Bill Text: TX SJR54 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment abolishing the death penalty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-23 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SJR54 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SJR54-Introduced.html
84R61 MEW-D | ||
By: Lucio | S.J.R. No. 54 |
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proposing a constitutional amendment abolishing the death penalty. | ||
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by | ||
adding Section 13a to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 13a. A penalty of death shall not be imposed against | ||
any person. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 4(b), Article V, Texas Constitution, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) For the purpose of hearing cases, the Court of Criminal | ||
Appeals may sit in panels of three Judges, the designation thereof | ||
to be under rules established by the court. In a panel of three | ||
Judges, two Judges shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of | ||
two Judges shall be necessary for a decision. The Presiding Judge, | ||
under rules established by the court, shall convene the court en | ||
banc for the transaction of all other business and may convene the | ||
court en banc for the purpose of hearing cases. The court must sit | ||
en banc during proceedings involving capital cases [ |
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other cases as required by law. When convened en banc, five Judges | ||
shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of five Judges shall | ||
be necessary for a decision. The Court of Criminal Appeals may | ||
appoint Commissioners in aid of the Court of Criminal Appeals as | ||
provided by law. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 5(b), Article V, Texas Constitution, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) [ |
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appeal of all [ |
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Appeal as prescribed by law. In addition, the Court of Criminal | ||
Appeals may, on its own motion, review a decision of a Court of | ||
Appeals in a criminal case as provided by law. Discretionary review | ||
by the Court of Criminal Appeals is not a matter of right, but of | ||
sound judicial discretion. | ||
SECTION 4. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be | ||
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015. | ||
The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the | ||
proposition: "The constitutional amendment abolishing the death | ||
penalty." |