80R4646 RJA-D
 
  By: Chavez H.B. No. 840
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of additional county criminal courts at
law in El Paso County.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Sec. 25.0731(a), Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
       (a)  El Paso County has the following statutory county
courts:
             (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (4)  County Court at Law No. 4 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (5)  County Court at Law No. 5 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (6)  County Court at Law No. 6 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (7)  County Court at Law No. 7 of El Paso County, Texas;
             (8)  County Criminal Court at Law No. 1 of El Paso
County, Texas; [and]
             (9)  County Criminal Court at Law No. 2 of El Paso
County, Texas;
             (10)  County Criminal Court at Law No. 3 of El Paso
County, Texas; and
             (11)  County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 of El Paso
County, Texas.
       SECTION 2.  Sections 25.0732(y) and (z), Government Code,
are amended to read as follows:
       (y)  The El Paso Council of Judges shall order the transfer
of criminal misdemeanor cases to the county criminal courts at law
[County Criminal Courts No. 1 and No. 2] from time to time to
equalize the criminal misdemeanor dockets of the statutory county
courts for the efficient operation of the court system and the
effective administration of justice.
       (z)  The County Criminal Courts No. 1, [and] No. 2, No. 3, and
No. 4 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.
       SECTION 3.  The County Criminal Court at Law No. 3 of El Paso
County, Texas, and the County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 of El Paso
County, Texas, are created September 1, 2007.
       SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.