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Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Bruce Ward Bain Order Prohibiting Electronic and Media Recordings and Equipment — 165th District Court (August 6, 2026)
Order Prohibiting Electronic and Media Recordings and Equipment — 165th District Court (August 6, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Order Prohibiting Electronic and Media Recordings and Equipment — 165th District Court (August 6, 2026) (court website) Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Nathan Joseph Milliron Standing Order Related to Motions for Summary Judgment — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026)
Standing Order Related to Motions for Summary Judgment — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Standing Order Related to Motions for Summary Judgment — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026) (court website) Judge PreferencesHarris County Court Procedures — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026)
Court Procedures — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Court Procedures — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026) (court website) Judge PreferencesHarris County 165th District Court Procedures (July 24, 2026)
165th District Court Procedures (July 24, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, 165th District Court Procedures (July 24, 2026) (court website) Standing OrdersWharton County · Judge Randy M. Clapp Standing Order Regarding Juveniles Arrested for Delinquent Conduct — 329th District Court (Wharton County Juvenile Court)
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.
High confidence· verified August 25, 2026329th Dist. Court (Wharton County Juvenile Court), Standing Order re Juveniles Arrested for Delinquent Conduct (TOPICs reg. doc. 3035) (filed July 14, 2026; replaces the Nov. 18, 2025 order) Judge PreferencesHarris County 11th District Court Procedures (June 16, 2026)
11th District Court Procedures (June 16, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, 11th District Court Procedures (June 16, 2026) (court website) Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Sonya Lillie Aston Standing Order in Limine — 80th District Court (May 28, 2026)
Standing Order in Limine — 80th District Court (May 28, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Standing Order in Limine — 80th District Court (May 28, 2026) (court website) Judge PreferencesHarris County 333rd Court Procedures (May 8, 2026)
333rd Court Procedures (May 8, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, 333rd Court Procedures (May 8, 2026) (court website) Administrative OrdersHarris County Notice to Attorneys Handling Felony Indigent Defense Appointments — voucher grace periods for cases disposed through December 31, 2025 (effective May 6, 2026)
Notice to Attorneys Handling Felony Indigent Defense Appointments — voucher grace periods for cases disposed through December 31, 2025 (effective May 6, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Notice to Attorneys Handling Felony Indigent Defense Appointments — voucher grace periods for cases disposed through December 31, 2025 (effective May… (court website) Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Sonya Lillie Aston Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 80th District Court (May 6, 2026)
Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 80th District Court (May 6, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 80th District Court (May 6, 2026) (court website) Local RulesMatagorda County · Judge Denise M. Fortenberry 130th District Court — Policies and Procedures for Civil, Family and Child Protective Services Hearings (eff. Apr. 1, 2026)
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).
High confidence· verified August 25, 2026130th Dist. Court, Policies and Procedures for Civil, Family and CPS Hearings (TOPICs reg. doc. 2881) (eff. Apr. 1, 2026, Rev. 03.26.26) Local RulesMatagorda County · Judge Denise M. Fortenberry 130th District Court — Remote Hearing Orders/Plan for Detention and Related Hearings (Juvenile)
The 130th's juvenile remote-hearing plan (signed March 10, 2026; TOPICs reg. doc. 2883): Zoom-based detention and related juvenile hearings with parent presence, open/closed courtroom and YouTube live-stream mechanics, deferred-adjudication motion procedure without live testimony, attendee and decorum rules, a recording prohibition under contempt, subpoena-notice language, and the exhibit-submission protocol.
High confidence· verified August 25, 2026130th Dist. Court, Remote Hearing Orders/Plan for Detention and Related Hearings (Juvenile) (TOPICs reg. doc. 2883) (signed Mar. 10, 2026) Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Lee Kathryn Shuchart Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 61st District Court (March 25, 2026)
Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 61st District Court (March 25, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 61st District Court (March 25, 2026) (court website) Case ManagementHarris County Court Clerk Procedures for All Courts (H0144, rev. March 19, 2026) — Harris County Civil Courts at Law
Court Clerk Procedures for All Courts (H0144, rev. March 19, 2026) — Harris County Civil Courts at Law — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Court Clerk Procedures for All Courts (H0144, rev. March 19, 2026) — Harris County Civil Courts at Law (court website) Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Beau A. Miller Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 190th District Court (March 17, 2026)
Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 190th District Court (March 17, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 190th District Court (March 17, 2026) (court website) Standing OrdersHarris County · Judge Bruce Ward Bain Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 165th District Court (March 17, 2026)
Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 165th District Court (March 17, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Second Amended Standing Docket Control Order on Filing Summary Judgment Motions — 165th District Court (March 17, 2026) (court website) Case ManagementHarris County Trial Procedures — 80th District Court (updated March 13, 2026)
Trial Procedures — 80th District Court (updated March 13, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Trial Procedures — 80th District Court (updated March 13, 2026) (court website) Judge PreferencesHarris County Court Procedures — 80th District Court (updated March 13, 2026)
Court Procedures — 80th District Court (updated March 13, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Court Procedures — 80th District Court (updated March 13, 2026) (court website) Local RulesBrazoria County 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.
High confidence· verified August 24, 2026Brazoria County Dist. Courts (LAJ), Notice of New Procedure: Request to Review Bail Decision Pursuant to Tex. C.C.P. Art. 17.029 (TOPICs reg. doc. 2860) (filed Mar. 4, 2026) Case ManagementHarris County · Judge James S. Horwitz Attorney Practice Guide: Motions for Summary Judgment — Probate Court No. 4 (amended TRCP 166a, effective March 1, 2026)
Attorney Practice Guide: Motions for Summary Judgment — Probate Court No. 4 (amended TRCP 166a, effective March 1, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Attorney Practice Guide: Motions for Summary Judgment — Probate Court No. 4 (amended TRCP 166a, effective Marc (court website) Case ManagementHarris County · Judge Jerry W. Simoneaux Attorney Practice Guide: Motions for Summary Judgment — Probate Court No. 1 (amended TRCP 166a, effective March 1, 2026)
Attorney Practice Guide: Motions for Summary Judgment — Probate Court No. 1 (amended TRCP 166a, effective March 1, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 22, 2026Harris County, Attorney Practice Guide: Motions for Summary Judgment — Probate Court No. 1 (amended TRCP 166a, effective Marc (court website) Administrative OrdersHarris County Fair Defense Act Standards and Procedures — Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Defendants, Harris County District Courts Trying Criminal Cases (as amended February 4, 2026)
Fair Defense Act Standards and Procedures — Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Defendants, Harris County District Courts Trying Criminal Cases (as amended… — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
High confidence· verified August 23, 2026Harris County, Fair Defense Act Standards and Procedures — Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Defendants, Harris County District Courts Trying Criminal Cases (as… (court website) Standing OrdersBrazoria County · Judge Michael Duane (Mike) Merkel 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.
High confidence· verified August 24, 2026Standing Orders of the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3, Place 1, Brazoria County (21 orders) (Last Update Jan. 1, 2026) Local RulesBrazoria County · Judge Michael Duane (Mike) Merkel 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.
High confidence· verified August 24, 2026JP Pct. 3 Pl. 1, Information on Justice Court Cases / Steps for Filing a Civil Suit (ed. 1-1-26) (posted, judge page) Local RulesBrazoria County 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).
High confidence· verified August 24, 2026Brazoria County Dist. Courts, Order Equalizing Caseloads and Dividing the Docket (TOPICs reg. doc. 2685) (eff. Jan. 1, 2026), as amended by the Order Transferring Cases to New District Court (TOPICs reg. doc. 2861) (Mar. 9, 2026) District
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