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Texas Municipal Courts Association
Texas Municipal Courts Education Center

NOTICES

ANNUAL MEETING

September 11-13, 2008 at the Lakeway Resort in Austin, TX.

Click here to access the Registration Form.

FY08 BOARD MEETINGS

Following are the dates and hotel sites for the FY07-08 TMCA Board Meetings.
Meetings are held in Austin.

January 11-12, 2008 (Austin)

April 25-26, 2008 (Austin)

July 18-19, 2008 (Austin)

ELECTION RESULTS

OFFICERS

Candidate Votes

President-Elect
Honorable Robin Smith 215
Honorable C. Victor Lander 145
Write-ins: 0

1st Vice President
Honorable Steve Williamson 307 (55 no votes)
Write-ins:
Ramie Howlet 1
Dennis Bettison 1
Robin Smith 1
Geo. "Bill" Robinson 1

2nd Vice President
Honorable Ninfa Mares 311 (54 no votes)
Write-ins:
Mary B. Low 1

Secretary
Hilda Cuthbertson 313 (52 no votes)
Write-ins:
Tracie Glaeser 1

Treasurer (1 yr. term)
Honorable Robert C. Richter, Jr. 310 (51 no votes)
Write-ins:
David Preciado 2
Sharon Hatten 1
Jose Cantu 1
Elaine Coffman 1

REGIONAL DIRECTORS

Region 1
Honorable Jan Blacklock Matthews 23 (3 no votes)
Write-ins: none

Region 3
Honorable William F. Kortemeir, II 33 (13 no votes)
Write-ins:
Robert Beasley 1
Elaine Coffman 1
David Moore 1
Staci Williams 2

Region 5
Honorable Odell J. Holmes, Jr. 25 (9 no votes)
Write-ins: none

Region 7
Honorable Julian E. Weisler 15
Honorable Phyllis Mathison 19
Write-ins: none

Region 9
Honorable Lester Rorick 33
Write-ins: none

PROPOSITIONS

Proposition 1 For 337
Against 29

Proposition 2 For 359
Against 7

FEE FOR SUPPORT OF COURT-RELATED PURPOSES (effective 12/1/05)
Section 133.105, Local Government Code

A new law went into effect that will not be appearing in any of the code books - Article 133.105, Local Government Code: 133.105. Fee for Support of Court-Related Purposes

(a) A person convicted of any offense, other than an offense relating to a pedestrian or the parking of a motor vehicle, shall pay as a court cost, in addition to all other costs, a fee of $4 to be used for court-related purposes for the support of the judiciary.

(b) The treasurer shall deposit 60 cents of each fee collected under this section in the general fund of the municipality or county to promote the efficient operation of the municipal or county courts and the investigation, prosecution, and enforcement of offenses that are within the jurisdiction of the courts.

(c) The treasurer shall remit the remainder of the fees collected under this section to the comptroller in the manner provided by Subchapter B. The comptroller shall deposit the fees in the judicial fund.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 3, Sect. 12, Eff. Dec. 1, 2005.

Municipal judges are reminded that they are required to comply with the Rules of Judicial Education, promulgated by the Court of Criminal Appeals. According to these Rules, all municipal judges must attend one accredited seminar every year. Newly appointed or elected attorney judges must attend a Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC) 12-hour seminar within one year from appointment or election and once every school year thereafter. Newly appointed or elected non-attorney judges must, within one year from the date of appointment or election, complete 32 hours of continuing judicial education from TMCEC before attending a 12-hour seminar the next year and once every school year thereafter. After two years of TMCEC training, judges may “opt-out” every other year by attending a course offered by an approved provider.

The academic year for the Center and municipal judges is September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2008. Judges who have been on the bench longer than one year must attend an approved seminar for judicial education credit regardless of birthdate or date of appointment. For the attorney judges, this is a different reporting year than the State Bar’s MCLE Rules, which are based on birthdate.

After review by the Municipal Courts Education Committee, the names of judges who do not comply with these Rules are submitted by TMCEC to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The Court of Criminal Appeals then forwards the names onto the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. In the past, both public and private reprimands have been issued to judges who failed to comply. The Committee does not accept excuses such as “schedule conflict,” “the clerk doesn’t forward my mail,” and “I didn’t know that the training was mandatory” as viable reasons for receiving a waiver. TMCEC programs and the approved alternative programs are offered every month of the year. Experience judges have 12-14 TMCEC programs to select from that are rotated in difference cities across the State.

Judges: Please register for a program.

Clerks: Please remind your judges of the requirements, especially new judges when they are sworn in.