The Texas Legislature passed a bill on May 28 that could pave the way for locally elected prosecutors to be removed from office for misconduct if they fail to enforce certain laws.
House Bill 17 (pdf) was introduced by Republican state Sen. Joan Huffman earlier this year and it passed the Senate Sunday in a 20–11 vote after passing both legislative houses in April.
It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.
Under the legislation, Texas residents who have lived in a county for at least six months may file a petition against a prosecuting attorney accusing them of misconduct if the top local prosecutor fails to “prosecute a class or type of criminal offense under state law,” or if they instruct law enforcement to “refuse to arrest individuals suspected of committing a class or type of offense under state law.”
The legislation defines a prosecuting attorney as a district or county attorney with criminal jurisdiction, while misconduct is defined as “intentional, unlawful behavior relating to official duties by an officer entrusted with the administration of justice or the execution of the law.”
According to the legislation, a public statement from the prosecuting attorney stating that they plan to adopt or enforce a policy in which they fail to enforce certain laws “creates a rebuttable presumption that the prosecuting attorney committed official misconduct,” and means they can face a removal trial for official misconduct.
The legislation also removes pretrial “diversion programs” which allow for conditional dismissals of cases when permissible under state law.
Abortions, Thefts Divide Prosecutors
If found guilty, a judge may order the attorney’s removal, according to the bill’s text. Once removed, Abbott can appoint a prosecutor’s successor until the next election.
“On receiving a petition for removal of a prosecuting attorney … the presiding judge of the administrative judicial region shall assign a district court judge of a judicial district that does not include the county in which the petition was filed to conduct the removal proceedings,” the bill states.
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