|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the Harrison County Court at Law. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 25.1042, Government Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) to read as follows: |
|
(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section |
|
25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Harrison County has |
|
concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, on assignment of a |
|
district judge presiding in Harrison County, in family law cases |
|
and proceedings. |
|
(b) Assignment and transfer of cases under Subsection (a) is |
|
at the discretion of the judge of the district court making the |
|
assignment. Assignment or transfer from a county court at law to a |
|
district court is governed by Section 74.121(b)(1). |
|
(c) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at |
|
law in cases assigned under Subsection (a), and the county clerk |
|
serves as clerk of the court in all other cases. |
|
(d) A party to a case assigned under Subsection (a) may |
|
request a jury of 12 persons if the party makes the request not |
|
later than the 30th day before the trial date. A party who does not |
|
make a timely request under this subsection waives the right to |
|
request a 12-person jury and the case will proceed with a six-person |
|
jury. |
|
(f) In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, a district judge |
|
presiding in Harrison County may transfer cases from the district |
|
court to a county court at law in Harrison County in the same manner |
|
judges of district courts transfer cases under Section 24.003. |
|
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an |
|
action filed on or after the effective date of this Act or pending |
|
on the effective date of this Act. |
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2015. |