Bill Text: TX HJR61 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment changing the terms of office of a district judge.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 10-5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-05 - Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal [HJR61 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HJR61-Introduced.html

---

82R3012 PMO-D
By: Raymond H.J.R. No. 61

A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment to increase the terms of
district judges to six years.
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 [his] election, who has resided in the
district in which the judge [he] was elected for two (2) years next
preceding the [his] election, and who shall reside in the [his]
district during the judge's [his] term of office and hold the [his]
office for the period of six (6) [four (4)] years, and who shall
receive for the judge's [his] services an annual salary to be fixed
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 [He] shall hold the regular
terms of the judge's [his] Court at the County Seat of each County
in the [his] district in such manner as may be prescribed by law.
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. The following temporary provision is added to
the Texas Constitution:
TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies
to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 82nd Legislature,
Regular Session, 2011, providing a six-year term for a district
judge.
(b) The amendment to Section 7, Article V, of this
constitution takes effect January 1, 2012, and applies only to the
term of a district judge that begins on or after that date. The term
of a district judge who was elected or appointed before January 1,
2012, 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, 2016.
SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2011.
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."