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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to appointment of a municipal judge to serve as a visiting |
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justice of the peace in certain proceedings involving misdemeanor |
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traffic offenses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 27, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 27.0551 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 27.0551. MUNICIPAL JUDGE ACTING AS VISITING JUSTICE. |
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(a) A justice of the peace, with the approval of the county judge, |
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may appoint a person serving as a municipal court judge in a |
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municipality located in the same county as the precinct for which |
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the justice of the peace serves to serve as a visiting justice of |
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the peace in criminal cases involving a misdemeanor traffic |
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offense. |
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(b) The visiting justice shall sit in those matters |
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authorized by the justice of the peace and has the powers of the |
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justice of the peace in relation to those matters. |
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(c) When a visiting justice is appointed, the clerk shall |
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enter in the minutes as part of the proceedings in the case a record |
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that gives the visiting justice's name and shows that the justice |
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of the peace has appointed the municipal court judge to serve as a |
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visiting justice. |
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(d) The salary of a visiting justice appointed as provided |
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by this section shall be paid from the budget of the justice of the |
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peace for whom the visiting justice is sitting. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |