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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of municipal courts of record in the city |
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of Mesquite. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 30, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter YY to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER YY. MESQUITE |
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Sec. 30.01891. APPLICATION; DEFINITIONS. (a) This |
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subchapter applies to the city of Mesquite. |
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(b) In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Appellate courts" means the county courts at law |
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of Dallas County that have criminal appellate jurisdiction. |
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(2) "Municipal court administrator" means the clerk of |
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the municipal courts of record. |
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Sec. 30.01892. JUDGE. Sections 30.00007(b)(1), (2), (3), |
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and (5) do not apply to this subchapter. |
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Sec. 30.01893. COURT RULES. The presiding judge shall |
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adopt rules not inconsistent with this subchapter or other law for |
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the municipal courts of record to provide efficiency, uniformity, |
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and fairness in the conduct of the business of the courts. The |
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rules may: |
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(1) address courtroom decorum and attire; |
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(2) address court protocol; |
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(3) govern the hearing of pleas, motions for |
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continuance, motions to withdraw and for substitution, and pretrial |
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motions; |
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(4) establish procedures related to a defendant's |
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failure to appear; |
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(5) establish procedures related to a defendant's |
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indigency or inability to pay fines; and |
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(6) address warrant procedures. |
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Sec. 30.01894. MUNICIPAL COURT ADMINISTRATOR; OTHER |
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PERSONNEL. (a) The city manager shall appoint a municipal court |
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administrator to serve as the clerk of the municipal courts of |
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record. |
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(b) The municipal court administrator shall: |
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(1) perform, as applicable, the duties prescribed by |
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law for the county clerk of a county court at law; |
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(2) maintain central docket records for all cases |
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filed in the municipal courts of record; |
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(3) maintain an index of all municipal courts of |
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record judgments in the same manner as county clerks are required by |
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law to prepare for criminal cases arising in county courts; and |
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(4) request the jurors needed for cases that are set |
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for trial by jury. |
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(c) The municipal court administrator may hire, direct, |
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supervise, and remove personnel authorized in the city's annual |
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budget for the clerk's office in accordance with the city's general |
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government policies and procedures manual and subject to approval |
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by the city manager. |
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(d) Sections 30.00009(c) and (d) do not apply to this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 30.01895. COURT REPORTER. The municipal court |
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administrator shall appoint the court reporter under Section |
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30.00010. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2012. |