| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the creation of a county court at law in Grimes County. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Sections 25.0951 and 25.0952 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 25.0951. GRIMES COUNTY. Grimes County has one |
|
|
statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Grimes County. |
|
|
Sec. 25.0952. GRIMES COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) In |
|
|
addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and other |
|
|
law, a county court at law in Grimes County has concurrent |
|
|
jurisdiction with the district court in family law cases and |
|
|
proceedings. |
|
|
(b) The judge of the county court at law shall be paid an |
|
|
annual salary set by the commissioners court in an amount that is at |
|
|
least equal to the amount that is $1,000 less than the total annual |
|
|
salary, including contributions and supplements, received by a |
|
|
district judge in the county. The salary shall be paid by the |
|
|
county treasurer by order of the commissioners court. |
|
|
(c) The judge of the county court at law is entitled to |
|
|
travel expenses and necessary office expenses, including |
|
|
administrative and clerical assistance, in the same manner as the |
|
|
district judge. |
|
|
(d) The judge of a county court at law may not engage in the |
|
|
private practice of law. |
|
|
(e) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at |
|
|
law for family cases and proceedings, and the county clerk serves as |
|
|
clerk for all other cases. The commissioners court may employ as |
|
|
many deputy sheriffs and bailiffs as are necessary to serve the |
|
|
court. |
|
|
(f) If a case or proceeding in which a county court at law |
|
|
has concurrent jurisdiction with a district court is tried before a |
|
|
jury, the jury shall be composed of 12 members. In all other cases, |
|
|
the jury shall be composed of six members. |
|
|
(g) The judge of a county court at law may, instead of |
|
|
appointing an official court reporter, contract for the services of |
|
|
a court reporter under guidelines established by the commissioners |
|
|
court. |
|
|
(h) The laws governing the drawing, selection, service, and |
|
|
pay of jurors for county courts apply to a county court at law. |
|
|
Jurors regularly impaneled for a week by the district court may, on |
|
|
a request of a judge of the county court at law, be made available |
|
|
and shall serve for the week in a county court at law. |
|
|
(i) A county court at law has the same terms of court as a |
|
|
district court in Grimes County. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The County Court at Law of Grimes County is |
|
|
created on the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |