Home › Forums › Legislation

Legislation 2005 of Interest to the 33rd Judicial District

Tue, 02/15/2005 - 7:14pm — JudgeJones

(updated 4/6/05 -- partial)

This topic will list links to the various bills of interest to the 33rd Judicial District in particular, and to attorneys in general, plus some generally handy legislative links.

All legislation of the 79th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature can be found Texas Legislature Online. There is a page for links to various searches and you can sign up for email alerts for specific bills. There is a page of links to house committee membership and activities and of senate committee membership and activities. Look/listen to live or archived video and audio of House committee testimony or Senate committee testimony.

Search by subject matter. Subjects of interest include: Civil Remedies & Liabilities Corrections - Parole, Probation & Pardons Courts - District Courts - General Courts - Judges Criminal Procedure - Sentencing and Punishment Retirement Systems - Judicial

Senate Committees of interest (the link takes you to the schedule and links to past minutes and witness lists):
Health and Human Services Jurisprudence Criminal Justice Finance

House Committeess: Civil Practices Corrections Criminal Jurisprudence Judiciary Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Public Education (a/k/a school finance)

Bills of Local and General Interest
Bill No. Subject Comments Status & date "as of"
SB585 (Fraser) New Court New district court in all four counties of the 33rd. Would be designated 424th. It is now part of an omnibus courts bill, SB1189. 3/16: Left pending for omnibus bill
SB584 (Fraser) Assoc Judges & magistrates Authorizes appointment of associate judges & criminal magistrates for the 33rd and 424th. There is currently no funding in any of the counties for associate judges but this will create the authority. The judge for the drug court will be appointed as a criminal law magistrate in order to carry out the drug court duties. Has been re-drafted to delete the associate judge portion. 3/16: Referred to sub-comm. Will be redrafted.
SB368 (Duncan) Judicial Compensation Does not follow recommendation of the Judicial Council. Voted out of State Affairs Committee on 3/17.
See Link CASA, Child Protection Texas CASA Legislative Page -- lists all bills known to be of particular interest to CASA (and, therefore, to child protection issues)
HB1079 (West) Judicial Retirement Amends Sect 839.101(a) Gov't Code. Ref to Pensions and Investments (2/17/05)
HB939 (Nixon) COLA for Judicial Plan Two 
Amends 	Sections 839.102(a) and (c), Government Code
SB1260 (Whitmire) Limit on probation revo Relating to the execution of a criminal defendant's sentence following a violation of a condition of community supervision. Would allow judge to revoke probation only if the violation was a new felony. (Does not look as if it is going anywhere). 3/18: no actions
SB1261 (Whitmire) Limit probation to 5 years Relating to the maximum period of community supervision imposed for the commission of a felony. Would limit to 5 years. (Does not look as if it is going anywhere). 3/18: no actions
SB1259 (Whitmire) Review probation at 1/2 time. Relating to the early release of a defendant from community supervision. Requires judge to review every supervision case at 1/2 completion and if compliance is met, SHALL terminate supervision. 3/18: no actions
HB646 (Otto) Reporting for federal habeas review Absurd. As another judge put it, "we are not clerks for the Attorney General." Would have the COURT versus the CLERK submit reports to the A.G. and withhold our paycheck if fail to do so! Sched for pub hearing 3/21
HB47 (Keel) Search/arrest Warrant Affidavit Disclosure Provides a civil penalty of the magistrate's clerk does not furnish affidavit when requested. Passed in the House.
HB1114 (Nixon) Plan 2 contributions Ref to Pensions and Investments (2/17/05)
HB440 (Dutton) Child support while jailed modification of a child support order during the obligor's confinement in jail or prison 3/2: left in comm.
HB681 (Gattis) Frivolous WHC Forfeiture of goodtime for filing frivolous writs of H.C. In Corrections. Sched pub hearing 3/22.
SB553 (Duncan) Retention election Non-partisan Judicial Retention elections. Also SJR16 providing for a constitutional amendment.
HB449 (Dutton) Sexual contact Aff Def Adds 5-year age difference affirmative defense if both are students. 2/3: to Crim Jurisprudence
HB1168 (Puente) Judicial Immunity regarding acts of CSCD. Responds to the Alexander suit in Tarrant County. Referred to Judiciary (11/17/05) 2/17: to Judiciary comm.
HB1326 (Hope) & SB906 (Whitmire) Judicial Immunity Relating to community supervision and corrections departments and to the immunity of certain judges for administrative acts in connection with those departments. 3/17: HB1326 out of committee. SB906 to Criminal Justice Comm.
HB679 (Gattis) judges, political parties Relating to participation of judges in political parties 2/28: test. taken & left in comm.
SB1080 (Ellis) SB1218 is similar Shorten time for appointment Makes the timeline for appointing counsel in indigent cases ONE day regardless of county size. Impossible for small jurisdictions! As of 3/17 has no actions. Adds specific criteria for determining indigency. Other far-ranging changes to Art. 26.04 CCP. 3/17: no actions
SB1150 (Harris) Parental Consent 
relating to parental consent for the performance of an abortion; 
providing penalties. Filed 3/8.
 3/21: no actions.

 

--------------------

Links to "canned" searches on TLO:

'district judge' 'burnet county' blanco county' 'llano county' 'san saba county'

--------------------

 

Another Court for the 33rd? ›
randomness