Department: District Courts
Department Head/Elected Official: Richard Woods
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Transmittal by the District Courts of an order signed by the three (3) Harris County District Court Juvenile Judges re-authorizing the 11 part-time and four full-time juvenile master positions.
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Background and Discussion:
This Order was created due to the upcoming new term for all three (3) Juvenile District Court Judges, and to allow all the part-time and full-time masters to be re-sworn for the new term. The Texas Government Code Section 54.801 provides that the Juvenile Judges will determine the number of full and part-time masters needed, and will then issue an order setting out that number. That Order is then transmitted to Commissioners Court. The Order is pro forma and budget neutral.
The part-time positions exist and the budget for the use of the part-time masters remains unchanged; and the four full time positions allow Judge Samantha Davis (appointed by the Juvenile Board as a referee) and the three associate judges to sit as juvenile masters, without additional expense to the County. Although the duties of a referee, a master and an associate judge can overlap, there are certain powers and duties that belong only to an associate judge and those that belong only to a juvenile master. An individual appointed as a juvenile master under the Government Code, as a referee under the Family Code or as a Juvenile Associate Judge under the Family Code may serve in one or both of the other roles if he or she meets the qualifications for that role and if properly appointed under the applicable law. See Tex. Govt Code ?54.820,...
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