Texas Judicial Council

At the June 12 Texas Judicial Council meeting, Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht made appointments to a Criminal Justice Committee to study Pretrial Justice Initiatives. Members are: Sharon Keller, Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Senator Royce West, Scott Jenkins, Judge, 53rd Judicial District, Travis County, Russell Casey, Justice of the Peace Pct. 3, Place 1, Tarrant County, and Mr. Carlos Amoral, citizen member. Kelly Moore, Judge, 121st Judicial District, Terry & Yoakum Counties, has been appointed to Chair the committee. The Committee is charged with assessing the impact of pretrial criminal justice statutes and policies in Texas to determine if there are ways in which Texas courts can enhance public safety and social outcomes when making pretrial confinement decisions. The Committee will identify judicial policies or initiatives that could be enacted to further those goals.