Brazoria County, TX
All 38 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Brazoria County, newest effective date first. 3 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 1–38 of 38
Notice of New Procedure: Request to Review Bail Decision Pursuant to Tex. C.C.P. Art. 17.029
The Local Administrative District Judge's procedure (filed March 4, 2026) implementing Article 17.029 C.C.P.: how the District Clerk routes a State's request to review a magistrate's felony bail decision to the district judges, with a next-business-day setting requirement.
Information on Justice Court Cases — Steps for Filing a Civil Suit (JP Precinct 3, Place 1)
Judge Merkel's published civil-filing procedures (edition 1/1/2026): the four justice-court civil case types and their limits, and the court's step-by-step filing, service and hearing procedures for each.
Order Equalizing Caseloads and Dividing the Docket (effective January 1, 2026)
The current district-court docket-division order (signed December 2, 2025; effective January 1, 2026): which district court hears which case classes in Brazoria County. AMENDED for the new 490th District Court by the March 9, 2026 transfer order (docket effective September 1, 2026).
Standing Orders of the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3, Place 1 (21 orders, Last Update Jan. 1, 2026)
Judge Mike Merkel's 21 standing orders (current edition Last Update 01/01/2026, superseding the registered 09/01/2021 print): clerk guidelines for Class C dispositions when the judge is not present — payment methods (no personal checks for Class C; 2.85% card fee; exact-cents cash rule), $10 compliance-dismissal fees, DSC, deferred disposition, payment plans, community service, indigency, capias pro fine, Omnibase, civil fees, and ex parte communication.
Local Procedures of the County Courts at Law #1, 2, 3 & 4 and Probate Courts of Brazoria County
The county courts at law's procedures book (adopted December 15, 2025, REV 12/08/25; registered December 30, 2025; also posted own-site as "Procedures for All NonCriminal Matters"): filing ceiling, alternating assignment, 45-day trial-setting notice, Monday docket call, probate/guardianship attorney-representation requirement, vacation-designation regime, and adoption of the family district courts' rules for family matters heard in the CCLs.
Standing Order of the Court for Final Trial (Jury and Non-Jury) in Civil Cases — 300th District Court
The 300th's standing order for civil final trials (signed May 19, 2025; effective July 1, 2025; TOPICs reg. doc. 2401; byte-identical posting on the court page): trial-setting mechanics, discovery-compliance sanctions, jury pretrial conference requirements, five-day exhibit/witness exchange, in-person default, and For Kids Sake course compliance.
Standing Orders of the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 1 (22 orders, eff. Jan. 2025)
Judge John Vasut's 22 standing orders (signed January 27, 2025): payment methods (no personal checks; 2.15% card fee), clerk-processed compliance dismissals with $10-$20 administrative fees by offense class, DSC and deferred disposition, payment plans and community service, indigency, pretrial and jury mechanics, capias pro fine, Omnibase holds, civil filing and citation-service fees ($75 per defendant in evictions), ex parte communication (Canon 6(C)(2)), and the video-recording prohibition.
Order of Referral of Family Cases to the Associate Judge — 461st District Court
The 461st's current standing referral of family cases to Associate Judge Gregory Donnell (registered January 3, 2025; supersedes the 2022/2023 referral order, TOPICs doc. 43).
Youth Diversion Plan — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 1 (amended, updated Feb. 23, 2026)
Judge Vasut's amended Youth Diversion Plan under Article 45A.501 C.C.P. (effective January 1, 2025; updated and re-signed February 23, 2026): diversion of children charged with fine-only misdemeanors, with strategies tailored by the Judge, Prosecutor and Youth Diversion Coordinator.
Youth Diversion Plan — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3, Place 1 (eff. Jan. 1, 2025)
Judge Merkel's Youth Diversion Plan (adopted December 30, 2024 under Article 45.306(b) C.C.P.; effective January 1, 2025): objective, applicability to fine-only non-traffic misdemeanors, eligibility, diversion strategies, and the Appendix A resource list.
Probate and Civil Instructions for Remote and In-Person Hearings — County Court at Law No. 2
Judge Thomas Pfeiffer's hearing-appearance instructions (revised July 4, 2024): physical presence is the default under TRCP 21d, the remote lanes for uncontested probate and non-evidentiary motions, Zoom conduct rules, the CCL2 setting mailbox, and the six-case probate docket cap.
Standing Order of Brazoria County District Courts on Juror Decorum and Attire
District-wide standing order (October 26, 2023) setting decorum and attire requirements for persons summoned for jury service in the district courts.
Standing Order on Sealing DFPS Cases — 300th District Court
The 300th's standing order (June 14, 2023) sealing all filings and minutes in cases in which the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services appears as a party.
Exception to Procedures for Sealing of Medical/Education Records in Cases Concerning the Department of Family and Protective Services
Order of the 300th and 461st District Courts (May 23, 2023) carving DFPS cases out of the county-wide medical/educational-records sealing procedures: in DFPS cases the governing regime is the courts' DFPS sealing orders, under which filings are confidential and sealed.
Order Authorizing Referral of Criminal Cases to Brazoria County Criminal Law Magistrate Court and Brazoria County Criminal Magistrates
District-court authorization (January 18, 2023) to refer criminal cases and related proceedings to the Brazoria County Criminal Law Magistrate Court (Tex. Gov't Code § 54.2506) and to appointed Brazoria County Criminal Magistrates (§§ 54.1851, 54.1853).
Order of Referral of Criminal Matters to the Associate Judge — 300th District Court
The 300th's standing referral of criminal matters to its Associate Judge (January 5, 2023): the AJ may hear the referred criminal proceedings the order enumerates, subject to the parties' statutory rights.
Order Regarding Viewing of Criminal Histories
County-wide order of the district courts and county courts at law governing defense counsel access to criminal-history records in Brazoria County criminal cases (January 2023, all nine district/CCL signatures).
Standing Order Regarding Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 17.027 — Release on Bail for Persons Charged with Felony Offense Committed While on Bail
County-wide standing order of the Brazoria County district courts and county courts at law implementing Article 17.027 C.C.P.: only a district or county-court-at-law judge (not a magistrate) may set bail for a defendant charged with committing a felony while released on bail for another pending felony. Signed January 2023 by all nine district and CCL judges — the bench-roster cross-proof for the current district/CCL bench.
Procedures for Off-Docket Pleas in the 149th District Court
The 149th's off-docket plea procedures (effective January 1, 2023): Friday 8:30 a.m. pleas, clerk-first paperwork flow, coordinator setting, State notification, jail-transport request through the Criminal District Court Administrator, and a two-plea-per-morning cap during trials.
The District Courts of Brazoria County, Texas — Local Rules of Administration
The district courts' Local Rules of Administration (adopted December 27, 2022): caseload division, emergency matters, judicial leave, and the courtroom photography/recording prohibition. The Rule 1 division percentages are superseded by the current docket-division order (TOPICs doc. 2685, eff. 1/1/2026).
Procedures in All County and District Courts — Sealing of Medical/Educational Records
County-wide procedures adopted by the District Courts and County Courts at Law of Brazoria County authorizing and directing the clerks on the sealing of medical and educational records (adopted August 23, 2022; TOPICs reg. doc. 37). The 2023 DFPS orders (docs 1433/1401) overlay this for Department of Family and Protective Services cases.
Local Rules of Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the Justice of the Peace Courts of Brazoria County (eff. Jan. 21, 2014; am. Apr. 12, 2022)
The county-wide JP local rules (Gov't Code § 27.061, CPRC § 15.0821, C.C.P. art. 4.12): organization by precinct, bench-exchange policy, civil filing/setting/continuance/conflict rules, DWOP procedures, criminal filing and transfer rules, first appearance, fine-only counsel rule, magistration duties, administrative jurisdiction, and decorum (including the recording prohibition). The governing edition is the April 12, 2022 amendment (TOPICs reg. doc. 816); the 2021-amended print posted on the JP information page is a superseded edition.
Order for Direct Filing for Family District Courts
District-court direct-filing rule (April 28, 2021): protective-order applications, divorces and SAPCRs involving the same parties file directly into the family district court already holding the related case, rather than through blind random assignment.
239th District Court — General Guidelines
Judge Greg Hill's courtroom guidelines (vision-read seven-page instrument): communications and e-filing, ancillary-week motions, dismissal-docket appearance duty, docket-control orders, continuance practice, fee and ad litem procedure, voir dire time limits, courtesy copies, rulings after advisement, ADR referral practice, and trial mechanics.
300th District Court — General Guidelines
Judge Chad Bradshaw's six-page court guidelines (TOPICs reg. doc. 1356; also posted byte-identically on the court's own page): e-filing-only submissions, docket schedule and weekly rotation, Associate Judge Lehmann's dockets and the de novo waiver requirement for AJ final trials, Temporary Orders limits, custody evaluation OR amicus (not both), final-trial requirements, criminal off-docket plea protocol, and jury-week structure.
461st District Court — General Guidelines
Judge Patrick Bulanek's court guidelines: email-only coordinator contact, e-filing with pre-confirmed hearing dates, Zoom prohibited without prior approval, the weekly docket architecture (weeks 1-3 non-jury family; fourth week criminal jury; second week of even months family jury), Associate Judge Donnell's ancillary dockets, affidavit-by-submission prove-ups, entry-docket mechanics, two-hour Temporary Orders limits, custody evaluation OR amicus, courtesy-copy list, and final-trial requirements.
Brazoria County District Courts — Zoom and Web-Ex Appearance Information (149th, 300th and 412th District Courts)
The court-published Brazoria County District Courts — Zoom and Web-Ex Appearance Information (149th, 300th and 412th District Courts), quoted whole from the document as posted (- page(s)).
Brazoria County Domestic Violence Court Program — Policies and Procedures Manual
The Domestic Violence Court Program's public policies-and-procedures manual (300th District Court): eligibility and disqualification criteria, referral/screening/entry process, and the accountability components (36- or 52-week BIPP, testing, curfews, compliance hearings). Associate Judge Lehmann conducts the DV Court every other Friday per the 300th General Guidelines.
Brazoria County Local Civil Rules — 149th District Court
The 149th District Court's civil rules: trial sessions, written trial-setting requests with five certifications and a 40-day/20th-of-month cutoff, no agreed passes, no preferential settings absent motion and hearing, an 18-month "Try or Dismiss" dismissal docket, second-week ancillary docket with first-Monday request cutoff, and paper courtesy copies for motions with exhibits.
Brazoria County Local Civil Rules — 239th District Court
The 239th District Court's civil rules: second-Monday jury-trial weeks with non-jury backup, written setting requests with certifications and a 40-day/third-Monday cutoff, 1:45 p.m. second-Friday docket call with lead counsel required, judge-only passes, preferential settings by granted motion with hearing, the 18-month "Try or Dismiss" docket, and fourth-Monday/Tuesday ancillary dates with oral hearings only (no submission docket).
Brazoria County Local Civil Rules — 412th District Court (2024)
Judge Justin R. Gilbert's civil rules (2024 edition, vision-read): posted trial-session weeks, one-week-prior exchange of witness lists, exhibit lists, proposed jury charge and limine motions with a conferral duty, Friday-noon pretrial-motion cutoff, written coordinator-approved trial-setting requests with five certifications, no agreed passes, preferential settings by motion and hearing, and an 18-month "Try or Dismiss" docket.
Brazoria County Veterans Court — Program Eligibility and Administration
The Brazoria County Veterans Court treatment-court program: eligibility criteria, administrative-transfer mechanics (cases remain under the original court's jurisdiction), and the program's non-adversarial structure. Currently presided over by Judge Jessica Pulcher (149th District Court); Veterans Court Coordinator Jennifer Grupe.
Guidelines for Self-Represented Litigants — 461st District Court
The 461st's published procedures for self-represented litigants in uncontested family matters (adult adoption, adult and minor name changes, and related case types): the pleadings required, the step-by-step filing procedure, and submission alternatives.
Procedures for Off-Docket Pleas in the 239th District Court
Judge Greg Hill's off-docket plea procedures: 9:00 a.m. pleas scheduled through the Court Coordinator, State notification by defense counsel, jail transport through the Court Administrator, and complete plea paperwork executed before 9:00 a.m. or the plea will not be heard.
Qualifications for Appointed Attorneys (Chapter 37, Texas Family Code) — 300th District Court
The 300th's qualification standards for appointment as attorney ad litem, amicus attorney, guardian ad litem and mediator in family/CPS cases: Brazoria County practice, 15 annual CLE hours (10 in family law/ad litem), registration with the court, and tiered experience requirements by appointment class.
Qualifications for Appointed Attorneys (Chapter 37, Texas Family Code) — 461st District Court
The 461st's qualification standards for appointment as attorney ad litem, amicus attorney, guardian ad litem and mediator: Brazoria County practice, 15 annual CLE hours (10 family law/ad litem) verified by September 1, court registration, and tiered experience thresholds.
S.T.E.P. (Success Through Education and Participation) — Brazoria County Drug Court Program Handbook (2026)
The 2026 handbook of Brazoria County's drug-court program (S.T.E.P.): participation requirements, phase structure (Phase 1 acute stabilization minimum 60 days), drug-testing compliance, and termination consequences. Posted on both the district-courts and county-courts-at-law trees.
Youth Diversion Plan — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Place 1
Judge Sarah Linder's Youth Diversion Plan (coordinator-administered per the posted plan): diversion of eligible children from formal prosecution for fine-only non-traffic misdemeanors, with objectives, applicability, eligibility and strategies stated in the plan.