S.B. No. 1200
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the venue for prosecution of misdemeanor cases in
  justice of the peace courts located in certain counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Article 4.12, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this article, a
  misdemeanor case to be tried in justice court shall be tried:
               (1)  in the precinct in which the offense was
  committed;
               (2)  in the precinct in which the defendant or any of
  the defendants reside; [or]
               (3)  with the written consent of the state and each
  defendant or the defendant's attorney, in any other precinct within
  the county; or
               (4)  if the offense was committed in a county with a
  population of 3.3 million or more, in any precinct in the county
  that is adjacent to the precinct in which the offense was committed.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Article 4.12, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, as amended by this Act, applies only to an offense
  committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense
  committed before the effective date of this Act is covered by the
  law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section,
  an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if
  any element of the offense occurred before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1200 passed the Senate on
  April 29, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1200 passed the House on
  May 25, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, one
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor