Texas Government Code 79.014 – Appointments
(a) The governor shall appoint with the advice and consent of the senate seven members of the board as follows:
(1) one member who is a district judge serving as a presiding judge of an administrative judicial region;
(2) one member who is a judge of a constitutional county court or who is a county commissioner;
(3) one member who is a practicing criminal defense attorney;
(4) one member who is a chief public defender in this state;
(5) one member who is a judge of a constitutional county court or who is a county commissioner of a county with a population of 250,000 or more;
(6) one member who is either:
(A) a director of a managed assigned counsel program in this state; or
(B) a person who has a demonstrated expertise in indigent defense issues; and
(7) one member who is a justice of the peace, municipal court judge, or appointed magistrate under Article 2.09, Code of Criminal Procedure, whose regular duties include presiding over hearings under Article 15.17, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(b) The board members serve staggered terms of two years, with three members’ terms expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year and four members’ terms expiring February 1 of each even-numbered year.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 79.014
- Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
- Defense attorney: Represent defendants in criminal matters.
- Justice: when applied to a magistrate, means justice of the peace. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Population: means the population shown by the most recent federal decennial census. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
- Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) In making appointments to the board, the governor shall attempt to reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of the state.
(d) A person may not be appointed to the board if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 because of the person’s activities for compensation on behalf of a profession related to the operation of the commission or the council.