Bill Text: TX HB3136 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the jurisdiction and powers of a criminal law hearing officer in Cameron County.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-19 - Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence [HB3136 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB3136-Introduced.html

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83R7948 RWG-D
By: Lucio III H.B. No. 3136

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the jurisdiction and powers of a criminal law hearing
officer in Cameron County.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 54.1356(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) A criminal law hearing officer appointed under this
subchapter has limited concurrent jurisdiction over criminal cases
filed in the district courts, statutory county courts, and justice
courts of the county. The jurisdiction of the criminal law hearing
officer is limited to:
(1) determining probable cause for further detention
of any person detained on a criminal complaint, information, or
indictment filed in the district courts, statutory county courts,
or justice courts of the county;
(2) committing the defendant to jail, discharging the
defendant from custody, or admitting the defendant to bail, as the
law and facts of the case require;
(3) issuing search warrants and arrest warrants as
provided by law for magistrates;
(4) as to criminal cases filed in justice courts,
disposing of cases as provided by law, other than by trial, and
collecting fines and enforcing judgments and orders of the justice
courts in criminal cases;
(5) hearing, considering, and ruling on writs of
habeas corpus filed under Article 17.151, Code of Criminal
Procedure; [and]
(6) on motion of the district attorney:
(A) dismissing a criminal case when the arresting
agency has not timely filed the offense report with the district
attorney; and
(B) reducing the amount of bond on prisoners held
at the county jail whose cases have not been filed in a district
court or a statutory county court; and
(7) presiding over an extradition proceeding under
Article 51.13, Code of Criminal Procedure.
SECTION 2. Section 54.1358, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) In accordance with Article 26.13, Code of Criminal
Procedure, a criminal law hearing officer may accept a plea of
guilty or nolo contendere from a defendant charged with a
misdemeanor offense.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.