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Bill would let smallest Texas counties recruit jurors from neighboring counties

3169548 · May 1, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

SB 1888 would allow counties with populations under 1,000 to draw jury pools from contiguous counties in the same judicial district to address chronic shortages. Authors and witnesses said the change would help prosecute crimes in sparsely populated counties such as Loving County; public testimony supported the bill and it was left pending.

The Senate Committee on State Affairs considered Senate Bill 1888, which would permit counties with populations under 1,000 to supplement their petit and grand jury pools with qualified residents from contiguous counties in the same judicial district.

Sponsor Sandra Sparks told senators many small, rural counties struggle to seat juries, which can delay trials or force…

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