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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a county court at law in Chambers |
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County. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 25.0381 and 25.0382 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.0381. CHAMBERS COUNTY. Chambers County has one |
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statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Chambers County. |
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Sec. 25.0382. CHAMBERS COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) |
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In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and |
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other law, a county court at law in Chambers County has the |
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jurisdiction provided by the constitution and by general law for |
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district courts, including concurrent jurisdiction in: |
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(1) arraignments, pleas, and pretrial motions for |
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felony cases; |
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(2) trials for felony cases transferred from a |
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district court in Chambers County to the county court at law; and |
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(3) family law cases and proceedings. |
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(b) In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, a judge of a |
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county court at law and a judge of a district court in Chambers |
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County may transfer cases between the courts in the same manner that |
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judges of district courts may transfer cases under Section 24.003. |
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(c) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid an |
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annual salary that is at least equal to the amount that is $1,000 |
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less than the total annual salary, including supplements, received |
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by a district judge in the county. The salary shall be paid out of |
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the county treasury on order of the commissioners court. |
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(d) The judge of a county court at law is entitled to travel |
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expenses and necessary office expenses, including administrative |
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and clerical help, in the same manner as a district judge in the |
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county. |
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(e) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at |
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law for family cases and proceedings, and the county clerk serves as |
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clerk for all other cases. The commissioners court may employ as |
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many deputy sheriffs and bailiffs as are necessary to serve the |
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court. |
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(f) If a case or proceeding in which a county court at law |
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has concurrent jurisdiction with a district court is tried before a |
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jury, the jury shall be composed of 12 members. In all other cases, |
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the jury shall be composed of six members. |
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(g) The judge of a county court at law may, instead of |
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appointing an official court reporter, contract for the services of |
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a court reporter under guidelines established by the commissioners |
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court. |
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(h) The laws governing the drawing, selection, service, and |
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pay of jurors for county courts apply to a county court at law. |
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Jurors regularly impaneled for a week by the district court may, on |
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a request of a judge of the county court at law, be made available |
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and shall serve for the week in a county court at law. |
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(i) A county court at law has the same terms of court as a |
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district court in Chambers County. |
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SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 25.0381, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Chambers |
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County is created on January 1, 2021, or an earlier date determined |
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by the Commissioners Court of Chambers County by an order entered in |
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its minutes. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |