor cases.
	SECTION 6.  (a)  The county judges for Baylor, Cottle, King, 
and Knox Counties shall transfer any criminal case described by 
Section 24.152(b), Government Code, as amended by this Act, that is 
pending in a county court in Baylor, Cottle, King, or Knox County on 
the effective date of this Act to the district court for the 50th 
Judicial District.
	(b)  When a case is transferred from one court to another as 
provided by Subsection (a) of this section, all processes, writs, 
bonds, recognizances, or other obligations issued from the 
transferring court are returnable to the court to which the case is 
transferred as if originally issued by that court.  The obligees in 
all bonds and recognizances taken in and for a court from which a 
case is transferred, and all witnesses summoned to appear in a court 
from which a case is transferred, are required to appear before the 
court to which a case is transferred as if originally required to 
appear before the court to which the transfer is made.
	SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.