HBA-EDN H.B. 1181 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1181
By: Capelo
Criminal Jurisprudence
4/8/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Members of juries in criminal trials are often susceptible to threats or
intimidation.  There have even been reports of instances in which jury
members were so intimidated that the punishment phase of the trial by the
jury was ended out of concern for the jurors' safety and as a result, the
defendant was given a life sentence rather than a death sentence to avoid a
mistrial.  Under current law, penalties for harming or threatening a juror
may not be sufficient to prevent these types of situations from occurring.
House Bill 1181 increases the penalties for harming or threatening a juror.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1181 amends the Penal Code to provide that an offense of
obstruction or retaliation is a second degree felony if the victim of the
offense was harmed or threatened because of the victim's service or status
as a juror. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.