Texas Senate bill by Sen. Flores establishes criminal law magistrates for Bell County

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Peter P. Flores aims to establish criminal law magistrates in Bell County, allowing local appointment of qualified magistrates to handle specific criminal proceedings and preindictment matters, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the House, 55 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Peter P. Flores introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Flores graduated from Texas A&M University in 1983 with a BS.

Flores, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 24th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dawn Buckingham.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the creation of criminal law magistrates for Bell County’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes the creation of criminal law magistrates for Bell County, Texas, allowing the Commissioners Court to appoint these magistrates to serve in criminal matters. The court will determine qualifications, salary, and whether the position is full-time or part-time, requiring appointees to have experience as a justice of the peace, municipal court judge, or as a licensed attorney in Texas. Magistrates are granted concurrent criminal jurisdiction with Bell County’s justice of the peace courts and have powers under state criminal procedure laws. They may conduct hearings for admonishments, bail settings, legal counsel appointments, and other preindictment issues, prioritizing cases of individuals in county jail. Magistrates are granted the same judicial immunity as district judges, and witnesses appearing before them are subject to perjury laws. The act takes immediate effect if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, it becomes effective Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Wednesday, May 28, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.