House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Leadership

Chair

John Smithee (R)

House District 86

Amarillo

Vice Chair

Gene Wu (D)

House District 137

Houston

Committee Composition

Committee Membership

Smithee, John (R) House District 86 Amarillo Wu, Gene (D) House District 137 Houston Bowers, Rhetta (D) House District 113 Rowlett Cook, David (R) House District 96 Mansfield Jones, Jolanda (D) House District 147 Houston Little, Mitch (R) House District 65 Denton Louderback, AJ (R) House District 30 Victoria Money, Brent (R) House District 2 Greenville Moody, Joe (D) House District 78 El Paso Rodríguez Ramos, Ana-María (D) House District 102 Richardson Virdell, Wes (R) House District 53 Brady

Most Recent Session Activity

Metrics reflect activity during the most recent legislative session.

Interim Charges

• Monitoring: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of all legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature to ensure that legislative purposes are properly implemented.
• Violent Crime Clearance Rates and Investigative Capacity: Examine violent crime clearance rates in Texas and identify barriers to the effective prosecution of violent offenses, including investigative resources, forensic capacity, interagency coordination, and crime reporting practices. Evaluate whether disparate prosecutorial policies are impacting the prosecution of serious offenses, and assess how the enforcement of bond conditions affects recidivism and public safety. Make recommendations to improve case clearance, strengthen coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors, and ensure consistent enforcement of criminal laws.
• Fraud and Financial Exploitation of Elderly and Vulnerable Texans: Examine trends related to fraud, financial exploitation, and abuse targeting elderly and vulnerable Texans, including crimes involving telecommunications and emerging technologies. Review the effectiveness of current criminal statutes, penalties, restitution tools, and coordination among law enforcement and regulatory agencies. Identify gaps in detection, investigation, prosecution, and victim recovery.
• Juvenile Justice: Evaluate the effectiveness of indeterminate and determinate sentencing in promoting accountability, rehabilitation, and public safety, including whether current commitment and probation practices for serious offenses provide sufficient supervision. Recommend statutory or policy changes to improve coordination, strengthen accountability, identify barriers in information sharing, and enhance public safety.
• Rural Criminal Justice Workforce Development: Study the feasibility of developing partnerships with Texas-based law schools to strengthen the pipeline of criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys serving rural and underserved areas of the state. Evaluate potential training pathways, clinical opportunities, or incentive-based partnerships with law schools that could support rural and underserved communities in maintaining a strong criminal justice workforce.
• Agency Oversight: Monitor the agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable. The jurisdiction of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee includes the following agencies:
  • The Office of State Prosecuting Attorney;
  • The Texas State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision;
  • The Texas Juvenile Justice Board;
  • The Texas Juvenile Justice Department;
  • The Office of Independent Ombudsman for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; and
  • The Advisory Council on Juvenile Services.