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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the questioning of prospective jurors during voir dire |
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examination. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 35.17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Sections 3 and 4 to read as follows: |
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3. The attorney representing the state and the attorney |
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representing the defendant are entitled to conduct a meaningful |
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voir dire examination. Questions designed to elicit information |
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necessary for both attorneys to intelligently exercise challenges |
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for cause and for peremptory challenges shall be permitted. By way |
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of illustration only, a question asked during the voir dire |
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examination is proper if the question attempts to discover the |
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views of a prospective juror on an issue that is applicable to the |
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case, and a question asked during the voir dire examination is not |
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proper if the question attempts to commit a prospective juror to |
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reaching a verdict based on particular facts. |
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4. This article is not intended to restrict a judge's |
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authority to limit the duration of a voir dire examination to a |
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reasonable period. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |