
Texas State Court System
Understanding The Texas Legal System
Local Trial Courts
The State of Texas divides up its courts into several different levels of jurisdiction and authority. At the lowest level are the Justice of the Peace (J.P.) courts. These courts are designed to handle both small claims (Under $5,000) and Class C Misdemeanors, and are generally friendly to non-lawyers. No long, drawn-out legal documents need to be filed, and the parties can generally state their positions orally in front of the J.P., and most people represent themselves without the presence of a lawyer.
At the local trial level, there are also Municipal Courts, which handle traffic violations and fine-only criminal offenses. Municipal courts are divided into “No-Record” and “Record” courts, both being user-friendly and are mostly handled without a lawyer.
County Courts
Appeals of a decision by a Justice of the Peace or Municipal Court of No Record are handled by the County Court of Appeals for a completely new trial, or a trial de novo. Appeals resulting from the decision of a Municipal Court of Record are handles by the County Court based on imperfections in the record of the original trial rather than a completely new trial.
County Courts are where all misdemeanor criminal cases are handled. this includes cases like assault, small thefts, possession of marijuana, and of course DWI.
Most County Courts or County Courts of Law in Texas are limited in their scope of damages that they can award to an individual, regardless of the amount that the jury hands down. However, in several large cities, such as Houston and Dallas, the County Court Systems have unlimited jurisdiction and can hear a case of any size.
District Courts
District Courts are the true backbone of the state judicial system. They were originally created to handle only the really big cases, and thus they can handle cases of any size, shape or form. District Courts handle cases based on their district within the State of Texas, and they handle felony criminal cases, family law cases, divorces, child support, and many types of civil cases.
In many counties the District Judge handles the entire spectrum of cases; but in the larger and more populous counties (like Harris County) the District Courts are broken down according to their specialty.
Appellate Courts
Once a case had been handles in either a County or District Court, it can be appealed to one of the 14 Appellate Courts within the State, depending on where the case originated.
If an appeal is denied by the Appellate Courts, than one can have a final appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal cases or the Texas Supreme Court for civil cases. However, just like the United States Supreme Court, these two bodies actually hear a small portion of the cases that are sent to them. Therefore, if they refuse to hear your particular case, your case is considered closed at that point.
Free Consultation
Contacting us will only take a moment of your day
Testimonials
Tad and Amber are literally top of the game. When I need results, they are the only people I trust. Quality of service, knowledge and professionalism throughout. Don't gamble with a lawyer on any legal issue, you only want to bet on the best!
Thank you Tad Nelson for standing up for me and what is right, Tad Nelson is obviously well known and respected through out the court system as he spoke with authority and precisely to the assistant DA resulting in the dismissal of my case before the case went to trial. Thank you again. if you want it done call Tad Nelson
I hired them a while back for a DWI out in Harris County, they're good and if you need help with any kind of legal matter, give em a call. For a lawyer, Tad has a great personality so working with him should be easier than working with other lawyers.
He is the one lawyer that I can call and put my trust into. We’ve used him a couple of times, once for a family matter and another time for a troubled relative. He’ll help, tell you the truth with no sugar-coating, and will work for his salt. He’s a good guy and when you go to their office, they make you feel at home, like you’re part of the team. Good lawyers and great folks.
I've had the pleasure of working with Tad personally as a technology consultant for him in the past. We've eaten lunch and dinner together. I know that Tad is very dedicated to his clients and cares for them off the clock. He's definitely the lawyer you want on your side.