Bill Text: TX HB560 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the qualifications for service as a grand juror.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB560 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB560-Introduced.html
84R2855 AJZ-D | ||
By: Dutton | H.B. No. 560 |
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relating to the qualifications for service as a grand juror. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Article 19.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
Art. 19.08. QUALIFICATIONS. No person shall be selected or | ||
serve as a grand juror who does not possess the following | ||
qualifications: | ||
1. The person must be a citizen of the state, and of | ||
the county in which the person is to serve, and be qualified under | ||
the Constitution and laws to vote in said county, provided that the | ||
person's failure to register to vote shall not be held to disqualify | ||
the person in this instance; | ||
2. The person must be of sound mind and good moral | ||
character; | ||
3. The person must be able to read and write; | ||
4. The person must not have been convicted of | ||
misdemeanor theft or a felony; | ||
5. The person must not be under indictment or other | ||
legal accusation for misdemeanor theft or a felony; | ||
6. The person must not be related within the third | ||
degree of consanguinity or second degree of affinity, as determined | ||
under Chapter 573, Government Code, to any person selected to serve | ||
or serving on the same grand jury; | ||
7. The person must not have served as a [ |
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which the term of court for which the person has been selected as a | ||
grand juror begins; | ||
8. The person must not be a complainant in any matter | ||
to be heard by the grand jury during the term of court for which the | ||
person has been selected as a grand juror; and | ||
9. The person must not have served as a grand juror | ||
during the two-year period preceding the date on which the term of | ||
court for which the person has been selected as a grand juror | ||
begins. | ||
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only | ||
to qualifications for grand jury service for a person required to | ||
appear for grand jury service by a summons made on or after | ||
September 1, 2015. The qualifications of a person required to | ||
appear for grand jury service before September 1, 2015, are | ||
governed by the law in effect on the date the summons is made, and | ||
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |