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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an exemption from jury duty in certain counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 62.106, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 62.106. EXEMPTION FROM JURY SERVICE. (a) A person |
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qualified to serve as a petit juror may establish an exemption from |
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jury service if the person: |
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(1) is over 70 years of age; |
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(2) has legal custody of a child younger than 10 years |
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of age and the person's service on the jury requires leaving the |
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child without adequate supervision; |
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(3) is a student of a public or private secondary |
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school; |
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(4) is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an |
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institution of higher education; |
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(5) is an officer or an employee of the senate, the |
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house of representatives, or any department, commission, board, |
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office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state |
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government; |
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(6) is summoned for service in a county with a |
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population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan |
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under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section |
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62.011(b)(5) exceeds two years, and the person has served as a petit |
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juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date |
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the person is to appear for jury service; |
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(7) is the primary caretaker of a person who is an |
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invalid unable to care for himself; |
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(8) except as provided by Subsection (b), is summoned |
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for service in a county with a population of at least 250,000 and |
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the person has served as a petit juror in the county during the |
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three-year period preceding the date the person is to appear for |
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jury service; |
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(9) except as provided by Subsection (b), was |
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previously summoned to appear in the same county during the |
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36-month period preceding the date the person is to appear as |
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provided by the current summons, regardless of whether the person |
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was selected to serve as a petit juror as a result of the previous |
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summons, and the county in which the person is summoned to appear: |
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(A) has a population of 1.4 million or more; and |
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(B) has within its boundaries at least two |
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municipalities that each have a population of 300,000 or more; or |
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(10) [(9)] is a member of the United States military |
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forces serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from |
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the person's home station and out of the person's county of |
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residence. |
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(b) Subsections [Subsection] (a)(8) and (a)(9) do
[does] |
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not apply if the jury wheel in the county has been reconstituted |
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after the date the person served as a petit juror. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a person summoned to appear for jury service who is required to |
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appear on or after the effective date of this Act. A person |
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summoned to appear for jury service who is required to appear before |
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the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
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the date the person is required to appear, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |