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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a county court at law in Willacy County. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 25.2471 and 25.2472 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.2471. WILLACY COUNTY. Willacy County has one |
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statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Willacy County. |
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Sec. 25.2472. WILLACY COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) |
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In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and |
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other law, and except as limited by Subsection (b), a county court |
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at law in Willacy County has concurrent jurisdiction with the |
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district court in: |
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(1) felony cases to: |
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(A) conduct arraignments; |
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(B) conduct pretrial hearings; |
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(C) accept guilty pleas; and |
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(D) conduct jury trials on assignment of a |
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district judge presiding in Willacy County and acceptance of the |
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assignment by the judge of the county court at law; |
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(2) Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases; |
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(3) family law matters; |
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(4) juvenile matters; |
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(5) probate matters; and |
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(6) appeals from the justice and municipal courts. |
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(b) A county court at law does not have general supervisory |
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control or appellate review of the commissioners court or |
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jurisdiction of: |
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(1) suits on behalf of this state to recover penalties |
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or escheated property; |
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(2) felony cases involving capital murder; |
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(3) misdemeanors involving official misconduct; or |
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(4) contested elections. |
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(c) The judge of a county court at law must have the same |
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qualifications as those required by law for a district judge. |
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(d) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid a total |
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annual salary set by the commissioners court at an amount that is |
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not less than $1,000 less than the total annual salary received by a |
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district judge in the county. A district judge's or statutory |
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county court judge's total annual salary does not include |
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contributions and supplements paid by a county. |
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(e) The judge of a county court at law may not engage in the |
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private practice of law. |
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(f) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at |
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law in matters of concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, |
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and the county clerk shall serve as clerk of a county court at law in |
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all other matters. Each clerk shall establish a separate docket for |
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a county court at law. |
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(g) The official court reporter of a county court at law is |
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entitled to receive a salary set by the judge of the county court at |
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law with the approval of the commissioners court. |
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(h) Jurors summoned for a county court at law or a district |
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court in the county may by order of the judge of the court to which |
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they are summoned be transferred to another court for service and |
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may be used as if summoned for the court to which they are |
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transferred. |
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SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 25.2471, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Willacy |
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County is created January 1, 2013, or on an earlier date determined |
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by the Commissioners Court of Willacy County by an order entered in |
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its minutes. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |