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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the qualifications of statutory county court judges. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.0014, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.0014. QUALIFICATIONS OF JUDGE. (a) The judge of a |
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statutory county court must: |
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(1) be at least 35 [25] years of age; |
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(2) have resided in the county for at least two years |
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before election or appointment; [and] |
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(3) be a licensed attorney in this state who, on a |
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full-time basis, has practiced law or served as a judge of a court |
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in this state, or both combined, for the seven [four] years |
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preceding election or appointment, unless otherwise provided for by |
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law; and |
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(4) be certified by the Texas Board of Legal |
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Specialization as having special competence in any area of law. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a person serving as a |
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statutory county court judge on September 1, 2007, is not required |
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to comply with Subsection (a)(4). |
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(c) Notwithstanding Section 25.0001(a), to the extent of a |
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conflict between this section and a law applicable to a specific |
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statutory county court, this section prevails. |
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SECTION 2. The following provisions of the Government Code |
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are repealed: |
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(1) Section 25.0212(c); |
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(2) Section 25.0222(e); |
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(3) Section 25.0453(a); |
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(4) Section 25.0512(a); |
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(5) Section 25.0632(a); |
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(6) Section 25.1032(e); |
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(7) Section 25.1033(e); |
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(8) Section 25.1132(g); |
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(9) Section 25.1142(c); |
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(10) Section 25.1312(k); |
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(11) Section 25.1412(b); and |
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(12) Section 25.2012(k). |
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SECTION 3. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this |
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section, the change in law made by this Act applies only to the |
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judge of a statutory county court elected or appointed on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. A judge of a statutory county court |
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elected or appointed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date |
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of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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(b) Section 25.0014(a)(4), Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, does not apply to a judge of a statutory county court |
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serving on the effective date of this Act who is subsequently |
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reelected or appointed as a judge of a statutory county court. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |