Texas Lawmakers Vote Reform For Grand Jury "Pick-A-Pal" Process

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DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) — Texas could soon change the way it picks grand juries.

Although it looked dead, the House voted Saturday evening in favor of a bill that would do away with the state's controversial "Pick-a-Pal" grand jury system.

Currently, judge-appointed commissioners nominate jurors instead of picking randomly-selected residents. The U.S. Supreme Court has criticized the system, but small-county judges oppose changing it, arguing that jury pools may get too small.

The Senate has already passed the legislation; it still needs final House approval before heading to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.

It is not clear if Abbott would sign the legislation.

The Supreme Court backs a change in process; do you? Weigh in on the CBS 11 Facebook page.

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