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Verified judges, local rules, standing orders, and controlling division-assignment orders for Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Harris County, Matagorda County, Wharton County — every entry cites its official source with a last-verified date.
Official site: https://www.justex.net/office11
158
judicial officers
448
published rules
6
counties
0
assignment orders
Titles shown as circuit judges, county judges, and quasi-judicial officers per the official directory.
The region-wide rules adopted by the AJR-11 Council of Judges (Houston, September 5, 2018; Gov't Code § 74.048(c), RJA 4(c)): they apply to all district and statutory county courts of the region and set case time standards, recusal procedure, courtroom recording/broadcasting policy, the conflicting-engagement priority ladder, attorney vacation designations, and courtroom decorum. Adopted by reference in Wharton County's district Local Rules of Practice; posted on Matagorda County's court page (the unit's capture copy).
The standing criminal discovery order posted on the county court's page under the County Judge's letterhead: open-file-based witness-list, physical-evidence/Brady, statement, prior-record, expert, exculpatory and extraneous-offense duties applying in every criminal case absent further order. (The instrument's recital reads "329th County District Court" — a template artifact noted in custody; it is posted and maintained as the county court's discovery order.)
Judge Denise M. Fortenberry's governing P&P (TOPICs reg. doc. 2881, Rev. 03.26.26; supersedes the Sept. 2023 edition posted own-site): party-conference certificates before all settings, two-business-day response floor, MANDATORY formal mediation before final trials, the discovery-dispute letter regime, submission hearings, trial and jury-question requirements, family-case rules (Standing TRO adopted; 8-hour co-parenting class; Summarized Requested Relief; 20-minute-per-party temporary-orders hearings), and the CPS section (pre-adversary conference, mediation required, bench-warrant lead times).
Judge Randy M. Clapp's courtroom rules (registered March 6, 2023): device, attire, food, communication and decorum requirements, with the photography/recording prohibition absent permission, enforced by the bailiff.
The county court's ten-point courtroom rules (Judge Spenrath): attire, device, conduct and decorum requirements, with removal as the stated enforcement.
Judge Jared L. Cullar's courtroom rules (signed, posted August 1, 2024): thirteen attire/device/conduct requirements with removal as the stated enforcement.
The CPS Judge's local rules (effective September 1, 2023, Rev. 08.31.23; Fam. Code § 107.015, C.C.P. arts. 26.04/26.05, Gov't Code ch. 37): attorney qualification criteria for the CPS/GAL/AAL lists (criteria 1.1-1.20), appointment and disqualification procedure, duties, and the fee regime under the court-adopted schedules — expanding the Matagorda County Indigent (CPS) Appointment Plan, with applicable law controlling on any conflict.
The 130th's standing TRO (signed September 23, 2021; adopted by reference in the 2026 P&P): automatic child-protection and conduct provisions in every divorce and SAPCR — no removal from Texas, school withdrawal, hiding, or disturbance of children; no disparagement, litigation discussion with children, insurance changes, or substance use 12 hours before/during possession; no romantic overnight guests in original divorce actions; communication-conduct rules; bond waived; and the mandatory eight-hour online co-parenting class within 60 days of filing.
The presiding judge's standing security order for the Historic Wharton County Courthouse (signed January 2, 2008; registered 2023): weapons and explosives prohibited, administrative searches authorized, Sheriff implementation.
Judge James E. Powell's Youth Diversion Plan (adopted December 31, 2024; HB 3186 framework): intermediate diversion (Art. 45.309 C.C.P.) and diversion by judge (Art. 45.310), each capped at 180 days, with the plan's strategy menu (service referrals, mediation, testing, treatment compliance, capped restitution and community service) maintained on file for public inspection.
Judge Phillip Spenrath's criminal docket policy (signed July 23, 2014, effective immediately): arraignment/bond-out first settings with initial not-guilty pleas and State discovery readiness, the six-requirement arraignment-waiver checklist, Criminal Case Scheduling Orders (three status settings at two-month intervals plus a plea-negotiation deadline), Art. 28.01 pretrial with a seven-day motion cutoff, the active-trial-docket priority ladder (with a dedicated DWI setting in multi-trial months), conflicting-engagement resolution, and pro-se defendant handling.
The current juvenile conditions-of-release standing order (filed July 14, 2026; replaces the November 18, 2025 order by its own terms): automatic release conditions for every juvenile arrested for delinquent conduct and the responsible persons to whom they are released — next-business-day reporting to Juvenile Probation, travel restriction, and home confinement subject to the stated exceptions.