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AN ACT
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relating to the Harrison County Court at Law. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.1042, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (d), and (g) and adding Subsection (h) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section |
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25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Harrison County has |
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concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, on assignment of a |
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district judge presiding in Harrison County, in: |
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(1) family law cases and proceedings; |
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(2) felony cases other than capital murder cases; and |
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(3) civil cases. |
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(d) A party to a case assigned under Subsection (a) may |
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request a jury of 12 persons if the party makes the request not |
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later than the 30th day before the trial date. Except as provided by |
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Subsection (h), a [A] party who does not make a timely request under |
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this subsection waives the right to request a 12-person jury and the |
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case will proceed with a six-person jury. |
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(g) The criminal district attorney is entitled to the same |
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fees prescribed by law for prosecutions in the county court, except |
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that in cases assigned under Subsection (a), the criminal district |
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attorney is entitled to the same fees prescribed by law for |
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prosecutions in a district court. |
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(h) A jury must be composed of 12 members in: |
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(1) any civil case pending in which the amount in |
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controversy is $200,000 or more; and |
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(2) any felony case. |
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SECTION 2. Section 25.1042(a), Government Code, as amended |
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by this Act, and Section 25.1042(h), Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, apply only to an action filed on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. An action filed before the effective date of this |
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Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the action was |
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filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 4199 was passed by the House on May |
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15, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 1, 2 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 4199 was passed by the Senate on May |
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26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: _____________________ |
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Date |
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_____________________ |
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Governor |