Bexar County, TX
All 112 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Bexar County, newest effective date first. 2 region-wide and 1,248 statewide instruments also apply here — search all three layers together. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Published rules, newest effective date first
Showing 1–50 of 112 · page 1 of 3
County Courts at Law Criminal Presiding Schedule, CY 2027 (Bexar County; 2026 SO 05)
The month-by-month rotation of the Criminal Presiding Judge for 2027: CC1 Stowe (January), CC4 Ximenez (February), CC12 (March, judge TBD), CC5 Arevalos (April), CC6 Dominguez (May), CC8 (June, TBD), CC9 (July, TBD), CC6 Dominguez (August), CC11 Peña (September), CC15 Vara (October), CC2 Saenz (November), CC14 (December, TBD), then CC12 and CC9 (TBD) for January and February 2028.
County Courts at Law Family Violence Presiding Schedule, CY 2027 (Bexar County; 2026 SO 06)
The Family Violence Presiding Judge alternates monthly through 2027 and into early 2028 between County Court at Law No. 13 (Judge Perez: January, March, May, July, September, November 2027 and January and March 2028) and County Court at Law No. 7 (Judge Lira: February, April, June, August, October, December 2027 and February 2028).
Process for Setting Motions for Summary Judgment in the 57th District Court (Judge Antonia Arteaga; Bexar County; updated August 2026)
Until further notice all summary judgments filed in the 57th are set in the 57th, about 35 days from filing, at 11:30 or late afternoon with 15–30 minutes allowed; a motion not set within 50 days of filing is heard by submission; agreed resets must stay within 60 days of filing under HB 16 (effective December 4, 2025) and be approved by the clerk; written copies of the motion and all exhibits must reach opposing counsel and the court at least 7 days in advance, avoiding duplicative documents.
Notice Regarding Settings for Motions for Summary Judgment (438th Judicial District Court, Judge Rosie Alvarado; Bexar County; August 2026)
All motions for summary judgment filed in the 438th are set and heard by the 438th: the clerk selects a hearing date within 35–60 days of filing and e-mails notice (also entered in Odyssey); hearings at 3:30 p.m. or later, limited to 30 minutes (15 per side) unless more is approved; agreed resets must stay within the statutory 60-day deadline, resets within 90 days need the movant's consent or good cause, no setting may be dropped without leave and all resets must be confirmed with the clerk before a notice is filed (contact the clerk, confer, file a notice with the confirmed date, time announcement and reason); complete electronic courtesy copies of the motion, response, reply and exhibits are due by e-mail seven days before the hearing.
Standing Order of Referral to the Felony Pre-Indictment Court Associate Judges and the Criminal Law Magistrate regarding Chapter 47 Property Disposition Hearings and Article 51.13 Extradition Hearings (Bexar County Criminal District Courts; Special Order No. 73782, July 8, 2026)
Hearings under Article 47.01a (property disposition) and Article 51.13 (extradition) of the Code of Criminal Procedure are referred to Felony Pre-Indictment Courts 1 and 2 and/or the Criminal Law Magistrate Court as "necessary and proper" matters under Government Code §§ 54A.006(a)(11) and 54.906(a)(8); an associate judge's action becomes a decree of the assigned district court unless superseded within 30 days (§ 54A.013), and the magistrate's action is adopted unless superseded by the end of the term (§ 54.912); each referral continues until a district judge orders otherwise.
225th District Court Local Rules and Procedures (Bexar County; effective July 1, 2026)
Cases filed in the 225th stay there through disposition; counsel must confer (at least three legitimate attempts on non-emergency issues) before requesting a hearing; total time announcements; a docket control order within 45 days of the petition with trial within 18/12/6 months (civil jury/nonjury/family), amended agreed DCOs signable without a hearing if within those limits; hearings requested by e-mail to 225settings@bexar.org (under three hours: confirmed once all counsel reply; three hours or more: a brief Zoom or in-person conference, then confirmation the Thursday of the week before or the setting may be dropped); jury and multi-day bench trials set from the court's website with a docket call about three weeks out; motions for summary judgment set for submission 45 days from filing, hearing requests within 10 days; orders by submission with e-filing comments (staff-attorney review for substituted service, defaults and no-record relief); a DWOP docket the fourth Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.; emergency relief presented by calling (210) 335-2233 with notice to the other side; page numbers and complete signature blocks; the artificial-intelligence certification on all pleadings; ADA accommodations through Civil District Court Administration at (210) 335-2300.
285th District Court Local Rules and Court Procedures (Bexar County; effective July 1, 2026)
Random assignment by the District Clerk with cases staying in the 285th unless officially transferred (by agreed order with the receiving judge's consent, recusal, or consolidation in the court of the first-filed case); all settings coordinated through the court clerk, with a Notice of Setting stating the matter, contact details, date, hour and time announcement; a certificate of conference detailing efforts to resolve the dispute before any contested motion (dispositive motions, motions for new trial and ex parte matters excepted); temporary orders reduced to writing within 10 days and final judgments within 30 days or the case may be set or placed on the dismissal docket; summary judgments considered on submission with a hearing at the court's discretion and proposed granting and denying orders with each motion and response; agreed orders e-filed for staff-attorney review; unopposed orders lacking a signature presented at the morning docket; mediation of all contested issues before any jury trial with parties and settlement-authority agents attending; DWOP procedure; emergency matters through the clerk; the court honors all trials set through Monitoring Court for 2026, requires a docket control order, and passes settings only by announced settlement, agreed dismissal with court approval, or a granted continuance.
A.I. Certification required on all pleadings — Civil District Courts Local Rule 4.O.1 and the 225th District Court's Artificial Intelligence Certification (Bexar County; effective July 1, 2026)
All pleadings in the Bexar County civil district courts must include a certificate, on the form approved by the Civil District Court Judges and posted on the Presiding Court website, signed by counsel or the self-represented litigant, attesting (a) that all drafted language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analyses produced by generative A.I. will be verified before submission by counsel licensed in Texas (or admitted to appear) or the self-represented litigant as accurate through traditional, non-A.I. legal sources, and (b) that the signer understands they are responsible for any failure to comply. The 225th District Court's own procedures repeat the requirement for pleadings filed in that court.
Bexar County Civil District Courts Local Rules (37th, 45th, 57th, 73rd, 131st, 150th, 166th, 224th, 225th, 285th, 288th, 407th, 408th and 438th Judicial District Courts; updated effective July 1, 2026)
The civil district courts' central-docket rules: public access and no recording without permission (Rule 1); every trial and hearing set on the Presiding Court nonjury dockets or the Monitoring Court jury docket except MSJ, DWOP and Rule 91a motions, which are set in the assigned court (Rules 2, 4.J); monthly rotation of the Presiding Judge (Rule 3); the 8:30, 9:00, 1:30 walk-up and 2:00 specialty dockets, announcements, multiple-setting conflicts, mandatory certificates of conference on date/time/format and on the substance of non-dispositive motions, orders due within two weeks with e-filing comment-section labels, approval blocks, separate documents, an agreed docket control order within 30 days of the first responsive pleading (motion to enter within 45 days), written-submission matters, Zoom protocols (8:30 by Zoom; 9:00 in person unless a joint notice agrees to a hearing of 2.5 hours or less by Zoom; Children's Court in-person rules), the A.I. certification required on all pleadings, Extended Assignments of a pretrial phase to one judge (up to 120 days) and the family-law policies (standing order attached to every petition, Helping Children Cope with Divorce, minors' testimony, default divorces, custody evaluations within 90 days, inventories and support itemizations, Domestic Relations Office) (Rule 4); the Monitoring Court jury docket, trial announcements due by noon the Monday two weeks before trial, carry-over week, motions heard by the Monitoring Judge, continuances, special settings, complex-case removal, proposed orders (Rule 5); scheduling (Rule 6); ex parte requests and TROs (Rule 7); post-trial hearings (Rule 8); mediation 45 days before trial with a mediator's report 30 days out (Rule 9); vacation letters (Rule 10); Attorney General Title IV-D deemed applications (Rule 11); interpreters (Rule 12); and supersession of all prior rules effective July 1, 2026 (Rule 13). The 225th and 285th District Courts do not participate in the Presiding/Monitoring dockets and append their own procedures.
Certification Regarding Use of Artificial Intelligence — the approved certificate form required on all pleadings by Civil District Courts Local Rule 4.O.1 (Bexar County)
The one-paragraph certificate that Local Rule 4.O.1 requires on every pleading in the civil district courts: the signer certifies that all drafted language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analyses produced by generative A.I. in the filing have been verified as accurate through traditional, non-A.I. legal sources, and that all attorneys of record or self-represented litigants submitting the filing understand and acknowledge that they are responsible for their failure to comply with the order; signed by the attorney or pro se litigant.
Joint Order Adopting Civil District Courts' Ad Litem Fee Schedule (Criminal District Courts of Bexar County; Special Order No. 73722, March 2, 2026)
Under Family Code Chapter 107 and TRCP 173.6 the criminal district judges adopt the Bexar County Civil District Courts' Ad Litem Fee Schedule for vouchers submitted after March 2, 2026: attorney fees $110 per hour in court (maximum 7 hours), $85 per hour out of court (maximum 5 hours) or a $1,000 flat fee; paralegal/legal assistant time $75 per hour out of court; citation by publication a $500 flat fee; guidelines — no billing beyond the hourly limits without prior approval, no delegation or subcontracting of the appointment, out-of-court time in real time and in-court time in quarter hours, n/a categories unpaid, out-of-county mileage at county rates from the courthouse with documentation, and vouchers within 60 calendar days of the hearing or service.
Motion for Summary Judgment Procedures (408th Judicial District Court, Judge Angelica I. Jimenez; Bexar County; effective March 1, 2026)
All motions for summary judgment filed in the 408th are heard in the 408th by submission without a hearing, taken up at 4:30 p.m. on the hearing date; a movant may withdraw before the hearing date; a hearing may be requested in writing before the listed date after conferring, by e-mailing the clerk (Clerk.408THCourt@Bexar.org, copying all counsel and self-represented litigants) for an approved date — settings made without prior approval may not be honored; oral argument is heard at 4:00 p.m. with no more than 15 minutes per side unless the court permits more.
3rd Amended Standing Order on Special Conditions of Bond for Select Cases in County Court at Law No. 2 (Bexar County; 2026 SO 03, January 8, 2026)
Judge Saenz requests that magistrates, associate judges and Pre-Trial Services impose, at a minimum, for persons arrested on or after January 9, 2026 who are assigned to County Court at Law No. 2 and charged with DWI, assault bodily injury, evading arrest or detention, prostitution, possession of marijuana or possession of a controlled substance: no drugs or alcohol, a chemical-dependency screening with a licensed counselor, compliance with the screening recommendation, and monthly UAs with Pre-Trial Services (UA fees waived); the request does not displace the magistrate's independent assessment under Code of Criminal Procedure arts. 17.15(a) and 17.40, and screenings and recommended counseling are free to the defendant.
285th District Court Procedures — the court's own-site edition with the 2026 and 2027 jury trial weeks (Bexar County)
The 285th's settings, conference, orders, summary-judgment, agreed and unopposed orders, ADR, dismissal-docket, emergency and trial procedures (the same text the court appended to the July 2026 Civil District Courts Local Rules) together with the jury trial weeks the local-rules appendix refers to: 2026 — April 6 and 13, May 4 and 18, June 1, 8, 15 and 22, July 6, 13 and 20, August 3, 17 and 24, September 14 and 21, October 5, 12 and 19, November 2 and 16, December 7; 2027 — January 11 and 19, February 8 and 16, March 1 and 22, April 12, May 3 and 17, June 7 and 21, July 19, August 9 and 23, September 13 and 20, October 4 and 11, November 1 and 15, December 6.
County Courts at Law 1st Amended Criminal Presiding Schedule, CY 2026 (Bexar County; 2026 SO 04)
The amended month-by-month rotation of the Criminal Presiding Judge for 2026: CC7 Lira (January), CC4 Ximenez (February), CC2 Saenz (March), CC6 Dominguez (April), CC1 Stowe (May), CC8 Roman (June), CC5 Arevalos (July), CC14 Key (August), CC11 Peña (September), CC15 Vara (October), CC12 Huff (November), CC9 Saldaña (December), and CC1 Stowe for January 2027.
County Courts at Law Civil Presiding Schedule, CY 2026 (Bexar County)
The month-by-month rotation of the Civil Presiding Judge for 2026 under CCL Local Rule Part 2 B.I: County Court at Law No. 10 (Judge Garcia) in January, March, May, June and December; No. 3 (Judge Rodriguez) in February, April, July, August and November; No. 15 (Judge Vara) in September; No. 9 (Judge Saldana) in October.
Election of the Presiding Civil Judges for the Year 2026 (Bexar County District Courts; Special Order No. 73681, July 23, 2025)
Under Government Code § 75.012 the district judges elected the 2026 Civil Presiding Judge rotation: January 288th (Chapa), February 407th (Torres), March 408th (Jimenez), April 438th (Alvarado), May 37th (Garza), June 45th (Alvarez), July 57th (Arteaga), August 73rd (Martinez), September 131st (Gonzales), October 150th (Diaz), November 166th (Salinas), December 224th (Flores).
Motion for Summary Judgment Procedures in the 407th District Court (Judge Tina Torres; Bexar County)
Motions for summary judgment filed in the 407th are ruled on by submission within the statutory deadlines; the court e-mails the parties the date the motion will be considered; a hearing may be requested in writing before that date after all parties confer on mutual availability, and every setting must be confirmed with the clerk before a notice of hearing is filed; hearings are scheduled after 3:00 p.m. with 30 minutes of argument per side unless the court permits more.
Motions for Summary Judgment Procedure for the 166th Judicial District Court (Judge Laura Salinas; Bexar County)
All motions for summary judgment filed in the 166th are heard in the 166th and ruled on by submission within the statutory deadlines; the court e-mails the parties the date the motion will be considered; a hearing may be requested in writing before that date after conferring on mutually available dates, and every setting must be confirmed with the clerk before a notice of hearing is filed; hearings are in the afternoons, never at 8:30 a.m., with no more than 30 minutes per side.
Notice Regarding Settings for Motions for Summary Judgment (224th Judicial District Court, Judge Marisa Flores; Bexar County)
All motions for summary judgment filed in the 224th are set and heard by the 224th: the clerk selects a date 35–60 days from filing and e-mails notice (also entered in Odyssey); hearings at 3:30 p.m. or later, 30 minutes total (15 per side) unless more is approved; agreed resets must stay within the 60-day deadline and 90-day resets need the movant's consent or good cause; no setting may be dropped without leave; a party wanting a different date contacts the clerk, confers, and files a notice with the confirmed date, time announcement and reason; complete electronic courtesy copies of the motion, response, reply and exhibits are due by e-mail seven days before the hearing.
Procedures for Motions for Summary Judgment in the 73rd District Court (Bexar County; effective December 4, 2025)
Under Government Code § 23.303 the 73rd's clerk sets each motion for summary judgment on filing, within the 60-day window, at 4:30 p.m.; all motions are heard by submission; a party wanting an in-person or Zoom hearing must contact the clerk for dates within the statutory deadlines, confer with opposing counsel, file a notice of hearing stating the time needed and why, and keeps the submission date if the request is denied; responses and amendments follow the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
Summary Judgment Procedure for the 131st District Court (Judge Norma Gonzales; Bexar County)
All motions for summary judgment filed in the 131st are heard in the 131st, not Presiding Court; the court e-mails a hearing date 35–45 days from filing, usually between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m.; the parties have 30 minutes to present and respond; the filing party files a notice of hearing within 3 days of receiving the date; the court advises when to expect a ruling.
Summary Judgment Procedure for the 37th District Court (Judge Nicole Garza; Bexar County)
All motions for summary judgment filed in the 37th are heard in the 37th, not Presiding Court; the court e-mails the parties a hearing date 35–45 days from filing, usually between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m.; the parties have 30 minutes to present and respond; the filing party must file a notice of hearing within 3 days of receiving the date; the court advises after the hearing when to expect a ruling.
Standing Order Regarding Interim Court Appointed Attorney Invoices in competency and sanity cases (Bexar County Criminal Law Magistrate Court; Special Order No. 73665, November 14, 2025)
Appointed attorneys representing defendants in matters involving competency or sanity evaluations are pre-approved to submit interim invoices; interim invoices must comply with Guidelines #21 and #22 of the Fee Schedule Guidelines; and because competency and sanity cases are "extraordinary circumstances" under Guideline #21, more than one interim voucher may be submitted as necessary and appropriate.
Summary Judgment Procedures — 288th District Court (Bexar County; effective November 13, 2025)
From November 13, 2025 all motions for summary judgment filed in the 288th are heard in the 288th rather than Presiding Court; motions already set in Presiding must be reset in the 288th after all parties confer on mutual availability and obtain an approved date from the clerk by e-mail, and settings made without prior approval may not be honored (the court sets its own submission date otherwise); for motions filed on or after December 4, 2025 the § 23.303(a) 60-day setting deadline is strictly enforced; MSJs are heard in the afternoons, never at 8:30 a.m., and by submission unless a hearing is requested.
Local Rules of the Statutory County Courts at Law of Bexar County (Part 2; adopted September 2025, effective on publication by the Office of Court Administration, October 3, 2025)
Part A general rules (opening of court, robes, courtroom conduct, attorney decorum and the Texas Lawyer's Creed; the Civil Division (CCLs 3 and 10) and Criminal Division (CCLs 1, 2, 4–9, 11–15) with five specialty courts; time standards; unavailability by motion for continuance; three-day, three-week and thirty-day notice definitions; no photography or broadcasting). Part B civil division (a monthly-rotating Presiding Judge; fiats and notices of hearing must contain the information posted at bexar.org/1055/County-Courts and cannot be set by phone; ad litems appointed a working day before hearing; notice of non-suits and settlements to the Civil Assignment Clerk; withdrawal motions need a hearing unless agreed or substituted; signature notation on instruments; docket-conflict notices; out-of-county settings need ten days' written notice; motions to set must represent that mediation has occurred or will; presiding in CCL 3 or 10; e-filing; rotating mediator and ad litem lists under Gov't Code § 37.004; retention of complex cases; remote proceedings and technology competence). Part C criminal division (Criminal and Family Violence Presiding Judges and their duties; direct filing of complaints and informations with co-defendant, same-transaction, probationer and pending-case transfer rules; arraignment; appointment under the Indigent Defense Plan and withdrawal only by court permission; capias, summons, bail and forfeitures; written motions with three days' notice, mandatory criminal e-filing since July 1, 2017; pleas; docket calls, conflicts reported before 8:50 a.m. with a 5:00 p.m. next-working-day deadline; settings, resets and continuances; trial matters; judgments nisi; de novo appeals from JP and municipal courts docketed in the Presiding Criminal Court; Auxiliary Jail Court; priority of CCL criminal settings; remote proceedings). Part D administrative rules (jury plan, judges' absences, non-judicial personnel, court administration, adoption and amendment, the Local Administrative Judge, elections and committees).
Local Rules for Electronic Filing — mandatory e-filing of all cases (Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Bexar County; effective August 4, 2025)
From Monday, August 4, 2025, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 requires e-filing of all cases and no longer accepts paper filings: attorneys must submit new eviction, small claims and debt claim cases, subsequent filings and response pleadings through E-File Texas or E-File Texas Self-Help, and anything those systems will not accept must be submitted in person; pro se litigants may still file documents at the court.
Bexar County Criminal District Court Local Rules (Special Order No. 73522; signed June 10, 2025)
Eighteen parts governing the criminal district courts: courtroom opening, decorum and attorney conduct, media (non-disruptive news coverage at the court's discretion; none by the public) and judicial portraits (Part 1); the rotating Presiding and Alternate Presiding Criminal Judge (warrants and urgent matters only; not an overflow court) and the Grand Jury Presiding Judge (Part 2); the Local Administrative Judge and the Criminal Rules Committee chair (Part 3); grand jury (Part 4); filing and return of indictments in weighted sequential order, with co-defendant, same-defendant, probationer and pending-case indictments going to the first court and capital cases rotated (Part 5); arraignments, counsel under the Indigent Defense Plan, bail and forfeitures (Parts 6–8); written motions with grounds, relief and a proposed order, a Bond Reduction Form for bond reductions, three days' notice of hearings, ten days' notice of pretrial hearings with preliminary matters filed seven days out (Part 9); written, signed plea bargains (Part 10); docket calls, e-mail notice of delays, vacation notices through the District Clerk's website, Chapter 29 continuances (Part 11); examining trials (Part 12); trial matters and trial-conflict priority (jail cases over 90 days, then longest jail time, then oldest indictment) (Part 13); Criminal Law Magistrates (Part 14); jury management plan (Part 15); judges' absences (Part 16); boards, appointments and committees (Part 17); and adoption and amendment procedure (Part 18).
438th Court Guidance for Motions to Enter Orders (Bexar County; revised April 2, 2025)
Disputes over the form of an order are set by motion to enter in the 438th, never litigated by e-mail; before setting, obtain the court's available dates and confer with the other side (a certificate of conference on any unagreed setting); 15 minutes per MTE, preferably by Zoom ((210) 335-0448 for the meeting ID); parties must meaningfully confer beforehand, exchanging the proposed order and redline edits (one drafter, visible redlines shared on screen), or the MTE may be reset or the parties sent to a breakout room; MTEs set from the bench may not be dropped unless rescheduled with the clerk or an agreed order is promised by a date certain; no MTE settings on Mondays or post-holiday Tuesdays in jury weeks (otherwise from 1 p.m.), none on Mondays or Fridays in non-jury weeks (otherwise 1:00 and 1:30 p.m., with 30-minute MTEs only at 4:30 p.m. in non-jury weeks).
Probate Court One Administrative Order # 2025-01 — Rules Regarding Payment of Approved Attorney Ad-Litem Fees in Bexar County Probate Court 1 (effective February 27, 2025)
Judge Kazen's rules for court-appointed attorneys in Probate Court No. 1: a 10-business-day cure period; "the list" of eligible attorneys (good standing, current State Bar contact information, guardianship certification under Estates Code § 1054.201–.203, county-vendor registration, three sub-lists for guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem in guardianships and ad litem in estates, posted annually and refreshed every 90 days, sequential appointment with off-wheel discretion); declinations within three days by contact and filing; voluntary and involuntary suspension and removal with notice and a show-cause hearing; fee considerations under Rule 1.04; payment coordinated through the party's counsel; a base flat fee of no more than $600 plus costs, county-pay itemized rate $150 per hour and private-pay itemized rates by years of practice ($200 to $375–450 per hour); "pink sheets" required in every case (the county-pay payment order; a data-report mechanism in private-pay cases); itemized requests over $600 require an application, pink sheet, proposed order, fee affidavit and billing statement reviewed by the court's auditor (county pay: 90-day deadline after discharge; paralegal $25 county pay, $50–150 private pay; no clerical, secretarial or "I called Martin" time); no delay of duties over fees, with final orders held pending payment or jurisdiction retained; interim payments capped at $600 during disputes; fee-dispute procedure with in-person hearings (county-pay itemized disputes within ten days; private-pay objections seven business days before the underlying hearing); written Rule 11 fee agreements; the court's discretion to modify any fee; and a one-page plain-language summary.
Omnibus Order of Referral to Associate Judge Ben A. Wallis III (Bexar County Probate Court No. 2; signed February 26, 2025)
Associate Judge Ben A. Wallis III, appointed by Judge Veronica Vasquez, may hear any class or type of proceeding assigned to him within Probate Court No. 2's jurisdiction, including any aspect of a suit and ancillary matters, with all authority under Government Code § 54A.209; parties may object under § 54A.207; notice of the right to a de novo hearing before the referring court is given by the order, by posting outside the courtroom and on the electronic-hearing opening page, may be waived in writing or on the record before the proceeding starts, and a de novo request must be filed with the County Clerk under § 54A.216 with a copy promptly to the Court Administrator.
Standing Order authorizing competency-restoration programs to screen defendants for competency re-evaluation (Bexar County Criminal Law Magistrate's Court; Special Order No. 73535, August 12, 2025)
The Health and Human Services Commission, the Center for Health Care Services Outpatient Competency Restoration Program, the Alamo Area Council of Governments Community Based Competency Restoration Program and the Bexar County Jail Based Competency Restoration Program are authorized to screen Bexar County defendants as they deem necessary to determine whether the defendants are appropriate for those programs and/or need re-evaluation for competency to stand trial; effective retroactively to February 3, 2025.
Check Policy for filings (Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Bexar County)
Effective immediately, JP Precinct 1 accepts a check for a filing only if the name on the check matches the party's name on the documents (for example, a check from "Winston Apartments" for a case styled Winston Apartments v. Joe Castillo); credit cards are accepted as an alternative; questions to (210) 335-4500.
Standing Order in Limine (73rd Judicial District Court, Bexar County; Judge Elizabeth Martinez, 2025)
Unless suspended for a specific trial, no attorney may mention before the jury or venire, without first approaching the bench for a ruling, any of 26 listed matters — liability insurance and jurors' insurance-industry ties, ability to pay a judgment, collateral sources and letters of protection, the retention of counsel, attorney's fees, offers of independent medical examination, criminal history, alcohol or drug use, settlement or mediation, discovery disputes, prior suits or claims, ex parte witness statements, absent witnesses, failure to call a witness, unadmitted exhibits and visual aids, requests for stipulations or files, discrimination arguments, social cost of an award, hardship, the golden rule, counsel's opinion of credibility, the effect of jury answers, and undisclosed witnesses or documents (with objections to undisclosed evidence raised at pretrial or outside the jury's hearing); attorneys must admonish clients and friendly witnesses accordingly.
Amended Standing Order Regarding Travel While Under Pre-Trial Supervision (County Court at Law No. 2, Bexar County; 2024 SO 09, November 20, 2024)
Defendants under pre-trial supervision in County Court at Law No. 2 may travel outside Bexar County and Texas without court permission unless specifically prohibited, on 48 hours' notice to their pre-trial officer and a UA within 24 hours of return; defendants on full or partial house arrest, tracking or curfew must stay in Bexar County unless authorized, but the pre-trial officer must permit verified attendance within 75 miles at a family funeral, physician appointments, attorney-client meetings, emergency hospital visits and Pre-Trial Services or Re-Entry Center appointments, provided no no-contact order is violated.
Special Order Revoking Standing Order No. 2016 SO 04, "Standing Order for Travel Requests" (Bexar County Courts at Law hearing criminal matters; 2024 SO 08, November 20, 2024)
By majority vote on November 20, 2024, the judges of the county courts at law hearing criminal cases rescind and revoke Standing Order 2016 SO 04, the Standing Order for Travel Requests, so travel by defendants under pre-trial supervision is no longer governed by that county-wide order (County Court at Law No. 2 issued its own amended travel order the same day, TOPICs doc 2128).
Probate Court 1 Administrative Order on Settings — no dropping a setting within five business days without court approval (Administrative Order 2024-02; Bexar County Probate Court No. 1; effective September 27, 2024)
Because parties were settling or abandoning docketed hearings (in person and by Zoom) without telling the court, from September 27, 2024 no hearing, setting or appearance may be dropped within 5 business days of the setting unless approved by the court, and unless the court waives the appearance all parties must appear as scheduled.
Attorneys' Instructions for eFiling orders — routing comments for the Presiding, assigned, Visiting Judge, walk-up and Monitoring Court queues (Bexar County Civil District Courts)
When e-filing an order, always leave a comment saying where the clerk should route it, or it is accepted only as a proposed order and never routed for signature: "Presiding Court, [8:30 am / 9 am / Tax / Expunction] Docket, [date]" for matters heard in Presiding; "[assigned court], [hearing date]" for matters assigned to a sitting district judge (including summary-judgment hearings); "Forward to Visiting Judge Queue, Judge [name], [date]" plus an e-mail of the envelope number to the visiting judge; "Presiding Court, 1:30 Docket, appearing on [date]" for walk-up orders filed before appearing; "[type of order] – Staff Attorney Review Required" for defaults, Rule 106, gestational agreements, dismissals and agreed judgments; "Monitoring Court, [date]"; file each order once, separately from the motion, and bring the envelope number.
Procedure for Setting a Motion before a Visiting Judge (Bexar County Civil District Courts)
Only motions to enter, to reconsider, to clarify, for new trial and to set aside an order return to the visiting judge who originally ruled; counsel finds the Visiting Judges calendar on the county website, sets the motion in Presiding Court under the Local Rules on a date the visiting judge is scheduled to assist Presiding (8:30 non-evidentiary or 9:00 evidentiary), includes the Presiding Court Zoom information and the visiting judge's name in the notice of setting, names the visiting judge in the announcement to the Presiding Judge, and confers on the time announcement; every visiting-judge hearing must be assigned by the Presiding Judge.
Standing Order Regarding Pre-Trial Supervision (Bexar County Criminal District Courts; Special Order No. 73334, August 12, 2024)
Pre-Trial Supervision officers must permit persons under pre-trial supervision, including GPS monitoring, to attend four verified events without further permission or court order, provided no no-contact order is violated: the funeral of an immediate family member (absent other condition conflicts), a physician appointment, a meeting with the attorney of record at the attorney's office, and a hospital or emergency clinic visit for a verified medical emergency.
E-filing requirements effective August 1, 2024 — memorandum to the San Antonio Bar (Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Bexar County; July 11, 2024)
E-filers in Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 must file motions, pleadings, notices, certificates, affidavits, declarations and discovery as separate lead documents (exhibits excepted), file orders as attachments behind the motion rather than as lead documents, file the affidavit of service as the first page of a return with the citation and officer's return behind it, submit every page in 8.5 x 11 portrait (landscape or legal pages cause rejection of the envelope), enter all filing and copy fees themselves, and select the correct case type and category; non-compliant envelopes are rejected and returned for correction.
Bexar County Veterans Treatment Court Travel Policy (County Court at Law No. 6; effective July 1, 2024)
Travel permit requests must be made at least 10 business days before travel, one permit per quarter for non-military, non-emergency, non-work travel, all subject to review; within Texas, the supervision officer decides (after case-manager and treatment status reports) for military orders, emergencies and work, informing the VTC team, with a UA due by 9 a.m. on return from overnight travel and remote court appearance for work travel; outside Texas, requests go through the supervision officer to the court, which decides and informs the team; no travel is approved in the first 90 days of participation unless scheduled before admission and disclosed at the plea; unexpected travel is routed through the supervision officer and manager; travel may not conflict with court appearances.
Administrative Order 2024-01 on County Payment of Attorney Ad Litem Fees in Guardianships and Guardianship-Related Matters (Bexar County Probate Court No. 1; effective May 15, 2024)
Because county-paid guardian and attorney ad litems in indigent guardianship matters are paid from a limited county account and many delay their requests past the budget cycle, from May 15, 2024 ad litems in county-appointed indigent cases must file their fee requests within 60 days of the termination of their appointment, or the fees may not issue without a showing of substantial good cause.
Administrative Order 2024-02 — Agreed Administrative Order on Distribution of Probate Court Cases among Probate Courts Nos. 1, 2 and 3 (Bexar County; signed February 28, 2024)
On the creation of Probate Court No. 3, the three statutory probate judges agree under Government Code § 74.093 and § 25.173 that all probate cases other than mental health matters filed on or after September 1, 2023 are assigned equally among Probate Courts 1, 2 and 3 (cause numbers showing year, court and number); the County Clerk reassigns cases filed January 1, 1983 – January 1, 2020 evenly among the three courts within 90 days (with a status report if not), then the pre-1983 cases; Judges Kazen and Vasquez attach lists of cases to remain in Courts 1 and 2; future agreed orders may direct further transfers.
Before Setting a Hearing in Probate Court No. 1 — file review and setting procedure (Bexar County)
Before setting a hearing on an application to probate a will (as muniment or for letters), for administration, for determination of heirship or for guardianship (including successors), counsel must send the death certificate to paralegal Roger Murray and request a file review; once cleared, hearing dates are offered by e-mail only, in person or (if uncontested) by Zoom on counsel's own account; counsel confirms availability with the administrative assistant or staff attorney, then must e-file a fiat with the probate clerk within 3 business days and, for Zoom hearings, send the Zoom details within 3 business days, or the setting is dropped without notice.
Special Order Directing the State to Produce Breath Test Records in DWI cases (County Court at Law No. 7, Bexar County; 2023 SO 21, effective December 4, 2023)
In every DWI case in County Court at Law No. 7 the State must produce, on or before the 60th day after the information is filed, the thirteen categories of Intoxilyzer breath-test records listed in the order (instrument certificate and solution files, Cobra Data Log, maintenance file, NIST traceability, thermometer calibration, simulator-solution procedures, software documentation, operator and technical-supervisor files, operating policies and DPS inspection reports); late production is reviewed case by case for admissibility, and cases already on file had a February 2, 2024 deadline.
Special Order to Produce Blood Test Records in DWI cases (County Court at Law No. 7, Bexar County; 2023 SO 20, effective December 4, 2023)
In every DWI case in County Court at Law No. 7 the State must produce, on or before the 60th day after the information is filed, the laboratory accreditation, policy, pre-analysis, analysis and reporting records itemized in sections A–D of the order and afford the defense the inspection opportunity in section E; late production is reviewed case by case for admissibility of the blood-test result, and cases already on file had a February 2, 2024 deadline.
Joint Order Adopting Ad Litem Fee Schedule — the Bexar County Ad Litem Fee Schedule and Guidelines (Criminal District Courts; Special Order No. 73225, November 21, 2023)
Under Family Code Chapter 107 and TRCP 173.6 the criminal district judges adopt the Bexar County Ad Litem Fee Schedule for vouchers submitted after November 21, 2023: hourly $85 with flat fees of $215 (262 hearing, motion to participate, trial), $165 (60-day and other hearings), $190 mediation/FGC, $115 staffings, $615 all-day hearings, $90 resets and $915 appeals, with out-of-court maximums of 1.5–3 hours per category; out-of-court time $60 per hour and travel $30 per hour (Google Maps from the courthouse, map attached); mileage at the county rate ($0.65); in-court time in quarter hours; $325 per additional trial day on appeal; unusual expenses reimbursable with pre-approval encouraged; vouchers within 60 calendar days of the hearing or service.
Special Order Directing the State to Produce Blood Test Records in DWI cases (County Court at Law No. 2, Bexar County; 2023 SO 19, November 1, 2023)
In every DWI case in County Court at Law No. 2 the State must produce, on or before the 60th day after the information is filed, the laboratory's accreditation, inspection and non-compliance records, testing and calibration-curve policies and sample-selection criteria (A); validation studies, batch standards and controls, quality-control, refrigeration, proficiency, balance and pipette records, personnel training and discipline, and maintenance records (B); instrument identity, consumables, t0 reporting, calibration curve and chromatograms, batch logs, machine parameters and mass-spectrometer library, hit-list and tune reports (C); case records, bench notes, vial identification, uncertainty measurement, chain of custody and quality action plans (D); and a defense inspection opportunity (E); late production is reviewed case by case for admissibility of the blood-test result, and cases already on file had a December 31, 2023 deadline.
Special Order Directing the State to Produce Breath Test Records in DWI cases (County Court at Law No. 2, Bexar County; 2023 SO 18, November 1, 2023)
In every DWI case in County Court at Law No. 2 the State must produce, on or before the 60th day after the information is filed, thirteen categories of Intoxilyzer breath-test records (instrument certificate and solution files, the Cobra Data Log and maintenance file for six months before and after the test, NIST traceability and thermometer calibration, simulator-solution procedures, software documentation and updates, operator and technical-supervisor history files and disciplinary records, unpublished operating policies, and DPS annual inspection reports a year before and after); late production is reviewed case by case for admissibility of the breath-test result, and cases already on file had a December 31, 2023 deadline.