Texas Government Code 420.014 – Attorney General Supervision of Collection of Costs; Failure to Comply
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(a) If the attorney general reasonably believes that a court or a community supervision office has not properly assessed or made a reasonable effort to collect costs due under Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal Procedure, or Chapter 508, Government Code, the attorney general shall send a warning letter to the court or the governing body of the governmental unit in which the court is located.
(b) Not later than the 60th day after the receipt of a warning letter, the court or governing body shall respond in writing to the attorney general specifically addressing the charges in the warning letter.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 420.014
- Comptroller: means the state comptroller of public accounts. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(c) If the court or governing body does not respond or if the attorney general considers the response inadequate, the attorney general may request the comptroller to audit the records of:
(1) the court;
(2) the community supervision office;
(3) the officer charged with collecting the costs; or
(4) the treasury of the governmental unit in which the court is located.
(d) The comptroller shall provide the attorney general with the results of the audit.
(e) If the attorney general finds from available evidence that a court or a community supervision office has not properly assessed or made a reasonable effort to collect costs due under Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal Procedure, or Chapter 508, Government Code, the attorney general may:
(1) refuse to award grants under this subchapter to residents of the jurisdiction served by the court or community supervision office; or
(2) in the case of a court, notify the State Commission on Judicial Conduct of the findings.
(f) The failure, refusal, or neglect of a judicial officer to comply with a requirement of this subchapter constitutes official misconduct and is grounds for removal from office.