84R28310 CAE-D

By: Paddie H.B. No. 4199

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4199:

By: Sheets C.S.H.B. No. 4199

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 amending Subsections (a), (d), and (g) and adding Subsection (h) 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:

(1) family law cases and proceedings;

(2) felony cases other than capital murder cases; and

(3) civil 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. Except as provided by Subsection (h), a [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.

(g) The criminal district attorney is entitled to the same fees prescribed by law for prosecutions in the county court, except that in cases assigned under Subsection (a), the criminal district attorney is entitled to the same fees prescribed by law for prosecutions in a district court.

(h) A jury must be composed of 12 members in:

(1) any civil case pending in which the amount in controversy is $200,000 or more; and

(2) any felony case.

SECTION 2. Section 25.1042(a), Government Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 25.1042(h), Government Code, as added by this Act, apply only to an action filed on or after the effective date of this Act. An action filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the action was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.