Sec. 54.737. ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

(a) The El Paso Council of Judges by majority vote shall include in the local rules of administration adopted as provided by Subchapter D, Chapter 74, rules for the administration of the criminal law magistrate court.

(b) The rules may provide for:

(1) assignment and hearing of all criminal cases subject to the jurisdictional limitations of the criminal law magistrate court;

(2) designation of a particular judge of the criminal law magistrate court to be responsible for certain matters;

(3) fair and equitable division of caseloads of criminal cases of the judges of the council of judges and the criminal law magistrate court;

(4) limitations on the assignment of cases to the criminal law magistrate court;

(5) limitations on the powers of a judge of the criminal law magistrate court in regard to the exercise of jurisdiction when presiding for an assigning court;

(6) setting hours, days, and places for holding court by a judge of the criminal law magistrate court; and

(7) any other matter necessary to carry out this subchapter or to improve the administration and management of the court system and its auxiliary services.

(c) The rules must provide that:

(1) a criminal law magistrate judge may not, on a regular basis, hold court or perform magistrate duties after 7 p.m. or before 7 a.m.; and

(2) a criminal law magistrate judge may only release a defendant under Article 17.031, Code of Criminal Procedure, under guidelines established by the council of judges.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 2, Sec. 8.32(a), eff. Aug. 28, 1989.