June 2003

June 2003
THE SCRIBE
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
TCCA Scholarship
2
Sugar Land Technology
4
Courts on the Move
6
Certification Changes
8
Legislative Update
10
“SERVICIO EXCELENTE” COURTS,
CLERKS, & CUSTOMERS
Make your plans now to attend the 2003 TCCA Annual Conference in
beautiful San Antonio, Texas. The conference will be held October 5-8, 2003
at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk.
Certification prep courses will be held in conjunction with the conference
on Saturday, October 4, 2003 at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk. Room rates are set
at $91 per night. Make sure to state that you are attending the TCCA conference when making your hotel reservation to receive this discounted rate.
As usual, the conference will host a vendor exhibit, presidential reception
and the annual TCCA banquet. Members are encouraged to bring a guest to the
banquet and fun activities are planned for them throughout the conference.
The annual conference is the highlight of the year for TCCA members, the
educational topics are always interesting and members always come away with
new court friends. Registration information will be mailed to all members this
summer. If you do not receive a registration packet, please contact David Preciado, San Antonio Municipal Court, at 210.207.7109.
2003 TCCA
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
October 5— 8, 2003
in San Antonio, Texas
Sessions on legislation,
customer service,
security, technology,
and much more!
Holiday Inn Riverwalk
Page 2
June 2003
TCCA OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS
TCCA is pleased to announce that a scholarship program has been established to aid
clerks in attending approved seminars and/or conferences. The education committee
wishes to encourage development and educational growth of Texas court clerks by administering the scholarship program. Applicants must be regular TCCA members in good standing,
employed a minimum of six months in a municipal or justice court and applicants must be
actively pursuing certification in the TCCA certification program.
Applicants must submit an application and letter of commitment stating how his/her educational and professional
goals will be enhanced by completion of the TCCA certification program. Applications must also be accompanied by a
letter of recommendation from the applicant’s immediate
supervisor. Applications and letters must be received by the
scholarship committee at least 60 days prior to the seminar
date. TCCA members are eligible for two scholarships each
fiscal year.
If you have any questions regarding the scholarship program, please contact Rosie Caballero, Scholarship Committee chairperson, at 972.304.3651.
CHOCOLATE
“Deeds are greater than
knowledge.”
—Anonymous
INCENTIVE FOR LEARNING?
If you haven't attended a certification preparatory class this year, you are missing out on
a wonderful opportunity to enjoy chocolate, fellowship AND learning at the same time. Training has become FUN at the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center seminars. Not only
have most of the sessions become interactive workshops, but the pot has been sweetened
in the Level I and Level II preparatory sessions with a Family Fued/Jeapordy- type game with
the prize being CHOCOLATE!!!
Attendees are divided into teams of three or four students. Each team starts the
game with a bag full of candy in the exact number as questions on the practice exam. The
goal of each team is to get all of the candy out of the other team's bag by coming up with the
correct answer to each question. It has become very evident that court clerks will do ANYthing for CHOCOLATE to include digging in those study guides!!! And the result? Clerks who
attend the sessions are coming away with much more than
if the facilitators just stood up there and gave the answers
away. In four hours, they get to know each other and become team players and most importantly, they actually research and walk away with court operations knowledge
(and of course - chocolate!)
So if you have been putting off attending a prep
session because you were afraid you wouldn't stay awake,
sign up and be entertained, fed chocolate and most importantly reap the final result - becoming a CERTIFIED Municipal Court Clerk!
—Carol E. Gauntt, CMCC
Municipal Court Clerk
City of Richland Hills, TX
The Scribe
Page 3
C E N T R A L C H A P T E R AWA R D S 3 R D A N N U A L
SCHOLARSHIP
On May 9, 2003 the Scholarship Committee made a recommendation to the chapter membership that two (2) $500 scholarships be awarded this year. The chapter received 72 applications within the required filing period. The committee members were Patty Laxson from Hewitt, Phyllis Mathison from Bastrop and Tracie Glaeser from Round Rock. Each member was
responsible for submitting their choice of 5 deserving applicants. From this list of 15 votes,
two students received duplicate votes from the 2003 committee members. The total award
available was $1000. The chapter sells candy several times per year to build the funds for this
program and has a goal to increase this scholarship award each year. In 2001 the chapter
awarded two- $100 scholarships, in 2002 an award of $300 was awarded to one student and
awarded two- $500 scholarships in 2003. The chapter would like to thank all of the supporters
of our “Youth Scholarship” program. Kudos to the membership
who all work extremely hard at
fund raising for this very special
program!
The two recipients are:
Brandy Andrews, LaVega High
School—$500.00
Accepted at the University of
North Texas
Rachel Ballard, Mart High
School—$500.00
Accepted at the University of
Texas – Austin
Brandy Andrews
Rachel Ballard
NEWS FROM THE PANHANDLE
The Panhandle Chapter Meeting was held March 13, 2003 at Old Mexico Restaurant
in Plainview, Texas. There were 4 members present and we had 2 guests. Lora Dockery,
Chapter President, reported on the information that she received at the Mid-Year Conference Board Meeting that she attended in San Antonio This included tentative schedules
of activities, registration forms and cost for the annual conference to be held in San Antonio in October. She also presented information that she had received from Quentin Porter
regarding legislative issues that could affect municipal courts and encouraged members
to review the bills and fax letters to the appropriate committees. Lora also handed out the
TMCEC training calendar and reminded everyone to obtain their 12 hours of training for
the year. After the meeting, a short program on Personal Safety was presented by Lt.
McGee of the Plainview Police Department.
The Panhandle Chapter met on May 8, 2003 at Sundown city hall. The lunch was provided by Sundown Municipal Court and Levelland Municipal Court. We reviewed upcoming
legislative issues that could affect municipal courts. Members were reminded to sign up
for the Legislative Updates in August. Members were asked to volunteer to donate two
door prizes each for the Annual Meeting that will be held in San Antonio. President Lora
Dockery then passed out information that she had received on court decorum and examples that could be used in the court. Chief Shawn Myatt presented a short program on
Court Decorum and keeping order in the court room. The next meeting will be held July
10, 2003 at the County Line in Lubbock, Texas. If you live in and around the Panhandle
Area and are interested in becoming a member please contact: Esmeralda Herrera by email, [email protected] or Lora Dockery at [email protected].
“Prosperity is not the
amount of money you
earn, but the honesty
with which you earn it.”
—Anonymous
Page 4
June 2003
SUGAR
LAND UTILIZES TECHNOLOGY
In recent years, technology has made great advancements in the courtroom and in the
daily operations of the court. In fact, frequent upgrades of personal computers are needed
to keep pace with technological changes. Judges and prosecutors now have access to
computers in the courtroom, enabling them to actually see past offenses of defendants
and improve the decision-making process. Like Sugar Land, most courts in Texas have replaced time-intensive manual procedures with computers and court-related software.
Sugar Land Municipal Court continues to evaluate technology as a way to conduct
business more efficiently and make government more accessible. This is a significant goal
for Sugar Land, a city of 65,000 that grew 158 percent from 1990 to 2000 and was the
fastest growing among the state’s largest 45 cities. Some of the ways Sugar Land has leveraged technology include the following:
" I start with the
premise that the function
of leadership is to
produce more leaders,
not more followers."
·
Court Technology Fund
The 1999 Texas Legislature adopted a Court Technology Fund and fee, effective Sept. 1, 1999, which enables municipal courts to purchase computer systems,
networks, hardware, software, imaging systems, electronic kiosks, electronic ticket
writers and docket management systems. No longer does Sugar Land Municipal
Court or any other court in Texas have to rely solely on the city budget, as this fund
was earmarked specifically for courts.
In order to establish this fund and fee, a City ordinance must be approved;
whereby, a fee not to exceed $4 is established as a cost of the court, which in turn
may be charged to each defendant convicted of a misdemeanor (see Article
102.0172 – Court Costs; Municipal Court Technology Fund). This Article expires
Sept. 1, 2005, unless it is extended at the next legislative session in 2003. Sugar
Land adopted the Court Technology Fund with a $4 fee on Oct. 4, 1999, by City
Ordinance No. 1209.
·
Interactive Voice Response System
Sugar Land Municipal Court was the second court in the state of Texas to install a new telephone system, called the Interactive Voice Response System. Providing defendants with court dates, fine amounts, trial dates, directions to the
court and defensive driving courses. This service is available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Defendants may call (281) 275-2601 to hear the court information in English or (281) 275-2602 to hear the information in Spanish. After providing their driver’s license number and ticket number, voice prompts lead defendants through the telephone system, with an operator available at any time. Recently, an option to pay by credit card was added to the system. This system prevents a trip to court to learn about information such as court dates and fine
amounts and make payments. The Court Technology Fund funded this new technology in Sugar Land.
·
Web Site Services
A variety of Web site services enable municipal courts to work more efficiently. In Sugar Land, citizens have the following options to pay traffic and nontraffic violations incurred in the City of Sugar Land: 1) appear in person at the Municipal Court Building, 1200 Highway 6, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5
pm.; 2) utilize a drop box for envelope payment at the Municipal Court Building; or
3) call 1-888-462-1157 and use a MasterCard or Visa credit card to pay the fine.
The easiest method, however, is to visit Sugar Land’s Web site and pay tickets
online. A menu-driven format guides customers through the payment procedure
using major credit cards. Citizens receiving jury summons also can check the Web
site for updated information on jury duty.
—Ralph Nader
Looking to the future, several court-related technologies are on the drawing board for
Sugar Land Municipal Court, including electronic ticket writers, imaging and video arraignments. These technologies, like those already in place, offer the ability to further improve
judicial administration in our courts and build public trust and confidence.
The Scribe
·
Electronic Ticket Writers
Sugar Land plans this year to implement electronic ticket writers, which have
been on the market for several years. This product is becoming smaller in size
and more durable and rugged for outdoor use. These ticket writers are very efficient with their elimination of data entry of tickets, as well as the need to decipher
the handwriting of police officers.
Thermal paper is used for the ticket, and the device includes a printer. Tickets are printed and presented to offenders for their signatures as a promise to
appear. Some products offer an interface directly to court systems, while others
require a download procedure to interface with the system. Some of these products are more rugged then others and can withstand rain and survive direct hits to
the ground. Some act as a palm pilot and can be utilized for other purposes such
as e-mail and Internet access. The data base contains outstanding warrants,
street locations of the city, all violations including city ordinances, arraignment
dates, and notes for the officers, while the dates come up automatically each day.
They have swipe capabilities for the drivers’ license, eliminating the need for the
officer to key in the information.
·
Imaging
Imaging is not quite so prevalent in Texas courts. Two courts currently are in
the process of imaging but have not completed the cycle; Sugar Land has budgeted for the implementation of this technology. Imaging can significantly reduce
the enormous amount of paperwork generated by a court’s daily operations, a
benefit that eases the endless battle of boxing, storing and labeling. Imaging can
solve these problems, but an archive policy for electronic storage of records must
be approved by the state.
Documents that are created on the court software system are automatically
scanned by the system; therefore, manual scanning is not required. It takes approximately five years to complete the cycle for imaging. This is the designated
time required by the state to maintain court records. It is the dream of all courts
to someday become totally paperless.
Imaging can also capture signatures electronically using an E-pad that allows
defendants to electronically sign court documents. Then with a click, the signatures are placed on the correct lines of electronic forms. Judges can also use an
electronic signature to sign documents in the courtroom, which speeds up the entire process.
·
Video Arraignments
Video arraignments have been around for a few years, but this is not applicable for all courts. A court uses this means when the judge must travel a good distance to another jail location to arraign a prisoner or prisoners. One video camera is installed at the court and the other at the jail site, allowing the defendant to
see the judge and vice versa. This type of technology eliminates the health concerns of the judge as well as security issues because the judge never comes in
direct contact with the defendant. It also saves time and money in transporting
prisoners, as well as security issues with the officer.
Larger courts also use video arraignments because defendants are typically
booked in the county jail, which is often miles from the court. Video arraignments
are perfect for this type of situation. Sugar Land Municipal Court plans to budget
for video arraignments in the near future.
Sugar Land’s commitment to court technology is an organizational initiative intended
to accommodate our citizens, who expect a government that works as efficiently as possible. With a population of mostly college-educated citizens who work in engineering and
technical positions, the City likes to stay one step ahead of its technologically minded community. Sugar Land continues to seek opportunities to make City programs, activities and,
most importantly, the democratic process of governance easily accessible to the community.
