88R10608 TSS-D
 
  By: Schofield H.B. No. 4187
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the jurisdiction of the Texas Supreme Court and the
  Court of Criminal Appeals.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 4.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 4.01.  WHAT COURTS HAVE CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.  The
  following courts have jurisdiction in criminal actions:
               1.  The Court of Criminal Appeals;
               2.  The Texas Supreme Court in questions certified
  under Section 3, Article 4.04;
               3.  Courts of appeals;
               4. [3.]  The district courts;
               5. [4.]  The criminal district courts;
               6. [5.]  The magistrates appointed by the judges of the
  district courts of Bexar County, Dallas County, Tarrant County, or
  Travis County that give preference to criminal cases and the
  magistrates appointed by the judges of the criminal district courts
  of Dallas County or Tarrant County;
               7. [6.]  The county courts;
               8. [7.]  All county courts at law with criminal
  jurisdiction;
               9. [8.]  County criminal courts;
               10. [9.] Justice courts;
               11. [10.]  Municipal courts;
               12. [11.]  The magistrates appointed by the judges of
  the district courts of Lubbock County;
               13. [12.]  The magistrates appointed by the El Paso
  Council of Judges;
               14. [13.]  The magistrates appointed by the Collin
  County Commissioners Court;
               15. [14.]  The magistrates appointed by the Brazoria
  County Commissioners Court or the local administrative judge for
  Brazoria County; and
               16. [15.]  The magistrates appointed by the judges of
  the district courts of Tom Green County.
         SECTION 2.  Article 4.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 4.04.  COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
         Sec. 1.  Except as provided by Section 3, the [The] Court of
  Criminal Appeals and each judge thereof shall have, and is hereby
  given, the power and authority to grant and issue and cause the
  issuance of writs of habeas corpus, and, in criminal law matters,
  the writs of mandamus, procedendo, prohibition, and certiorari.  
  The court and each judge thereof shall have, and is hereby given,
  the power and authority to grant and issue and cause the issuance of
  such other writs as may be necessary to protect its jurisdiction or
  enforce its judgments.
         Sec. 2.  Except as provided by Section 3, the [The] Court of
  Criminal Appeals shall have, and is hereby given, final appellate
  and review jurisdiction in criminal cases coextensive with the
  limits of the state, and its determinations shall be final.  The
  appeal of all cases in which the death penalty has been assessed
  shall be to the Court of Criminal Appeals.  In addition, the Court
  of Criminal Appeals may, on its own motion, with or without a
  petition for such discretionary review being filed by one of the
  parties, review any decision of a court of appeals in a criminal
  case other than a question described by Section 3.  Discretionary
  review by the Court of Criminal Appeals is not a matter of right,
  but of sound judicial discretion.
         Sec. 3.  If the Court of Criminal Appeals determines that a
  petition or appeal presents a question regarding the interpretation
  of a provision of the Texas Constitution, the court may not issue an
  order on the petition or in the appeal before first certifying the
  question to the Texas Supreme Court and receiving an answer. The
  Texas Supreme Court's determination on a question certified to that
  court under this section is final and binding on the Court of
  Criminal Appeals.
         SECTION 3.  Section 22.001, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction, except in
  criminal law matters other than a question certified under Section
  3, Article 4.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, of an appealable order
  or judgment of the trial courts if the court determines that the
  appeal presents a question of law that is important to the
  jurisprudence of the state. The supreme court's jurisdiction does
  not include cases in which the jurisdiction of the court of appeals
  is made final by statute.
         (a-1)  The supreme court has jurisdiction to finally
  determine questions regarding the interpretation of a provision of
  the Texas Constitution certified to the court by the court of
  criminal appeals under Section 3, Article 4.04, Code of Criminal
  Procedure.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply to a
  petition or appeal filed in the court of criminal appeals on or
  after the effective date of this Act. A petition or appeal filed in
  the court of criminal appeals before the effective date of this Act
  is governed by the law in effect on the date the petition or appeal
  was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.