Lieutenant Governor Picks Hon, LIVINGSTON, October 12, 2018 - On September 27th, 2018 Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick selected Polk County Criminal District Attorney William Lee Hon to serve as a member of the Texas Commission to Study and Review Certain Penal Laws. The commission was established by House Bill 1386 of the 84th Texas Legislature in 2015 in an attempt to address approximately 1,500 laws outside of the Texas Penal Code that create a confusing system without a clear roadmap for citizens to easily understand if they are in compliance with the laws of the state of Texas. Often, new laws are added to larger bills regulating state agencies but will include criminal penalties which can make it difficult for citizens to identify actions that might adversely affect them. Commission members were acutely aware of the burden this lack of transparency and ease of use can cause for the average Texan and have worked diligently to try to begin to address the issue. Among other responsibilities, the commission is charged with the directive to make recommendations to the legislature regarding the repeal of laws that are identified as being unnecessary, unclear, duplicative, overly broad, or otherwise insufficient to serve the intended purpose of the law. It is expected that this will be an ongoing issue which will continue to receive attention in the upcoming 86th Legislative Session.
By statute, members of the commission are selected by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In addition to Hon, other members of the commission include the Honorable Andrea Thompson, Collin County District Judge; the Honorable Brett Busby, Justice 14th Texas Court of Appeals; Leticia “Letty” Martinez, partner Varghese, Summersett, Fort Worth; Marc Levin, Director, Center for Effective Justice & Right on Crime, Texas Public Policy Foundation; Arif Panju, attorney, Institute for Justice; and Professor Charles Bubany, Texas Tech University of School of Law.
William Lee Hon is currently completing his third term as the elected Criminal District Attorney of Polk County. He is a graduate of the Sam Houston State University College of Criminal Justice and the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is a past President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) and presently serves on the Criminal Justice Council of the State Bar of Texas, the Board of Directors of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas (CACTX) and the Board of Directors of the Texas Special Prosecution Unit.
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