GOVERNMENT CODE
CHAPTER 23. GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR TRIAL COURTS
SUBCHAPTER A. JURISDICTION
§ 23.001. JUVENILE JURISDICTION. Each district court,
county court, and statutory county court exercising any of the
constitutional jurisdiction of either a county court or a district
court has jurisdiction over juvenile matters and may be designated
a juvenile court.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended
by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 168, § 5, eff. Aug. 30, 1993.
SUBCHAPTER B. PRIORITY IN SETTING HEARINGS AND TRIALS
§ 23.101. PRIMARY PRIORITIES. (a) The trial courts of
this state shall regularly and frequently set hearings and trials
of pending matters, giving preference to hearings and trials of the
following:
(1) temporary injunctions;
(2) criminal actions, with the following actions given
preference over other criminal actions:
(A) criminal actions against defendants who are
detained in jail pending trial;
(B) criminal actions involving a charge that a
person committed an act of family violence, as defined by Section
71.004, Family Code; and
(C) an offense under:
(i) Section 21.11, Penal Code;
(ii) Chapter 22, Penal Code, if the victim
of the alleged offense is younger than 17 years of age;
(iii) Section 25.02, Penal Code, if the
victim of the alleged offense is younger than 17 years of age; or
(iv) Section 25.06, Penal Code;
(3) election contests and suits under the Election
Code;
(4) orders for the protection of the family under
Subtitle B, Title 4, Family Code;
(5) appeals of final rulings and decisions of the
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission and claims under the Federal
Employers' Liability Act and the Jones Act; and
(6) appeals of final orders of the commissioner of the
General Land Office under Section 51.3021, Natural Resources Code.
(b) Insofar as practicable, the trial courts shall observe
the preference provided by Subsection (a) in ruling on, hearing,
and trying the matters pending before the courts.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended
by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 1037, § 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1987; Acts
1989, 71st Leg., ch. 614, § 22, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1989,
71st Leg., ch. 739, § 32, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1989, 71st
Leg., ch. 755, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., 2nd
C.S., ch. 1, § 15.01, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg.,
ch. 465, § 4, eff. June 11, 1991; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 67,
§ 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1279, § 1,
eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 9.001(a),
eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
§ 23.102. SECONDARY PRIORITIES. A matter not included
in Section 23.101 shall be set at the discretion of the trial court
in which the matter is pending, observing the following priorities:
(1) precedence should be given to matters where delay
will cause physical or economic injury to either the parties or the
public;
(2) matters involving substantial substantive or
constitutional rights should take precedence over matters
involving permits, licenses, or privileges;
(3) precedence should be given matters involving
important issues that greatly concern the public or materially
affect the public welfare; and
(4) precedence should be given matters involving
complete restoration of a ward's capacity or modification of a
ward's guardianship.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended
by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 829, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
§ 23.103. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS. Sections 23.101 and
23.102 do not affect a statute directing a specific court to give
preference to cases involving that court's criminal jurisdiction,
family law jurisdiction, or other specified jurisdiction.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.
SUBCHAPTER C. UNIFORM JURY HANDBOOK
§ 23.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "state bar"
means the State Bar of Texas.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 833, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
§ 23.202. UNIFORM JURY HANDBOOK; CONTENTS. (a) The
state bar shall publish a uniform jury handbook that:
(1) informs jurors in lay terminology of the duties
and responsibilities of a juror;
(2) explains basic trial procedures and legal
terminology; and
(3) provides other practical information relating to
jury service.
(b) The state bar shall review and update the uniform jury
handbook annually. A Spanish language version of the handbook
shall be published and made available.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 833, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
§ 23.203. DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBOOK. (a) The state bar
shall distribute copies of the uniform jury handbook to each trial
court of this state in sufficient numbers to meet the requirements
of this subchapter.
(b) The clerk of a trial court shall provide each juror in a
civil or criminal case with a copy of the uniform jury handbook.
The juror shall read the handbook before the juror begins jury
service.
(c) The handbook is a public document. The state bar or a
trial court may distribute the handbook to promote the public's
understanding of jury service.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 833, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
§ 23.204. CONFLICT WITH INSTRUCTION OR CHARGE. If a
provision of the uniform jury handbook is in conflict with an
instruction or charge of a trial judge in a case, the instruction or
charge supersedes the provision of the handbook.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 833, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
