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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment to increase the terms of |
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district judges to six years. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 7, Article V, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 7. The State shall be divided into judicial districts, |
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with each district having one or more Judges as may be provided by |
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law or by this Constitution. Each district judge shall be elected |
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by the qualified voters at a General Election and shall be a citizen |
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of the United States and of this State, who is licensed to practice |
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law in this State and has been a practicing lawyer or a Judge of a |
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Court in this State, or both combined, for four (4) years next |
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preceding the judge's [his] election, who has resided in the |
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district in which the judge [he] was elected for two (2) years next |
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preceding the [his] election, and who shall reside in the [his] |
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district during the judge's [his] term of office and hold the [his] |
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office for the period of six (6) [four (4)] years, and who shall |
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receive for the judge's [his] services an annual salary to be fixed |
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by the Legislature. The Court shall conduct its proceedings at the |
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county seat of the county in which the case is pending, except as |
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otherwise provided by law. The judge [He] shall hold the regular |
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terms of the judge's [his] Court at the County Seat of each County |
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in the [his] district in such manner as may be prescribed by law. |
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The Legislature shall have power by General or Special Laws to make |
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such provisions concerning the terms or sessions of each Court as it |
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may deem necessary. |
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The Legislature shall also provide for the holding of |
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District Court when the Judge thereof is absent, or is from any |
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cause disabled or disqualified from presiding. |
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SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to |
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the Texas Constitution: |
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TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies |
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to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 82nd Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2011, providing a six-year term for a district |
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judge. |
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(b) The amendment to Section 7, Article V, of this |
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constitution takes effect January 1, 2012, and applies only to the |
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term of a district judge that begins on or after that date. The term |
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of a district judge who was elected or appointed before January 1, |
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2012, expires, unless the judge is otherwise removed as provided by |
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law, at the end of the term to which the judge was elected or |
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appointed. On the expiration of that term, the length of the next |
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elected term for the judge of that district is six years. |
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(c) This temporary provision expires January 1, 2016. |
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SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2011. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment to increase the term |
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of a district judge to six years." |