|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the disposition by a peace officer of certain Class B |
|
misdemeanors. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Article 14.06(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) Except as otherwise provided by this article or Article |
|
14.07, in each case enumerated in this Code, the person making the |
|
arrest or the person having custody of the person arrested shall |
|
take the person arrested or have that person [him] taken without |
|
unnecessary delay, but not later than 48 hours after the person is |
|
arrested, before the magistrate who may have ordered the arrest, |
|
before some magistrate of the county where the arrest was made |
|
without an order, or, to provide more expeditiously to the person |
|
arrested the warnings described by Article 15.17 [of this Code], |
|
before a magistrate in any other county of this state. The |
|
magistrate shall immediately perform the duties described in |
|
Article 15.17 [of this Code]. |
|
SECTION 2. Chapter 14, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
|
amended by adding Article 14.07 to read as follows: |
|
Art. 14.07. DISPOSITION WITHOUT TAKING OFFENDER BEFORE |
|
MAGISTRATE. (a) A peace officer may dispose of a case based on a |
|
Class B misdemeanor without taking the alleged offender before a |
|
magistrate if: |
|
(1) the disposition is authorized by and is performed |
|
in accordance with guidelines adopted by either: |
|
(A) the district judges trying criminal cases in |
|
each judicial district of the county in which the alleged offender |
|
is arrested and the statutory county court judges trying criminal |
|
cases in the county or counties served by the judicial districts; or |
|
(B) the community justice council serving the |
|
county in which the alleged offender is arrested; and |
|
(2) the peace officer makes a written report of the |
|
officer's disposition to the law enforcement agency employing the |
|
officer, identifying the alleged offender and specifying the |
|
grounds for the disposition. |
|
(b) This article does not apply to a Class B misdemeanor |
|
under: |
|
(1) Section 22.01, 25.04, 37.12, 38.02, 42.01, 42.02, |
|
49.04, 49.05, 49.06, or 49.065, Penal Code; or |
|
(2) Section 545.421, Transportation Code. |
|
(c) Guidelines adopted under Subsection (a)(1) may allow a |
|
peace officer to dispose of a case by: |
|
(1) referring an alleged offender to a governmental |
|
agency other than a court; |
|
(2) referring an alleged offender to one or more |
|
service providers on a list approved by the judges or the community |
|
justice council that adopted the guidelines, such as a |
|
community-based drug or mental health treatment program, a |
|
faith-based organization, a neighborhood restorative justice |
|
panel, or a homeless shelter; or |
|
(3) issuing a warning. |
|
(d) Guidelines adopted under Subsection (a)(1) may not |
|
allow a law enforcement agency to: |
|
(1) keep an alleged offender in custody; or |
|
(2) require an alleged offender to report periodically |
|
to a peace officer or a law enforcement agency or any other |
|
governmental agency. |
|
(e) Not later than January 31 of each year, a law |
|
enforcement agency that is authorized to dispose of a case by |
|
guidelines adopted under Subsection (a)(1) must report to the |
|
judges or the community justice council that adopted the guidelines |
|
the number and kind of dispositions made during the preceding |
|
calendar year by the law enforcement agency and any other |
|
information requested by the judges or council. |
|
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
|
governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
|
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
|
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
|
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
|
before that date. |
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |