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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to jurisdiction over and punishment of certain misdemeanor |
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offenses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 4.07, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Art. 4.07. JURISDICTION OF COUNTY COURTS. The county |
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courts shall have original jurisdiction of all misdemeanors of |
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which exclusive original jurisdiction is not given to the justice |
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court[, and when the fine to be imposed shall exceed five hundred
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dollars]. |
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SECTION 2. Article 4.11(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Justices of the peace shall have exclusive original |
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jurisdiction in criminal cases punishable by fine only or |
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punishable by: |
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(1) [punishable by fine only or punishable by:
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[(A)] a fine; and |
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(2) [(B)] as authorized by statute, a sanction not |
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consisting of confinement or imprisonment[; or
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[(2) arising under Chapter 106, Alcoholic Beverage
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Code, that do not include confinement as an authorized sanction]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 542.301(b), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) Except as otherwise provided, an offense under this |
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subtitle is a Class C misdemeanor. |
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SECTION 4. Section 542.401, Transportation Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 542.401. GENERAL PENALTY. A person convicted of an |
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offense that is a misdemeanor under this subtitle for which another |
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penalty is not provided shall be punished by a fine of not less than |
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$1 or more than $500 [$200]. |
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SECTION 5. Section 12.23, Penal Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 12.23. CLASS C MISDEMEANOR. Except as provided by |
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other law, an [An] individual adjudged guilty of a Class C |
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misdemeanor shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500. |
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SECTION 6. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was |
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committed before that date. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |