 | Texas Constitution
2000 |
Section 1. The judicial duties of the national court shall be vested in one supreme court and in one district court per district. The national courts shall only hear cases concerning international treaty disagreements, public officials, military or maritime issues, internal government disputes, or disputes between county governments. The trial of public officials in a national level court shall not prevent their trial in a Texas county court for the same offense.
Section 2. Justices shall serve four-year terms, with compensation to be determined by the National Assembly. Compensation for justices shall not be changed during the term in which they were elected.
Section 3. Texas shall be divided into convenient judicial districts, not less than thirteen nor more than thirty, concurrent with existing county lines, to be reapportioned based on the votes cast in the last general election, but not more often than every ten years. A justice shall be elected by ballot of the qualified voters of each district. Each district justice shall reside in the district and hold court at the designated district seat which shall be determined by the National Assembly.
Section 4. One clerk shall be elected for each district court, to be elected at the same time and serve the same term as the district justice. The district clerk's duties and compensation shall be determined by the National Assembly.
Section 5. District Court Trials
a. Litigants in district courts may elect to have the justice hear and decide the case or they may exercise their right of a jury trial. The right of a jury trial by either party takes precedence over the option to waive that right by the other.
b. Jury trials shall be conducted by the same rules of proceedings as the Texas county courts.
c. The district courts shall contract with private or county penal facilities to satisfy judgments of incarceration.
Section 6. The supreme court shall consist of a chief justice and twelve associate justices with district justices serving in rotation as associate justices of the supreme court. Three-fourths of the associate justices and the chief justice shall constitute a quorum to proceed. The district justices shall rotate their positions on the supreme court every session. All members voting on each case shall place their handwritten signature on the decision with their vote as yes to uphold or no to overturn the case.
Section 7. The chief justice of the supreme court shall be appointed by a two-thirds vote of the district justices. The chief justice shall have no other official duties, shall hold office for four years, not to exceed his elected term of office, shall not hold office for more than two consecutive terms, and shall vote only in the case of a tie vote among the associate justices.
Section 8. The supreme court shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction for district court cases only. Decisions of the supreme court shall be conclusive within the limits of Texas. The supreme court shall hold its sessions quarterly, at such times and places as may be fixed by the National Assembly by a simple majority vote. All cases shall be decided by no less than a two-thirds majority of the voting members of the supreme court. No associate justices shall sit on a case heard by them in any district court.
Section 9. Complete records of every court proceeding shall be made publicly available immediately after filing in an easily searchable form and shall be open for public inspection. Records shall be filed within 30 days of completion of each court proceeding.
Section 10. National courts are authorized to establish procedures, rules, and regulations only for the administration and implementation of their duties. All court proceedings shall be open to the public at all times.
Section 11. National government courts shall maintain and operate facilities to perform duties specified by this constitution and shall prepare annual budgets which shall be presented to the National Assembly for approval or rejection.
Section 1. The President, Vice President, and Treasurer shall comprise the National Executive Council.
Section 2. The office of president shall be limited to the following functions:
a. Conduct treaty negotiations and ambassadorial functions with foreign governments. Treaties shall never affect any individual within the geographical boundaries of Texas.
b. Submit proposed treaties to the National Assembly for approval or rejection.
c. The president shall organize and maintain voluntary national defense forces with advice and concurrence of the National Assembly. The president shall call the national defense forces into action only in defense of the nation against armed aggression by a foreign power. The president shall coordinate the actions of the national defense forces with county defense forces and private militia. At no time shall county defense forces or private militia be considered to be under the command or control of the president or the national defense forces.
d. Declare war only upon armed invasion or blockade by a foreign power.
Section 3. The office of vice president shall be limited to the following functions:
a. Serve as president in the absence of the president.
b. Maintain and publish official records of all National Executive Council proceedings.
c. Operate and maintain physical facilities for official functions of the National Executive Council.
Section 4. The office of treasurer shall be limited to the following functions:
a. Receive and disburse funds to support constitutionally authorized national government functions.
b. Maintain accurate and timely records of national revenue collections, expenditures, and disbursements.
c. Serve as president in the absence of the president and the vice-president.
Section 5. The National Executive Council shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the National Assembly for approval or rejection.
Section 6. Financial compensation for executive officers shall be determined by the National Assembly. Such compensation shall not be changed during a single term of office.
Section 7. National Executive Council officers must be Texas citizens and be at least thirty years of age.
Section 8. National Executive Council officers shall be elected by qualified voters in a national election to a term of six years, and shall be ineligible to hold any national government office for six years following their term of office.
Section 9. The National Executive Council is authorized to establish procedures, rules, and regulations only for the administration and implementation of their official functions.
Section 10. Texas Rangers
a. The National Executive Council shall organize and maintain a corps of officers called the Texas Rangers. The corps shall consist of no more than 150 individuals.
b. Texas Rangers shall be nominated by the president, confirmed by the National Assembly, and commissioned by the president.
c. Texas Rangers shall provide physical security for the president, vice-president, and treasurer.
d. Texas Rangers shall maintain investigative services for use only as requested by grand juries.
Section 1. Each County Administrative Council shall appoint one representative to the National Assembly. Representatives shall serve a four-year term and may be recalled by the County Administrative Council at any time. Financial compensation shall be determined by and paid by the County Administrative Council which appointed the representative.
Section 2. Three-fourths of the entire National Assembly shall form a quorum. All acts or decisions must have two-thirds approval of the entire body to be effective.
Section 3. The national assembly may establish procedures, rules, and regulations only for the administration and implementation of the functions listed in this section. The national assembly shall:
a. Establish appropriate regulations for the control of government agents or agencies in the maintenance of those existing publicly owned rights of way which extend beyond the boundaries of any one county. This authority for maintenance is strictly limited to those publicly owned rights of way existing at the time of ratification of this constitution. There shall be no authority to regulate the use of publicly owned rights of way.
b. Approve or reject treaties as proposed by the president.
c. Establish uniform standards for maintaining public records.
d. Issue foreign travel documents on request of any Texas citizen and maintain records of same.
e. Confirm or deny appointments by National Executive Council officers.
f. Establish uniform standards for all elections.
g. Establish rules of and publish all records of National Assembly proceedings.
h. Operate and maintain facilities for National Assembly use.
i. Terminate or extend presidential declarations of war within twenty days and every six months thereafter.
Section 4. The National Assembly shall meet in session no less than one month in a calendar year but no more than three consecutive months in any calendar year. In extraordinary circumstances, the National Assembly may be called into session by the approval of no less than two-thirds of the County Administrative Councils.
Section 5. The National Assembly shall approve or deny annual budgets submitted by the National Executive Council and the national courts.
Section 6. The National Assembly shall prepare and provide a copy of the annual budget for the national government to each County Administrative Council.
Section 7. The National Assembly may authorize the National Executive Council to purchase real property in foreign nations for embassy use only, with the title to be held in the name of the nation of Texas.
Section 8. Foreign governments may own no more than ten acres of real property within Texas, to be used only for embassies, and only with the express permission of the National Assembly.
Any national act or decision may be declared null and void by independent action of at least one-third of County Administrative Councils.
