SB6 Course: Magistrate Duties Setting Bail in Criminal Cases
TMCEC’s S.B. 6 training, Magistrate Duties: Setting Bail in Criminal Cases, is now available on demand! The live virtual event was recorded on June 15, 2022. It contains an interesting slate of presentations with an impressive group of speakers. It is now available on TMCEC’s Online Learning Center (OLC) for all TMCEC constituents.
Background. S.B. 6 (2021) added Article 17.024 to the Code of Criminal Procedure requiring the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to approve or develop training courses regarding magistrates’ duties, including duties related to setting bail in criminal cases. Generally, magistrates must complete this training within 90 days of taking office. Magistrates that were serving on April 1, 2022, however, are considered in compliance if they complete the training course by December 1, 2022.
TMCEC’s Magistrate Duties: Setting Bail in Criminal Cases is a sequenced 8 hours of instruction, approved by OCA. It consists of the following presentations:
- The Changing Landscape of the Law of Bail in Texas: Overview & Case Processing
- The Basics: Bail and Bonds in Texas
- Personal Bonds: Utility and Limits
- Constitutional Concerns, Case Law, and the Texas Magistrate
- Mandatory and Discretionary Bond Conditions
- Bail and Individuals with Mental Illness and Intellectual Disabilities
- Documentation and Reporting: Roles and Responsibilities of Court Personnel
- 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. (Note: TMCEC is no longer a TCOLE provider, and TCOLE credit is not offered.)
To register:
- Go to register.tmcec.com.
- Enter your TMCEC username and password and click Login. If you do not have your TMCEC login information, call us at 800.252.3718.
- Once you're logged in, select the OLC tab from the options at the top of the page.
- Then select: SB6 Course: Magistrate Duties Setting Bail in Criminal Cases
- Follow the steps to register for the course.
- This will automatically redirect you to the appropriate webpage to complete the course.
- Check out instructions under the “Announcements” tab.