Bill Text: TX HJR37 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment changing the terms of office of a district judge.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-06 - Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence [HJR37 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HJR37-Introduced.html
83R1822 RWG-D | ||
By: Raymond | H.J.R. No. 37 |
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proposing a constitutional amendment changing the terms of office | ||
of a district judge. | ||
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 7, Article V, Texas Constitution, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 7. The State shall be divided into judicial districts, | ||
with each district having one or more Judges as may be provided by | ||
law or by this Constitution. Each district judge shall be elected | ||
by the qualified voters at a General Election and shall be a citizen | ||
of the United States and of this State, who is licensed to practice | ||
law in this State and has been a practicing lawyer or a Judge of a | ||
Court in this State, or both combined, for four (4) years next | ||
preceding the judge's [ |
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district in which the judge [ |
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preceding the [ |
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district during the judge's [ |
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office for the period of six (6) [ |
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receive for the judge's [ |
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by the Legislature. The Court shall conduct its proceedings at the | ||
county seat of the county in which the case is pending, except as | ||
otherwise provided by law. The judge [ |
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terms of the judge's [ |
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in the [ |
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The Legislature shall have power by General or Special Laws to make | ||
such provisions concerning the terms or sessions of each Court as it | ||
may deem necessary. | ||
The Legislature shall also provide for the holding of | ||
District Court when the Judge thereof is absent, or is from any | ||
cause disabled or disqualified from presiding. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 28, Article V, Texas Constitution, is | ||
amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) A vacancy in the office of Chief Justice, Justice, or | ||
Judge of the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, or the | ||
Court of Appeals[ |
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Governor until the next succeeding General Election for state | ||
officers, and at that election the voters shall fill the vacancy for | ||
the unexpired term. | ||
(c) A vacancy in the office of Judge of a District Court | ||
shall be filled by the Governor until the next succeeding General | ||
Election for state officers, and at that election the voters shall | ||
fill the vacancy for a full term, as specified by Section 7, Article | ||
V, of this constitution. | ||
SECTION 3. The following temporary provision is added to | ||
the Texas Constitution: | ||
TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies | ||
to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 83rd Legislature, | ||
Regular Session, 2013, providing a six-year term for a district | ||
judge and providing that a person elected to fill a vacancy in the | ||
office of judge of a district court serves a full term. | ||
(b) The amendments to Sections 7 and 28, Article V, of this | ||
constitution take effect January 1, 2014. The amendment to Section | ||
7 applies only to the term of a district judge that begins on or | ||
after January 1, 2014. The term of a district judge who was elected | ||
or appointed and began serving before January 1, 2014, expires, | ||
unless the judge is otherwise removed as provided by law, at the end | ||
of the term to which the judge was elected or appointed. On the | ||
expiration of that term, the length of the next elected term for the | ||
judge of that district is six years. | ||
(c) This temporary provision expires January 1, 2018. | ||
SECTION 4. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be | ||
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2013. | ||
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the | ||
proposition: "The constitutional amendment to increase the term | ||
of a district judge to six years and to provide that a person | ||
elected to fill a vacancy in the office of judge of a district court | ||
serves a full term." |