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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the role of a jury in a criminal case. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 36.13, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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ART. 36.13. ROLE OF JURY [IS JUDGE OF FACTS]. Unless |
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otherwise provided in this Code, the jury is the exclusive judge of |
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the facts, but it is bound to receive the law from the court and be |
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governed thereby. The court shall inform the jury of its role to |
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judge the facts and to apply the law in relation to the facts in |
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controversy. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a |
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jury selected on or after the effective date of this Act. A |
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jury selected before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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the law in effect on the date the jury was selected, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |