Any municipal judge or magistrate has certainly heard about or discussed all of the bail-related changes as a result of S.B. 6 passing in August of 2021. TMCEC and other judicial training entities have offered and continue to offer training that satisfies Art. 17.024 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by S.B. 6. But how long do magistrates have?
Magistrates should take care to remain mindful of the compliance deadlines, as listed in Art. 17.024(c) and (c-1). There are two different deadlines depending on when a magistrate takes (or took) office. Generally, magistrates are in compliance with the training requirements if they successfully completes an approved 8-hour training course not later than the 90th day after the date the magistrate takes office.
Most municipal judges that TMCEC trains currently, however, fall under an exception allowing magistrates who were serving on April 1, 2022 to be considered in compliance by completing the training course not later than December 1, 2022.
Any magistrate who has taken office on April 2, 2022 or after should be aware that the clock has begun! Thankfully, TMCEC’s course is available on demand.
TMCEC offered its approved course, Magistrate Duties: Setting Bail in Criminal Cases, on June 15, 2022. The course was then made available on demand on the Online Learning Center (OLC) in late June. The course is a sequenced 8 hours of instruction, approved by OCA. It consists of the following presentations:
1. The Changing Landscape of the Law of Bail in Texas: Overview & Case Processing
2. The Basics: Bail and Bonds in Texas
3. Personal Bonds: Utility and Limits
4. Constitutional Concerns, Case Law, and the Texas Magistrate
5. Mandatory and Discretionary Bond Conditions
6. Bail and Individuals with Mental Illness and Intellectual Disabilities
7. Documentation and Reporting: Roles and Responsibilities of Court Personnel
8. A TMCEC Primer on Criminal Record History Information and Court Access
There is no registration fee for the event. Attendance counts for 8 hours of Judicial Education and Clerk Certification credit. TMCEC will report to OCA the names of the magistrates who have completed the full 8-hour training course. This event is approved for up to 7 hours of CLE. The CLE reporting fee is $50 and can be purchased when registering.
To register:
1. Go to register.tmcec.com.
2. Enter your TMCEC username and password and click Login. If you do not have your TMCEC login information, call us at 800.252.3718.
3. Once you’re logged in, select the OLC tab from the options at the top of the page.
4. Then select: SB6 Course: Magistrate Duties Setting Bail in Criminal Cases
5. Follow the steps to register for the course.
6. This will automatically redirect you to the appropriate webpage to complete the course.
7. Check out instructions under the “Announcements” tab.
Full Court Press 