Sec. 30.00007. PRESIDING JUDGE. (a) If there is more than one municipal judge in the municipality, the governing body of the municipality shall appoint one of the judges as the presiding judge.

(b) The presiding judge shall:

(1) maintain a central docket for cases filed within the territorial limits of the municipality over which the municipal courts of record have jurisdiction;

(2) provide for the distribution of cases from the central docket to the individual municipal judges to equalize the distribution of business in the courts;

(3) request the jurors needed for cases that are set for trial by jury;

(4) temporarily assign judges or substitute judges to exchange benches and to act for each other in a proceeding pending in a court if necessary for the expeditious disposition of business in the courts;

(5) supervise and control the operation and clerical functions of the administrative department of each court, including the court's personnel, during the proceedings of the court; and

(6) establish a court security committee to adopt security policies and procedures for the courts served by the presiding judge that is composed of:

(A) the presiding judge, or the presiding judge's designee, who serves as presiding officer of the committee;

(B) a representative of the law enforcement agency or other entity that provides the primary security for the court;

(C) a representative of the municipality; and

(D) any other person the committee determines necessary to assist the committee.

(c) A court security committee may recommend to the governing body the uses of resources and expenditures of money for courthouse security, but may not direct the assignment of those resources or the expenditure of those funds.

Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 811, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1987. Renumbered from Government Code Sec. 30.486 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 8.02, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Redesignated from Sec. 30.00006(d), (e) by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 691, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Amended by:

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 190 (S.B. 42), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2017.