| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to postponement of jury service in certain counties. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 62, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 62.0147 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 62.0147. MEANS OF POSTPONEMENT OF JURY SERVICE IN |
|
|
CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a county that |
|
|
has: |
|
|
(1) a council of judges composed of the judges of the |
|
|
district courts and county courts at law; and |
|
|
(2) a designated jury duty court that addresses |
|
|
administrative matters related to jury service paid for by the |
|
|
county. |
|
|
(b) A person summoned for jury service may request a |
|
|
postponement of the person's initial appearance for jury service. |
|
|
The person may request the postponement by contacting the council |
|
|
of judges' designee, in person, in writing, or by telephone before |
|
|
the date on which the person is summoned to appear. |
|
|
(c) On receipt of a request under Subsection (b), the |
|
|
council of judges' designee shall grant the person a postponement |
|
|
if: |
|
|
(1) the person has not been granted a postponement in |
|
|
that county since the date on which the jury wheel from which the |
|
|
person was selected to appear was most recently reconstituted; and |
|
|
(2) the designee and the person determine a substitute |
|
|
date on which the person will appear for jury service that is not |
|
|
later than six months after the date on which the person was |
|
|
originally summoned to appear. |
|
|
(d) A person who is granted a postponement under Subsection |
|
|
(c) may request additional postponements in the manner described by |
|
|
Subsection (b). The council of judges' designee may grant an |
|
|
additional postponement if the designee and the person determine |
|
|
that the person has a legitimate reason for the postponement. |
|
|
Before the designee may grant the additional postponement, the |
|
|
designee and the person must determine a date on which the person |
|
|
will appear for jury service that is not later than six months after |
|
|
the date on which the person was to appear after the later of the |
|
|
date of: |
|
|
(1) a postponement under Subsection (c); or |
|
|
(2) the last postponement granted under this |
|
|
subsection. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
|
to a person summoned to appear for jury service who is required to |
|
|
appear on or after the effective date of this Act. A person |
|
|
summoned to appear for jury service who is required to appear before |
|
|
the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
|
|
the date the person is required to appear, and the former law is |
|
|
continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |