Texas: The Legal Framework of the Judicial System

1
Texas The Legal Framework of the Judicial System

• The U.S. and Texas Constitutions form the basic
  legal framework
• Criminal Law
• Texas Penal Code
• Civil Law
• Statutes

2
The Structure of the Texas Court System

• Five Levels of Courts
• Municipal Courts and Justice of the Peace Courts
• County-Level Courts
• District Courts
• Court of Appeals
• Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals

3
Jurisdiction

• Original Jurisdiction
• Courts that try or resolve only those cases being
  heard for the first time.
• Appellate Jurisdiction
• Courts that review the decisions of lower courts
  to determine if constitutional and statutory
  principles and procedures were correctly
  interpreted and followed.

4
Judicial Reform

• Small, incremental changes since the 1970s
• 1989 Texas Research League concluded that the
  court system was fundamentally flawed.
• Texas Research League recommended rewriting the
  judiciary article of the Texas Constitution to
  provide framework for unified court system.
• Structural changes will require popular demand
  for reform.

5
The Jury System

• Grand Jury
• Panel that reviews evidence submitted by
  prosecutors to determine whether to indict, or
  charge , an individual with a criminal offense.
• Petit Jury
• Panel of citizens that hears evidence in a civil
  lawsuit or a criminal prosecution and decides the
  outcome by issuing a verdict

6
Texas Judiciary 21st Century Directions

• A Fragmented Court Structure
• Partisan Elections
• Minorities on the Bench
• Criminal Justice