| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to the preference given by trial courts to hearings and |
|
|
trials for murder and capital murder offenses. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 23.101(a), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), the trial courts |
|
|
of this state shall regularly and frequently set hearings and |
|
|
trials of pending matters, giving preference to hearings and trials |
|
|
of the following: |
|
|
(1) temporary injunctions; |
|
|
(2) criminal actions, with the following actions given |
|
|
preference over other criminal actions: |
|
|
(A) criminal actions against defendants who are |
|
|
detained in jail pending trial; |
|
|
(B) criminal actions involving a charge that a |
|
|
person committed an act of family violence, as defined by Section |
|
|
71.004, Family Code; |
|
|
(C) an offense under: |
|
|
(i) Section 19.02, 19.03, 21.02, or 21.11, |
|
|
Penal Code; |
|
|
(ii) Chapter 22, Penal Code, if the victim |
|
|
of the alleged offense is younger than 17 years of age; |
|
|
(iii) Section 25.02, Penal Code, if the |
|
|
victim of the alleged offense is younger than 17 years of age; |
|
|
(iv) Section 25.06, Penal Code; |
|
|
(v) Section 43.25, Penal Code; or |
|
|
(vi) Section 20A.02(a)(7), 20A.02(a)(8), |
|
|
or 20A.03, Penal Code; |
|
|
(D) an offense described by Article 62.001(6)(C) |
|
|
or (D), Code of Criminal Procedure; and |
|
|
(E) criminal actions against persons who are |
|
|
detained as provided by Section 51.12, Family Code, after transfer |
|
|
for prosecution in criminal court under Section 54.02, Family Code; |
|
|
(3) election contests and suits under the Election |
|
|
Code; |
|
|
(4) orders for the protection of the family under |
|
|
Subtitle B, Title 4, Family Code; |
|
|
(5) appeals of final rulings and decisions of the |
|
|
division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of |
|
|
Insurance regarding workers' compensation claims and claims under |
|
|
the Federal Employers' Liability Act and the Jones Act; |
|
|
(6) appeals of final orders of the commissioner of the |
|
|
General Land Office under Section 51.3021, Natural Resources Code; |
|
|
(7) actions in which the claimant has been diagnosed |
|
|
with malignant mesothelioma, other malignant asbestos-related |
|
|
cancer, malignant silica-related cancer, or acute silicosis; and |
|
|
(8) appeals brought under Section 42.01 or 42.015, Tax |
|
|
Code, of orders of appraisal review boards of appraisal districts |
|
|
established for counties with a population of less than 175,000. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |