                              CONSTITUTION
                                 OF THE
                             STATE OF TEXAS
                        (as amended to Aug. 1969)

                                PREAMBLE

   Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God,  the people of the State of 
Texas do ordain and establish this Constitution.

                               ARTICLE I

                            BILL OF RIGHTS

   That the great and essential principles of liberty and free government may 
be recognized and established, we declare:

   Section  1.    Texas is a free and independent State,  subject only to the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,   and  the  maintenance  of  our  free 
institutions  and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of 
the right of local self-government, unimpaired to all the states.

   Section 2.    All political power is inherent in the people,  and all free 
governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. 
The  faith  of  the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation  of  a 
republican  form of government,  and,  subject to this limitation only,  they 
have  at  all times the inalienable right to alter,  reform or abolish  their 
government in such manner as they may think expedient.

   Section  3.    All free men,  when they form a social compact,  have equal 
rights, and no man,  or set of men,  is entitled to exclusive separate public 
emoluments or privileges but in consideration of public services.

   Section  4.    No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification 
to  any  office or public trust in this State;  Nor shall anyone be  excluded 
from  holding  office  on account of his religious  sentiments,  provided  he 
acknowledges the existence of a Supreme Being.

   Section  5.    No person shall be disqualified to give evidence in any  of 
the courts of this state on account of his religious opinions, or for want of 
any religious belief,  but all oaths or affirmations shall be administered in 
the mode most binding upon the conscience,  and shall be taken subject to the 
pains and penalties of perjury.

   Section  6.    All  men have a natural and indefeasible right  to  worship 
Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences. No man shall 
be compelled to attend, erect or support any place or worship, or to maintain 
any  ministry  against his consent.  No human authority ought,  in  any  case 
whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of 
religion,  and  no  preference  shall ever be given by law to  any  religious 
society  or mode of worship.  But it shall be the duty of the Legislature  to 
pass  such  laws  as  may be necessary to  protect  equally  every  religious 
denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship.

   Section 7.   No money shall be appropriated or drawn from the treasury for 
the  benefit  of any sect,  or religious society,  theological  or  religious 
seminary,  nor  shall property belonging to the State be appropriated for any 
such purposes.

   Section 8.    Every person shall be at liberty to speak,  write or publish 
his  opinions,  on  any  subject,  being responsible for the  abuse  of  that 
privilege;  and  no law shall ever be passed curtailing the liberty of speech 
or of the press. In prosecutions for the publication of papers, investigating 
the  conduct  of  officers,  or men in public capacity,  or when  the  matter 
published is proper for public information, the truth thereof may be given in 
evidence. And in all indictments for libels, the jury shall have the right to 
determine  the  law and the facts,  under the direction of the court,  as  in 
other cases.

   Section 9.   The people shall be secure in their persons,  houses,  papers 
and possessions from all unreasonable seizures or searches, and no warrant to 
search  any  place,  or  to seize any person or thing,  shall  issue  without 
describing them as near as may be,  nor without probable cause,  supported by 
oath or affirmation.

   Section 10.   In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall have a speedy 
public  trial  by an impartial jury.  He shall have the right to  demand  the 
nature  and cause of the accusation against him,  and to have a copy thereof. 
He shall not be compelled to give evidence against himself and shall have the 
right of being heard by himself or counsel,  or both;  shall be confronted by 
the  witnesses  against him and shall have compulsory process  for  obtaining 
witnesses in his favor, except that when the witness resides out of the State 
and  the offense charged is a violation of any of the antitrust laws of  this 
State,  the  defendant and the State shall have the right to produce and have 
the  evidence  admitted  by  deposition,  under such rules and  laws  as  the 
Legislature may hereafter provide;  and no person shall be held to answer for 
a criminal offense, unless on an indictment of a grand jury,  except in cases 
in  which  the punishment is by fine or imprisonment,  otherwise than in  the 
penitentiary;  in  cases  of impeachment and in cases arising in the army  or 
navy,  or  in  the militia,  when in actual service in time of war or  public 
danger.

   Section  11.   All  prisoners  shall be bailable by  sufficient  sureties, 
unless  for capital offenses,  when the proof is evident;  but this provision 
shall  not  be  so construed as to prevent bail after indictment  found  upon 
examination of the evidence, in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

   Section  11a   Any person accused of a felony less than  capital  in  this 
State,  who  has  been theretofore twice convicted of a  felony,  the  second 
conviction being subsequent to the first, both in point of time of commission 
of  the  offense  and conviction therefor may,  after  a  hearing,  and  upon 
evidence  substantially  showing  the guilt of the accused,  be  denied  bail 
pending  trial,  by a judge of a court of record or magistrate in this state; 
provided,  however,  that  if  the accused is not accorded a trial  upon  the 
accusation  within  sixty (60)  days from the time of his incarceration  upon 
such charge, the order denying bail shall be automatically set aside,  unless 
a  continuance  is  obtained  upon  the motion or  request  of  the  accused; 
provided, further,  that the right of appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals  
of this state is expressly accorded the accused for a review of any judgement 
or order made hereunder.

   Section 12.  The writ of habeas corpus is a writ of right, and shall never 
be  suspended.  The Legislature shall enact laws to render the remedy  speedy 
and effectual.

   Section  13.   Excessive bail shall not be required,  nor excessive  fines 
imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishment inflicted. All courts shall be open, 
and  every  person  for an injury done him in his  lands,  goods,  person  or 
reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law.

   Section  14.   No  person,  for the same offense,  shall be twice  put  in 
jeopardy  of life or liberty,  nor shall a person be again put upon trial for 
the  same  offense  after  a verdict of not guilty in a  court  of  competent 
jurisdiction.

   Section  15.   The  right  of trial by jury shall  remain  inviolate.  The 
Legislature  shall pass such laws as may be needed to regulate the same,  and 
to  maintain its purity and efficiency.  Provided,  that the Legislature  may 
provide  for the temporary commitment,  for observation and/or treatment,  of 
mentally  ill  persons not charged with a criminal offense,  for a period  of 
time not to exceed ninety (90) days, by order of the County Court without the 
necessity  of a trial by jury.  [Note:  the last sentence of this Article was 
added in 1935]

   Section  15a   No  person shall be committed as a person of  unsound  mind 
except  on  competent medical or psychiatric testimony.  The Legislature  may 
enact  all laws necessary to provide for the trial,  adjudication of insanity 
and  commitment  of  persons of unsound mind and to provide for a  method  of 
appeal  from judgements rendered in such cases.  Such laws may provide for  a 
waiver of trial by jury, in cases where the person under inquiry has not been 
charged with the commission of a criminal offense,  by the concurrence of the 
person under inquiry, or his next of kin,  and an attorney ad litem appointed 
by  a  judge  of either the County or Probate Court of the county  where  the 
trial  is being held,  and shall provide for a method of service of notice of 
such  trial upon the person under inquiry and of his right to demand a  trial 
by jury. [Note: added 1956]

   Section 16.   No bill of attainder or ex post facto law,  retroactive law, 
or any other law impairing the obligation of contracts, shall be made.

   Section 17.  No person's property shall be taken, damaged or destroyed for 
or applied to public use without adequate compensation being made,  unless by 
the consent of such person; and, when taken, except for the use of the State, 
such  compensation shall be first made or secured by a deposit of money;  and 
no  irrevocable  or uncontrollable grant of special privileges or  immunities 
shall be made;  but all privileges and franchises granted by the Legislature, 
or created under its authority, shall be subject to the control thereof.

   Section 18.  No person shall ever be imprisoned for debt.

   Section 19.  No citizen of this State shall be deprived of life,  liberty, 
property  privileges or immunities,  or in any manner disfranchised,except by 
the due course of the law of the land. 

   Section  20.   No  citizen  shall be outlawed,  nor shall  any  person  be 
transported out of the State for any offense committed within the same.

   Section 21.  No conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of 
estate, and the estates of those who destroy their own lives shall descend or 
vest as in the case of natural death.

   Section  22.   Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war 
against it, or adhering to its enemies,  giving them aid and comfort;  and no 
person shall be convicted of treason except on the testimony of two witnesses 
to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

   Section  23.   Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in 
the  lawful defense of himself or the State;  but the Legislature shall  have 
power: by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.

   Section  24.   The military shall at all times be subordinate to the civil 
authority.

   Section  25.   No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in the house 
of any citizen without the consent of the owner,  nor in time of war but in a 
manner prescribed by law.

   Section  26.   Perpetuities and monopolies are contrary to the genius of a 
free  government,  and  shall  never  be  allowed,   nor  shall  the  law  of 
primogeniture or entailments ever be in force in this State.

   Section 27.  The citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner,  to 
assemble  together for their common good and apply to those invested with the 
powers  of  government  for  redress of  grievances  or  other  purposes,  by 
petition, address or remonstrance.

   Section 28.   No power of suspending laws in this State shall be exercised 
except by the Legislature.

   Section  29.   To  guard against transgressions of the high  powers  being 
delegated,  we  declare  that everyting (sic)  in this "Bill  of  Rights"  is 
excepted  out of the general powers of government,  and shall forever  remain 
inviolate,  and  all  laws contrary hereto,  or to the following  provisions, 
shall be void.
