| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to prospective jurors summoned for jury service in the |
|
|
justice courts of a county with a population of one million or more. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 62.016(e), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(e) Subject to Section 62.413, when [When] impaneled, the |
|
|
prospective jurors constitute a general jury panel for service as |
|
|
jurors in all justice, county, and district courts in the county and |
|
|
shall be used interchangeably in all of those courts. A county may |
|
|
summon jurors chosen for service under this section to the justice |
|
|
court in the manner prescribed by Section 62.412. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 62.017(e), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(e) When impaneled, the prospective jurors constitute a |
|
|
general jury panel for service as jurors in both district courts in |
|
|
the county and shall be used interchangeably in those courts. With |
|
|
the approval of both district judges, and subject to Section |
|
|
62.413, prospective jurors impaneled under this section may |
|
|
constitute a general jury panel for service as jurors in the justice |
|
|
courts, the county court, and all statutory county courts in the |
|
|
county, in addition to service as jurors in both district courts, |
|
|
and in that event, shall be used interchangeably in all district, |
|
|
justice, and county courts. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 62.0175(e), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(e) When impaneled, the prospective jurors constitute a |
|
|
general panel for service as jurors in both courts and shall be used |
|
|
interchangeably in those courts. With the approval of both judges, |
|
|
prospective jurors impaneled under this section may constitute a |
|
|
general panel for service as jurors in the justice courts, the |
|
|
county court, and all other county courts at law in the county, in |
|
|
addition to service as jurors in the district court and the county |
|
|
court at law that has concurrent jurisdiction. In that event, and |
|
|
subject to Section 62.413, the general panel shall be used |
|
|
interchangeably in the district court, county court, county courts |
|
|
at law, and justice courts. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 62.412(a), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) Subject to Section 62.413, a [A] county that uses |
|
|
interchangeable juries under Section 62.016 may summon a |
|
|
prospective juror to report directly to a justice court in the |
|
|
precinct in which that person resides. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Subchapter E, Chapter 62, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 62.413 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 62.413. SUMMONING PROSPECTIVE JURORS DIRECTLY TO |
|
|
JUSTICE COURT IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) In a county with a |
|
|
population of one million or more, the county shall summon a |
|
|
prospective juror for jury service in a justice court of that county |
|
|
to report directly to the justice court in the precinct in which |
|
|
that person resides. |
|
|
(b) The justice of the peace of the justice court to which |
|
|
prospective jurors are summoned for jury service under this section |
|
|
shall hear the excuses of the prospective jurors and swear them in |
|
|
for jury service. |
|
|
(c) A justice of the peace may command the sheriff or |
|
|
constable to immediately summon additional persons for jury service |
|
|
in the justice court if the number of qualified jurors is less than |
|
|
the number necessary for the justice to conduct the court's |
|
|
proceedings. |
|
|
SECTION 6. Section 62.412(a-1), Government Code, is |
|
|
repealed. |
|
|
SECTION 7. Section 62.413, Government Code, as added by |
|
|
this Act, applies only to prospective jurors summoned to jury |
|
|
service under that section on or after the effective date of this |
|
|
Act. Prospective jurors summoned to jury service before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act are governed by the law in effect at the |
|
|
time the jurors were summoned, and the former law is continued in |
|
|
effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |