HBA-EDN H.B. 2169 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2169 By: Dunnam Criminal Jurisprudence 4/6/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a judge or justice of the peace (justice) is prohibited from sitting in any criminal case in which the judge or justice may be the party injured, the judge or justice has been of counsel for the state or the accused, or the accused or the party injured may be connected with the judge or justice by consanguinity or affinity within the third degree. House Bill 2169 includes under this prohibition a judge or justice who has announced candidacy for or has become a candidate in an election. 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 2169 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide that no judge or justice of the peace (justice) shall sit in any case if the judge or justice has announced candidacy for or has become a candidate in an election constituting an automatic resignation from office. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.