—Janell Kucera, Sugar Land Municipal Court
Page 5
" To get others to come
into our ways of
thinking, we must go
over to theirs; and it is
necessary to follow in
order to lead."
—William Hazlitt
Page 6
June 2003
SEMINAR AND CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
June 17-18, 2003—Corpus Christi—TMCEC (Scholarship application deadline—05/15/03)
Omni Bayfront, 361.887.1600
July 21-25, 2003—Austin—TMCEC (Scholarship application deadline—06/01/03)
Radisson Hotel & Suites, 512.478.9611
October 5-8, 2003—San Antonio—TCCA Annual Conference
Holiday Inn Riverwalk (Scholarship application deadline—08/20/03)
COURTS ON THE MOVE
RICHARDSON, TEXAS
" The biggest temptation
is to settle for too little."
—Thomas Merton
After much anticipation, Richardson’s Municipal Court moved to its new location in
March 2003. The new court facility is located at 2100 E. Campbell Road, Richardson,
Texas. The building houses an enlarged courtroom, a larger lobby/waiting area, new
“specialty space” to accommodate jurors, witnesses and juveniles and more than twice the
number of parking spaces for the City facility. The new City courthouse will also have public
restrooms, an amenity that did not exist in the previous facility.
The Court assists more than 200 people a day to pay fines, file documents and set
court dates. When Court is in session, as many as 400 people may pass through the building in a single day. These numbers pushed the 7,500 square foot space of the old building
to its limits since it had only a 400 square foot lobby/waiting area and limited parking
space shared with other establishments.
The courtroom’s sound system,
which features acoustical panels, is
impressive, as are the 95 “theater
seats” for the audience. The old
courtroom had 65 aluminum folding
chairs. “I think what we have now
will be very successful and very useful. The City will be proud if it,” said
Municipal Court Judge, Ray Noah,
who has served since 1994 and is a
Richardson Municipal Court—2100 E. Campbell Road
former Richardson mayor.
“Everyone has been looking forward to the day we move into the new building,” said Municipal Court Administrator, Kimberly Kierce. “Obviously, most people are not very happy to be here, but we do our best to
help them process their legal matters quickly and efficiently. The new facility will definitely
help us do that.”
The 35,000 square foot building not only houses the Court, but also houses the City’s
central records storage, community events, and serves as the City/Richardson ISD data
center.
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS
Round Rock Municipal Court has moved to a new facility. The facility comes complete
with a segregated customer service and full function courtroom. The new address is 301 West
Bagdad Avenue, Ste. 120, Round Rock, Texas, 78664. All phone numbers remain the same.
Level III observations for a medium size court are always welcome.
The Scribe
BEVERLY
Page 7
MCMINN
RECEIVES
SCHOLARSHIP
The Gulf Coast Chapter of TCCA is pleased
to announce a new scholarship program available to chapter members. Every calendar year,
the Gulf Coast Chapter will award a scholarship
for a member to attend the TCCA Annual Conference. Applicants must be members of the
Gulf Coast Chapter, in good standing and be
employed by a municipal court for a minimum
of six months. The scholarship will cover the
cost of the conference registration fee, hotel
accommodations and travel expenses such as
airfare or mileage.
Applicants for the scholarship must submit
an application, letter stating how his/her educational and professional goals will be enhanced
by attendance at the conference, and a letter of
recommendation from the applicant’s immediate supervisor. Applications and letters are due
every year by May 1.
This year the scholarship committee received three applications and the committee
had a very difficult decision to make. All three applicants were deserving of the scholarship. However, only one scholarship per year may be awarded. Jennifer Sullivan, Janell
Kucera and Gulf Coast Chapter President Luane Turvey served on the scholarship committee and assisted in the difficult task of choosing a winner.
This year the scholarship was awarded to Beverly McMinn of Meadows Place. Beverly
has been a member of the Gulf Coast Chapter for 12 years. She is court clerk of a small
city where she performs all of the court duties by herself. She has regularly attended the
Gulf Coast Chapter meetings and always has a positive attitude. She dedicated many
hours of help and work on the 2001 Conference held in Nassau Bay, which was sponsored
by the Gulf Coast Chapter. Congratulations to Beverly!
" Falling down is okay,
as long as you pick
something up while
you're down there."
—Anonymous
SCRIBE EDITOR: JENNIFER SULLIVAN,
KATY MUNICIPAL COURT
The Scribe is published semiannually
by the Texas Court Clerks Association.
Articles for the next newsletter must be
submitted by November 10, 2003.
Send
articles and/or job postings to Jennifer
Sullivan,
P.
O.
Box
617,
Katy,
TX
77492, fax to 281.391.4845 or email to
[email protected].
Job postings and news may also be
posted on TCCA’s website:
www.texascourtclerks.org, contact David
Preciado, San Antonio, 210.207.7109, for
more information regarding the website.
Page 8
June 2003
NORTH TEXAS EXPANDS EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES
With Travel and Training falling victim to budget cuts in several cities around the state,
many clerks are being denied the opportunity to attend annual training as provided by the
Texas Municipal Court Education Center, So the North Texas Chapter decided 'if we can't
get the clerks to the training... we will take the training to the clerks!' Thanks to the staff of
the Texas Municipal Court Education Center, much of what is on the TMCEC agenda this
year has been offered to our membership in conjunction with our bi-monthly meetings. We
are also conducting prep courses for both levels I and II of the certification program on a
monthly basis for the remainder of the fiscal year. Some classes are held on Saturdays
while others are offered during the week. By scheduling sessions in locations reaching all
four corners of our chapter, clerks are given the opportunity to network among themselves,
receive valuable training and see how other clerk's 'live' (as we all know we "live" in our
court offices, or so it seems). Knowing we couldn't have done it without the help of Margaret and her staff, we owe a great debt of gratitude for their willingness to add yet another
road trip to their busy schedules.
We would also like to thank the following cities who have offered up their resources to
provide training environments: Crowley, Weatherford, Irving, Keller, Arlington, Mansfield,
Carrolton, Garland, Richland Hills, and Forest Hill.
For more information, please contact either Carol E. Gauntt, City of Richland Hills,
817.299.1828, [email protected] or Sean Leonard, City of Southlake,
817.481.1859, [email protected].
—Carol Gauntt, NTCCA Education Committee Chair
" The man who views
the world at 50 the same
as he did at 20 has
wasted 30 years of his
life."
—Muhammad Ali
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CHANGES
The following revisions to the Municipal Court Clerk Certification Program went into effect April 1, 2003.
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENT
The most significant change is that non-TCCA members may now participate in the Municipal Court Clerk Certification Program. Thus, it is no longer required to provide proof of
TCCA membership in order to test or to apply for certification.
COST OF TESTING
The exam fee for Level I and Level II exams for TCCA members has not changed—
$50.00 with proof of TCCA membership (copy of TCCA card). For non-TCCA members, the
Level I and Level II exam fee is $75.00. The cost of the Level III exam is the same for TCCA
members and non-TCCA members—$50.00 for the complete exam and $25.00 per part of
the exam.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
For those who are Certified Municipal Court Clerks, Level III certified, the continuing
education requirement has been changed to 20 hours of education each year. The education requirements can be met through approved providers—TMCEC, TMCA, and TCCA (local
chapters and annual conferences).
If you have any questions regarding the certification program, please contact Jo Dale
Bearden, Program Coordinator for TMCEC at 800.252.3718 or [email protected] or
Pennie Jack, Education Committee Chairperson at 817.459.6954 or [email protected].
The Scribe
Page 9
TMCA CONFERENCE SET
The TMCA Annual Meeting will be held September 18-20, 2003 in Galveston, Texas.
There will be education programs provided on the legislative changes and an update on the
fines and fees collections program as well as the annual business meeting. This will be an excellent opportunity to participate with your municipal court colleagues in both a formal academic setting and also in more relaxed social symposiums.
The host hotel will be the San Luis Hotel. The hotel has provided some very attractive discount rates for TMCA members ($80.00 single, $95.00 double) but the number of rooms
blocked for this event is limited so reserve your room as soon as possible. The toll free reservation number is 800.392.5937.
The Annual Awards Dinner honoring both the Clerk of the Year and the Judge of the Year
will be held during the annual meeting. Bring the whole family! Children will enjoy the Treasure Island Kid’s Club and spouses will enjoy shopping, sightseeing, fishing, golf and 32 miles
of beautiful beaches.
The registration fee is $95 and covers all educational sessions, materials, parking, President’s Reception and the Awards Dinner. Additional Awards Dinner tickets are $45 each.
Registration material will be mailed to all TMCA members. If you do not receive a registration form or you would like to join the Texas Municipal Courts Association, visit TMCA’s
website at www.txmca.com.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Wow! This year is really moving along in a fast pace. The Annual Conference is just around the corner. Make your plans now to attend the Annual Conference held in San Antonio, October 5th – 8th. David and Susie have worked
extremely hard putting everything together for the conference. David assures
me that there will not be any activities at the conference to embarrass the men
this year.
Congratulations to all the participants that have achieved Level I, Level
II and Level III Certification. I believe that the secret to success is enthusiasm!
Without it, nothing worthwhile is ever achieved. I also believe in each of you
that have demonstrated enthusiasm in the certification program. Through your
continued dedication to the Certification Program you have achieved educational and professional growth.
The best part of being President is meeting you the members, and sharing new ideas and chocolate. I hope to see each
of you in San Antonio in October.
Conferences Calendar
October 5th-8th - TCCA – San Antonio
September 18th-19th - TMCA - Galveston
November 11th-14th – TTC – Wichita Falls
November 19th-22nd – TML – San Antonio
—Leisa Hardin, TCCA President
" Procrastination is the
key to failure.
If you don't do it today,
who's to say you'll do it
tomorrow?"
—Author Unknown
Page 10
June 2003
L E G I S L A T I V E U P DAT E
The following bills before the legislature are municipal court cost-related. If you would like
more information regarding these and other proposed bills, visit the Texas Legislature
online at www.capitol.state.tx.us.
HB 103 (Bonnen): (1) Impose a $100 court cost on a conviction for an alcohol-related traffic offense; and (2) provide that the revenue shall go to cities and counties for the purchase
of equipment that will assist in the enforcement and prevention of alcohol-related offenses.
(Passed house; referred to senate criminal justice)
HB 418 (Martinez-Fischer): Would provide that 50% of the fines collected by a city only for
child safety belt offenses shall be remitted to the state. Eliminates requirement for 50% of
adult safety belt offenses. (Passed house; referred to senate criminal justice)
HB 1066 (Goodman): Would repeal the statutory provision that ends the authority to collect the municipal court technology fee on September 1, 2005. (Passed House and Senate
and sent to Governor for signature)
HB 2236 (Davis): Would allow a municipal court of record to impose a $3 court cost on a
person convicted of a misdemeanor offense involving family violence and would allow a city
to create a victim’s advocacy fund to be used to finance victim’s advocacy programs.
(Referred to county affairs)
HB 2542 (Bonnen): Would require an additional $100 court cost on alcohol or drug related
convictions. Revenue would be retained by local jurisdictions to assist in the enforcement
and prevention of intoxication and drug offenses. (Referred to criminal jurisprudence)
" All the things you
want to be, you already
are."
—Author Unknown
HB 2572 (Moreno): Would impose a new $50 state court cost on all alcohol and controlled
substance offenses. The revenue would be used to fund county drug court programs.
(Referred to criminal jurisprudence)
HB 2853 (Rodriguez): Would impose an additional $1 court cost. State comptroller is required to deposit revenue in the “judicial integrity account”. (Referred to judicial affairs)
HB 3148 (Wilson): Would require courts to remit to state from $100 up to $250 of fine
collected on convictions of various offenses. (Referred to ways & means)
HB 3588 (Krusee, Delisi, Capelo, Turner, Phillips) – Omnibus Transportation bill: Would
require a $30 state court cost on traffic convictions and deferred disposition. Twenty dollars ($20) would be sent to the Texas Mobility fund and $10 to trauma care. (Passed
house)
SB 325 (Armbrister): Would require the state comptroller to compile a list of court fees
adopted or increased during each legislative session and publish the list in the Texas Register no later than August 1 following the end of a legislative session, and would provide
that any new or increased court fee would not become effective until January 1, after the
effective date of the law imposing the new cost or fee. (Passed senate; referred to house
judicial affairs)
SB 458 (Armbrister): Would require the state auditor’s office to conduct an impact statement for each bill or proposed constitutional amendment that would impose a court cost
on a criminal case or increase an existing court cost imposed in a criminal case; and would
provide that the impact statement must show the total amount of court costs and fees a
person would be required to pay under the proposed bill. (Passed senate; referred to
house criminal jurisprudence)
The Scribe
Page 11
L E G I S L A T I V E U P DAT E C O N T I N U E D
SB 502 (Armbrister): (1) Consolidate the collection and remittance of all court costs and
fees collected in municipal court; (2) establish a court cost of $40 for all non-jailable misdemeanors; (3) provide a uniform definition for the term “conviction” for purposes of determining when court costs and fees are due; and (4) provide for quarterly submittal of the
fees. (Passed senate; referred to house ways & means)
SB 660: Would establish a maximum fine of $500 and minimum fine of $200 for a person
convicted of exceeding the speed limit by more than 25 miles-per-hour. The court would be
required to send $200 to the state to fund a statewide traffic safety program. (Passed senate; referred to house transportation)
SB 663 (Ogden): Would impose an additional $2.50 state court cost on all convictions;
20% would be used to fund the center for transportation safety, and the remainder to the
state general fund for DPS. (Passed senate; referred to house law enforcement; hearing
May 12)
SB 1180 (West): Would create a new section in the Texas Government Code for all state
court costs charged. (Passed senate; referred to house judicial affairs)
TCCA BOARD MEMBERS
President—Leisa Hardin, Crowley—817.297.2201 x103
Vice-President—Lynda Kilgore, Baytown—281.425.1020
Treasurer—Janell Kucera, Sugar Land—281.275.2561
Secretary—Shona Bohon, Midland—915.685.7304
TML Representative—Quentin Porter, San Antonio—210.207.7711
Past-President—Rosie Caballero, Coppell—972.304.3651
Director At Large—Elaine Brown, Katy—281.391.4823
Director At Large—Carol Gauntt, Richland Hills—817.299.1828
Director At Large—Linda Gossett, San Angelo—915.657.4366
Director At Large—David Preciado, San Antonio—210.207.7109
Director At Large—Mary Swingle, Granbury—817.573.8541
Director At Large—Pennie Jack, Arlington—817.459.6954
Central Texas Chapter President—Linda Pavelka, Lacy Lakeview—254.799.2458
North Texas Chapter President—Sean Leonard, Southlake—817.481.1859
Northeast Texas Chapter President—Vacant
Panhandle Chapter President—Lora Dockery, Sundown—806.229.3131
Gulf Coast Chapter President—Luane
Turvey, Webster—281.316.4105
Hill Country Chapter—Susie Garcia,
San Antonio—210.207.7528
West Texas Chapter—Anita Chapman,
Abilene—915.676.6304
General Counsel—Richard Butler,
Austin—512.371.9995 x 3216
" Bravery is the capacity
to perform properly even
when scared half to
death."
—General Omar
Nelson Bradley
2003 TCCA
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
October 5— 8, 2003
in San Antonio, Texas
Jennifer Sullivan
Katy Municipal Court
P. O. Box 617
Katy, Texas 77492
Phone: 281.391.4824
Fax: 281.391.4845
Email: [email protected]
We’re on the web
www.texascourtclerks.org
WEBSITES OF INTEREST
Attorney General of Texas
www.oag.state.tx.us
You will find everything you need to know about the Office of the Attorney General
on this helpful website. Check out news releases, publications, conferences and
information regarding governmental records. A current list of Attorney General
Opinions is also listed on the website.
Professional Convention Management Association
www.pcma.org
PCMA is The Source for outstanding education offerings, networking opportunities,
community service, and much more. Learn about PCMA and its governance, membership, community service offerings, and latest news. Check out this website for
an interesting article on the American Flag and how it should be displayed in your
courtroom.
Texas Department of Public Safety
www.txdps.state.tx.us
Visit the Texas Department of Public Safety’s detailed website. You will find information regarding mandates, lists of driver license offices, crime statistics, and
driver training and education information. You can even download forms to renew
your driver’s license or request a certified copy of your driving record.