Bill Text: TX SB628 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to bail proceedings and related duties of a magistrate in a criminal case.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-03 - Co-author authorized [SB628 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB628-Introduced.html

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86R7495 MAW-D
By: Whitmire S.B. No. 628

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to bail proceedings and related duties of a magistrate in a
criminal case.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Damon Allen Act.
SECTION 2. Article 1.07, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 1.07. RIGHT TO BAIL. (a) Except as provided by
Subsection (b) or Chapter 17, any person [All prisoners] shall be
eligible for bail, [bailable] unless the person is accused of a
[for] capital offense for which [offenses when] the proof is
evident. This provision shall not be [so] construed [as] to prevent
bail after indictment found upon examination of the evidence, in
such manner as may be prescribed by law.
(b) A person may be denied bail pending trial if a judge or
magistrate determines by clear and convincing evidence that
requiring bail and conditions of release is insufficient to
reasonably ensure:
(1) the person's appearance in court as required; or
(2) the safety of the community or the victim of the
alleged offense.
SECTION 3. Chapter 17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended by adding Articles 17.027, 17.028, 17.029, 17.034, 17.035,
17.036, and 17.037 to read as follows:
Art. 17.027. PRETRIAL RISK ASSESSMENT. (a) The judges of
the county courts, statutory county courts, and district courts
trying criminal cases in each county shall adopt an instrument to be
used in conducting a pretrial risk assessment of a defendant
charged with an offense in that county. The instrument adopted must
be the automated pretrial risk assessment system developed under
Section 72.033, Government Code, or another instrument that is:
(1) objective, validated for its intended use, and
standardized; and
(2) based on an analysis of empirical data and risk
factors relevant to:
(A) the risk of a defendant failing to appear in
court as required; and
(B) the safety of the community or the victim of
the alleged offense if the defendant is released.
(b) A magistrate considering the release on bail of a
defendant charged with an offense punishable as a Class B
misdemeanor or any higher category of offense shall order that:
(1) the personal bond office established under Article
17.42 for the county in which the defendant is being detained, or
other suitably trained person, use the instrument adopted under
Subsection (a) to conduct a pretrial risk assessment with respect
to the defendant; and
(2) the results of the assessment be provided to the
magistrate without unnecessary delay to ensure that the magistrate
is able to make a bail decision under Article 17.028 within the
period required by Subsection (a) of that article.
(c) A magistrate may not, without the consent of the
sheriff, order a sheriff or sheriff's department personnel to
conduct a pretrial risk assessment under Subsection (b).
(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a magistrate may
personally conduct a pretrial risk assessment using an instrument
adopted under Subsection (a).
(e) The magistrate must consider the results of the pretrial
risk assessment before making a bail decision under Article 17.028.
Art. 17.028. BAIL DECISION. (a) Without unnecessary delay
but not later than 48 hours after a defendant is arrested, a
magistrate shall order, after considering all circumstances and the
results of the pretrial risk assessment conducted under Article
17.027, that the defendant be:
(1) released on personal bond or monetary bail bond
without conditions;
(2) released on personal bond or monetary bail bond
with any condition the magistrate determines necessary; or
(3) denied bail in accordance with this chapter and
other law.
(b) In making a bail decision under this article, the
magistrate shall impose, as applicable, the least restrictive
conditions and minimum amount of bail, whether personal bond or
monetary bail bond, necessary to reasonably ensure the defendant's
appearance in court as required and the safety of the community and
the victim of the alleged offense.
(c) In each criminal case, there is a rebuttable presumption
that monetary bail, conditions of release, or both monetary bail
and conditions of release are sufficient to reasonably ensure the
defendant's appearance in court as required and the safety of the
community and the victim of the alleged offense. For purposes of
rebutting the presumption established by this subsection, the court
may consider the results of the defendant's pretrial risk
assessment and other information as applicable.
(d) A magistrate may not require a defendant to provide a
monetary bail bond for the sole purpose of preventing the
defendant's release on bail.
(e) A magistrate who denies a defendant's bail shall inform
the defendant that the defendant is entitled to a bail review
hearing under Article 17.034 and, as soon as practicable but not
later than 24 hours after denying bail, issue a written order of
denial that includes findings of fact and a statement of the
magistrate's reasons for the denial.
(f) If the magistrate determines that a defendant is not
indigent and is able to pay any costs related to a condition of the
defendant's bail, the magistrate shall assess the costs as court
costs or order the costs to be paid directly by the defendant as a
condition of release.
(g) A judge may not adopt a bail schedule or enter a standing
order related to bail that:
(1) is inconsistent with this article; or
(2) authorizes a magistrate to make a bail decision
for a defendant without considering the results of the defendant's
pretrial risk assessment.
(h) This article does not prohibit a sheriff or other peace
officer, or a jailer licensed under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code,
from accepting bail under Article 17.20 or 17.22 before a pretrial
risk assessment has been conducted with respect to the defendant or
before a bail decision has been made by a magistrate under this
article.
Art. 17.029. DEFENDANT APPEARING IN RESPONSE TO CITATION.
A defendant who appears before a magistrate as ordered by citation
may not be temporarily detained for purposes of conducting a
pretrial risk assessment or for a magistrate to issue a bail
decision. The magistrate, after performing the duties imposed by
Article 15.17, shall release the defendant on personal bond, unless
the defendant is lawfully detained on another matter.
Art. 17.034. BAIL REVIEW HEARING REQUIRED. (a) As soon as
practicable after a defendant's bail is denied under Article
17.028, but not later than the 10th day after the date the
magistrate issues the written order denying bail, the court in
which the defendant's case is pending shall conduct a hearing
regarding whether to detain the defendant pending the trial of the
offense.
(b) A defendant may voluntarily and intelligently waive in
writing the defendant's right to a bail review hearing. The court
or the attorney representing the state may not direct or encourage
the defendant to waive the defendant's right to a bail review
hearing. A waiver under this subsection shall be filed with and
become part of the record of the proceedings. A waiver obtained in
violation of this subsection is presumed invalid. A defendant may
withdraw a waiver under this subsection at any time.
(c) A defendant is entitled to be represented by counsel at
a bail review hearing, and an indigent defendant is entitled to have
counsel appointed to represent the defendant for that purpose.
(d) The defendant may present any relevant information at
the bail review hearing, including by testifying, presenting
witnesses, and cross-examining witnesses presented by the attorney
representing the state.
(e) The rules of evidence applicable to criminal trials do
not apply to a bail review hearing. The defendant or the attorney
representing the state may request a proffer of a witness's
testimony before the witness is presented.
(f) A defendant may not use a bail review hearing to:
(1) seek discovery or conduct an examining trial; or
(2) harass a victim of or witness to the alleged
offense.
(g) At any time during the period occurring after the bail
review hearing concludes and before the trial of the offense
commences, and regardless of whether the defendant was released or
confined as a result of that hearing, the court may reopen the bail
review hearing based on new information that the court determines
is material to the issue of whether monetary bail or conditions of
release will reasonably ensure the defendant's appearance in court
as required and the safety of the community and the victim of the
alleged offense.
Art. 17.035. BAIL REVIEW HEARING: FINDING AND ORDER. (a)
In a bail review hearing, the court shall consider:
(1) the nature and circumstances of the offense
charged;
(2) the weight of the evidence against the defendant,
including whether the evidence is likely to be admissible in the
trial of the offense;
(3) the history and characteristics of the defendant,
including:
(A) the defendant's character, physical and
mental condition, family ties, employment, financial resources,
length of residence in and other ties to the community, past
conduct, criminal history including any prior offenses involving
peace officers, history relating to drug or alcohol abuse, and
history of attendance at court proceedings; and
(B) whether, at the time of the offense, the
defendant was on community supervision, parole, or mandatory
supervision or was otherwise released pending trial, sentencing,
or appeal for any offense, including an offense under federal law or
the law of another state;
(4) the nature and seriousness of the danger to the
community or the victim of the alleged offense as a result of the
defendant's release on bail, if applicable;
(5) the nature and seriousness of the risk of
obstruction to the criminal justice process as a result of the
defendant's release on bail, if applicable;
(6) the results of the defendant's pretrial risk
assessment; and
(7) any other relevant information.
(b) The judge shall order the defendant to be released in
accordance with Article 17.028 unless the judge finds by clear and
convincing evidence that requiring bail and conditions of release
is insufficient to reasonably ensure the defendant's appearance in
court as required or the safety of the community or the victim of
the alleged offense. If the judge makes the finding described by
this subsection, the judge shall:
(1) deny the defendant's bail; and
(2) issue a written order of denial that includes
findings of fact and a statement of the judge's reasons for the
denial.
Art. 17.036. BAIL REVIEW HEARING: CONTINUANCE. Except for
good cause shown, the court may not authorize a continuance for more
than five days, excluding weekends and legal holidays.
Art. 17.037. BAIL REVIEW HEARING: APPEAL. A defendant is
entitled to appeal a denial of bail. The defendant shall be
detained in jail pending the appeal. The court of criminal appeals
shall adopt rules accelerating the disposition by the appellate
court and the court of criminal appeals of an appeal under this
article.
SECTION 4. Section 4, Article 17.09, Code of Criminal
Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
article, the judge or magistrate in whose court a criminal action is
pending may not order the accused to be rearrested or require the
accused to give another bond in a higher amount because the accused:
(1) withdraws a waiver of the right to counsel; [or]
(2) requests the assistance of counsel, appointed or
retained; or
(3) is formally charged with the same offense for
which the accused was initially arrested and bond was given.
SECTION 5. Article 17.15, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 17.15. RULES FOR SETTING [FIXING] AMOUNT OF BAIL. (a)
The amount of bail to be required in any case is to be regulated by
the court, judge, magistrate, or officer taking the bail and is [;
they are to be] governed [in the exercise of this discretion] by the
Constitution and [by] the following rules:
(1) [1.] The bail shall be sufficiently high to give
reasonable assurance that the undertaking will be complied with.
(2) [2.] The power to require bail is not to be so used
as to make it an instrument of oppression.
(3) [3.] The nature of the offense, [and] the
circumstances under which the offense [it] was committed, and the
defendant's criminal history, including any prior offenses
involving peace officers or family violence, are to be considered.
(4) [4.] The ability to make bail is to be considered
[regarded], and proof may be taken upon this point.
(5) [5.] The future safety of a victim of the alleged
offense and the community shall be considered.
(6) The results of a pretrial risk assessment shall be
considered.
(b) In this article, "family violence" has the meaning
assigned by Section 71.004, Family Code.
SECTION 6. Chapter 17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended by adding Article 17.251 to read as follows:
Art. 17.251. NOTIFICATION OF CONDITIONS OF RELEASE. (a) A
magistrate authorizing a defendant's release on bail shall, if
applicable, provide written notice to the defendant of:
(1) the conditions of the defendant's release; and
(2) the penalties of violating a condition of release,
including the defendant's arrest.
(b) The notice under Subsection (a) must be provided in a
manner that is sufficiently clear and specific to serve as a guide
for the defendant's conduct while released.
SECTION 7. Section 4, Article 17.42, Code of Criminal
Procedure, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding
Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, if a
court releases a defendant [an accused] on personal bond on the
recommendation of a personal bond office, the court shall assess a
personal bond fee of $20 or three percent of the amount of the bail
fixed for the defendant [accused], whichever is greater. The court
may waive the fee or assess a lesser fee if the court determines
that the defendant is indigent or demonstrates an inability to pay
the fee or if other good cause is shown. A court that requires a
defendant to give a personal bond under Article 45.016 may not
assess a personal bond fee under this subsection. A court may
require that a personal bond fee assessed under this subsection be
paid:
(1) before the defendant is released;
(2) as a condition of release; or
(3) as court costs.
(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the court or jailer
may not refuse to release a defendant based solely on the
defendant's failure to pay a personal bond fee if the defendant is
indigent or demonstrates an inability to pay the fee.
SECTION 8. Section 27.005(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) For purposes of removal under Chapter 87, Local
Government Code, "incompetency" in the case of a justice of the
peace includes the failure of the justice to successfully complete:
(1) within one year after the date the justice is first
elected, an 80-hour course in the performance of the justice's
duties, including not less than four hours of instruction regarding
the justice's duties:
(A) under Article 15.17, Code of Criminal
Procedure; and
(B) with respect to setting bail in criminal
cases; and
(2) each following year, a 20-hour course in the
performance of the justice's duties, including not less than:
(A) two hours of instruction regarding the
justice's duties:
(i) under Article 15.17, Code of Criminal
Procedure; and
(ii) with respect to setting bail in
criminal cases; and
(B) 10 hours of instruction regarding
substantive, procedural, and evidentiary law in civil matters.
SECTION 9. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 72.033 to read as follows:
Sec. 72.033. AUTOMATED PRETRIAL RISK ASSESSMENT SYSTEM;
PRETRIAL RISK ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. For purposes of Article
17.027, Code of Criminal Procedure, the office shall develop an
automated pretrial risk assessment system and make the system
available to judges and other magistrates in this state at no cost
to a county, municipality, or magistrate. The office shall also
make available nonautomated pretrial risk assessment instruments
to judges and other magistrates in this state at no cost to a
county, municipality, or magistrate.
SECTION 10. The following provisions of the Code of
Criminal Procedure are repealed:
(1) Article 17.03(g); and
(2) Sections 5(c) and 6(c), Article 17.42.
SECTION 11. (a) Section 27.005(a)(1), Government Code, as
amended by this Act, applies only to a justice of the peace who is
first elected or appointed on or after the effective date of this
Act. A justice of the peace who is first elected or appointed
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
effect on the date the justice was first elected or appointed, and
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
(b) A justice of the peace serving on the effective date of
this Act must complete the justice's initial two hours of
instruction required by Section 27.005(a)(2)(A), Government Code,
as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2020.
SECTION 12. Not later than September 1, 2020, the Office of
Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall develop the
automated pretrial risk assessment system and make available
automated or nonautomated pretrial risk assessment instruments as
required by Section 72.033, Government Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 13. Not later than September 1, 2020, the judges of
the county courts, statutory county courts, and district courts
trying criminal cases in each county shall adopt a pretrial risk
assessment instrument as required by Article 17.027, Code of
Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act.
SECTION 14. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a person who is arrested on or after September 1, 2020. A person
arrested before September 1, 2020, is governed by the law in effect
immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former
law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 15. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
(b) Section 2 of this Act takes effect December 1, 2019, but
only if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is approved by the voters to
authorize the denial of bail to an accused person if necessary to
ensure the person's appearance in court and the safety of the
community and the victim of the alleged offense. If that amendment
is not approved by the voters, Section 2 of this Act has no effect.