MINUTES 
          
                        SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE 
                             Wednesday, July 8, 1998 
                                     1:00 pm 
                          Dallas City Council Chambers 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on  
         Jurisprudence was held on Wednesday, July 8, 1998 in the City  
         Council Chambers, at Dallas, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Rodney Ellis                    Senator Chris Harris 
         Senator David Cain                      Senator Robert Duncan 
                                                 Senator Gregory Luna 
                                                 Senator Steve Ogden 
                                                 Senator Jeff Wentworth 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 12:56 pm.  The  
         following business was transacted.   
          
         The following members arrived after the roll was called:   
         none. 
          
         The Honorable Earl Bullock, Dallas County Clerk, testified on  
         county fine collection. 
          
         Mr. Jerry Benedict, representing the Office of Court  
         Administration, testified on current county fine collection  
         initiatives in Texas. 
         Mr. Rene Henry, representing the Office of Court  
         Administration, testified on the amount of fines collected. 
         Mr. Douglas Rybacki, representing the Office of Court  
         Administration, testified on the use of technology in fine  
         collection. 
         Mr. Aron Waisman, representing the Comptroller of Public  
         Accounts, testified on court costs and fees. 
         Ms. Kathleen Forrest, representing the Comptroller of Public  
         Accounts, testified on the dispersal of fines collected. 
         Ms. Cheryl North, representing the Texas Department of  
         Criminal Justice Community Justice Assistance Division,  
         testified on fines collected by adult probation. 
          
         At 1:54 Senator Cain assumed the chair. 
          
         Ms. Carole Carpenter, representing the Texas Department of  
  
         Criminal Justice Parole Division, testified regarding parolee  
         placement and fine collection. 
          
         At 1:58 Senator Ellis resumed the chair. 
          
         The Honorable Mark Evans, Trinity County Judge representing  
         the Texas Association of Counties, testified on criminal fine  
         collection initiatives in the counties. 
         Ms. Becky Sirmans, representing Brazoria County, testified on  
         Brazoria's fine collection program. 
         The Honorable Tom Wilder, Tarrant County District Clerk,  
         testified on fine collection as a condition of parole. 
         The Honorable David Daniels, Dallas County District Clerk,  
         testified on increasing felony fine collections. 
          
         Ms. Shirley Armstrong, Grand Prairie Municipal Clerk  
         representing the Texas Municipal League, testified on state  
         fees. 
         Mr. James Mongaras, representing the City of Dallas, testified  
         on fine collection and alternatives to collection. 
         Mr. Thomas Giamboi, representing the Municipal Services  
         Bureau, testified on private fine collection. 
          
         Senator Ellis announced the next meeting of the Senate  
         Jurisprudence Committee would  be September 10 in Lubbock. 
          
         There being no further business, at 2:48 pm Senator Ellis  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the Chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Rodney Ellis, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Rick Svatora, Clerk