House Committee to Focus on Criminal Code
When the House committee appointments came out last week, lawmakers found that there was a new committee, which came as a surprise even to its appointed members. House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, had designated a House Select Committee on Criminal Procedure Reform.
The Code of Criminal Procedure governs criminal law in Texas and includes statutes on arrests, warrants, trials and appeals. First written in 1856, it was revised in its entirety in 1965. Numerous groups, including prosecutors and defense lawyers, agree the code could be better organized, and they say it will be a massive job.
“It’s behind ...
Comments (3)
Tom Sweazea via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Start by putting convicted felon Tom DeLay behind bars...NOW!!
david fisher
I was told last summer there would be an attempt to rewrite CCP 49.25, the medical examiner statute, because it was determined the medical examiner offices of the state were in violation of the constitution. Oddly enough, all the members appointed to the House Committee are in districts where the medical examiners have been challenged.
Mack Green
To ask lawyers (lawmakers) to organize and make efficient our Byzantine criminal code might result in a serious cut in the hours charged to clients to resolve their legal problems. A conflict of interest would arise. Legal conflicts taking years to resolve involving tortured logical obfuscation of law is their bread and butter. Why reform? Justice, they don' need no stinking justice.