Court Opinions

State Laws

US Code

US Constitution

Texas Government Code - Section 22.110. Judicial Instruction Related To Family Violence, Sexual Assault, And Child Abuse

Legal Research Home > Texas Lawyer > Government Code > Texas Government Code - Section 22.110. Judicial Instruction Related To Family Violence, Sexual Assault, And Child Abuse

§ 22.110. JUDICIAL INSTRUCTION RELATED TO FAMILY 
VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND CHILD ABUSE.  (a) The court of 
criminal appeals shall assure that judicial training related to the 
problems of family violence, sexual assault, and child abuse is 
provided.
	(b)  The court of criminal appeals shall adopt the rules 
necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section.  The rules 
must require each district judge, judge of a statutory county 
court, associate judge appointed under Chapter 54 of this code or 
Chapter 201, Family Code, master, referee, and magistrate to 
complete at least eight hours of the training within the judge's 
first term of office or the judicial officer's first four years of 
service and provide a method for certification of completion of 
that training.  At least six hours of the training must be dedicated 
to the training described by Subsections (d)(5), (6), and (7).  The 
rules must require each judge and judicial officer to complete an 
additional three hours of training during each additional term in 
office or four years of service.  The rules must exempt from the 
training requirement of this subsection each judge or judicial 
officer who files an affidavit stating that the judge or judicial 
officer does not hear any cases involving family violence, sexual 
assault, or child abuse.
	(c)  In adopting the rules, the court of criminal appeals may 
consult with professional groups and associations in the state that 
have expertise in the subject matter to obtain the recommendations 
of those groups or associations for instruction content.
	(d)  The instruction must include information about:                           
		(1)  statutory and case law relating to videotaping a 
child's testimony and relating to competency of children to 
testify;
		(2)  methods for eliminating the trauma to the child 
caused by the court process;
		(3)  case law, statutory law, and procedural rules 
relating to family violence, sexual assault, and child abuse;
		(4)  methods for providing protection for victims of 
family violence, sexual assault, or child abuse;
		(5)  available community and state resources for 
counseling and other aid to victims and to offenders;
		(6)  gender bias in the judicial process;  and                                
		(7)  dynamics and effects of being a victim of family 
violence, sexual assault, or child abuse.
	(e)  The court of criminal appeals or the court's designee 
shall report the name of a judge or judicial officer who does not 
comply with the requirements of this section to the State 
Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 507, § 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1995.  
Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 390, § 1, eff. Aug. 31, 
1999.

Last modified: August 11, 2007