TITLE: Relating to the operation and administration of the Walker County Court at Law.

SUMMARY: Relating to the operation and administration of the Walker County Court at Law.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to the operation and administration of the Walker County Court at Law. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 25.2382, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (g), (h), (i), and (k) and adding Subsection (m) to read as follows: (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Walker County has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in [: [(1)] family law cases and proceedings [; and [(2) cases and proceedings involving justiciable controversies and differences between spouses, between parents, or between parent and child, or between any of these and third persons].(g) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law in family law cases and proceedings [the cases enumerated in Subsections (a)(2)(B) and (C)],and the county clerk serves as clerk of the court in all other matters. The commissioners court may employ as many deputy sheriffs and bailiffs as are necessary to serve a county court at law. (h) The judge of a county court at law shall set the [may, instead of appointing an] official court reporter's salary at an amount that does not exceed the salary of an official court reporter for a district court [reporter, contract for the services of a court reporter under guidelines established by the commissioners court].(i) Except as otherwise required by law, a jury in a county court at law shall be composed of six members [If a family law case is tried before a jury, the jury shall be composed of 12 members].(k) All cases appealed from the justice courts and other courts of inferior jurisdiction in the county shall be made directly [direct] to a county court at law, unless otherwise provided by law. (m) The judge of a county court at law and a judge of a district court may exchange benches and transfer cases with the approval of the judges and in the same manner that judges of district courts exchange benches and transfer cases under Section 24.003. SECTION 2. Section 25.2382(e), Government Code, is repealed. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.