Quick update on a couple of grand-jury transparency bills we've been discussing on Grits this session:
On a positive note, Rep. Bryan Hughes' HB 3334 requiring recording of grand-jury witness testimony in addition to defendants cleared the Criminal Justice Committee in the Texas Senate on Friday and still has time to pass.
On the flip side, as Big Jolly reported on Friday, SB 834 making grand jury names secret appears to have died a much-deserved death on the House side. He wrote, "The only chance it has now of being revived is by attaching it as an
amendment to another bill but several reps are carefully watching for
this and will make certain that it doesn’t happen." Glad to hear it. Jolly posted a video of former Harris County First Assistant DA Jim Leitner testifying against SB 834 and he hit most of the high points, but for more background see prior Grits coverage and Mark Bennett's take on the bill.
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3 comments:
Anyone know who the woman was that was arguing with Leitner? She sounds like an attorney who doesn't know the effect of the bill, nor cares either. Thanks in advance.
That was Rep. Stefani Carter. She's a former misdemeanor prosecutor in Collin County.
Leitner is a well seasoned attorney and stands for the people of Texas.
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