AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
This legislation grants jurisdiction to Tarrant County Criminal Courts Nos. 5 and 10 to hear appeals of all municipal court judgments—including civil actions. Currently, there is no venue for appeals of civil municipal court judgments in Tarrant County.
As proposed, S.B. 291 amends current law relating to the jurisdiction of certain county criminal courts in Tarrant County.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 25.2223(a), Government Code, as follows:
(a) Provides that a county criminal court in Tarrant County has jurisdiction over all criminal matters and causes, original and appellate, prescribed by law for county courts, but does not have civil jurisdiction. Provides that the County Criminal Courts Nos. 5 and 10 of Tarrant County also have concurrent jurisdiction within the county of all appeals, rather than all appeals from criminal convictions, under the laws of this state and the municipal ordinances of the municipalities located in Tarrant County that are appealed from the justice courts and municipal courts in the county. Provides that the County Criminal Courts Nos. 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Tarrant County also have concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in felony cases to conduct arraignments, conduct pretrial hearings, and accept guilty pleas.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.