Hidalgo County
Fifth Administrative Judicial Region (Region 5) · official region site ✓ · County seat: Edinburg
Rules that apply here (county → region → statewide)
Preview of 25 instruments. All 16 county-scoped rules → search all three layers.
Hidalgo County Probate Courts Nos. 1 and 2 — Administrative Order 2026-1, Presiding Judges' Bench Exchange Order (July 21, 2026)
Under Government Code § 25.0022(c) the presiding judges of Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2 may sit and act for each other in any matter pending in either court; orders may be signed without a bench-exchange order or recital; cases stay in the assigned court unless both judges agree to a transfer; objections on the sole ground of the exchange will not be considered.
Hidalgo County Probate Courts Nos. 1 and 2 — Administrative Order 2026-2, Order Regarding Division of Cases (effective July 21, 2026)
Following HB 16 (89th Leg., 2nd C.S., signed September 17, 2025), which created Probate Court No. 2, the County Clerk dockets all mental-health case types into Probate Court No. 1 and divides probate, guardianship, small-estate, trust and related cases fifty-fifty between Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2; the judges may transfer cases between the courts for judicial economy or docket equalization.
Hidalgo County District Courts — Standing Order and Administrative Order No. 2026-1 regarding the rotation system for bail proceedings under SB 9 (effective April 1, 2026) with the 2026 court assignment schedule
The thirteen Hidalgo County district judges' rotation order under Senate Bill 9: a designated judge, assigned by weekly rotation, hears initial bail determinations, bail review and modification hearings and SB 9 findings for any district court; judges may substitute by agreement; the Local Administrative District Judge maintains and publishes the schedule. The filed schedule assigns each week of 2026 (from April 1) to a numbered district court.
Child Protection Court of the Rio Grande Valley West (Hidalgo County) — First Amended Standing Order (October 28, 2025)
Judge Carlos Villalon Jr.'s standing order for the Child Protection Court of the Rio Grande Valley West: verification of children's legal names, consent requests deemed approved after three business days without response, hearing orders submitted within thirty calendar days, court-appointed counsel vouchers e-filed within sixty days of the hearing, remote appearance through the court's ZConnect route, bench warrants filed at least three weeks before trial, and supersession of all prior standing orders of the court.
Hidalgo County Local Rules to Implement the Texas Fair Defense Act — standards and procedures for appointment of counsel for indigent defendants (amended October 19, 2023; effective January 1, 2024)
The Hidalgo County judges' Fair Defense Act local rules of administration: prompt magistration and appointment of counsel, indigence standards, the appointment wheel and attorney qualifications by offense level, duties of appointed counsel, and fee and payment procedures — amended October 19, 2023 and effective January 1, 2024.
Hidalgo County Probate Court — Administrative Order 2023-2, First Order on Rules Governing Court Hearing Participation by Video Conference (TRCP 21d) — effective August 21, 2023
Judge JoAnne Garcia's video-conference rules: in-person appearance is the default unless the notice says otherwise; objections to the method of appearance under TRCP 21d(d); contested hearings in person as the court's standard practice; Zoom hearings require Z-connect registration, on-camera appearance, no driving; remote sworn testimony with room disclosure and no messaging; exhibits uploaded to Thomson Reuters Case Center in advance; no recording by attendees.
206th District Court (Hidalgo County) — all parties and counsel appear in person for court proceedings, effective December 2, 2022
Effective December 2, 2022, all parties and all counsel must appear in person for court proceedings in the 206th District Court (notice posted in English and Spanish).
389th District Court (Hidalgo County) — criminal hearings in person from June 1, 2022; civil and family cases may appear by Zoom unless the court instructs otherwise; Zoom links e-mailed 24 hours before the hearing
From June 1, 2022 all criminal hearings in the 389th District Court are in person; civil and family cases may appear by Zoom unless otherwise instructed by the court, with Zoom links e-mailed to all parties 24 hours before the hearing.
County Court at Law No. 8 (Hidalgo County) — Standing Order: e-filing required for family-law and civil documents from December 2, 2013; valid e-mail addresses on all submitted orders
A 2013 standing order requiring attorneys to e-file family-law and civil documents (no paper filings accepted) as the court began compliance with the Supreme Court's e-filing mandate; criminal filing unchanged. Orders submitted for signature must carry the e-mail addresses of all parties to be notified and counsel must keep their electronic mailboxes able to receive the clerks' transmissions.
County Court at Law No. 7 (Hidalgo County) — Standing Order: e-filing required for all family-law documents (District Clerk) and civil documents (County Clerk) from October 21, 2013
A 2013 standing order requiring attorneys to e-file family-law and civil documents (no paper filings accepted) as the court began compliance with the Supreme Court's e-filing mandate; criminal filing unchanged.
139th District Court (Hidalgo County) — Standing Order: e-filing required for all family-law and civil documents from October 21, 2013 (signed October 18, 2013)
A 2013 standing order requiring attorneys to e-file family-law and civil documents (no paper filings accepted) as the court began compliance with the Supreme Court's e-filing mandate; criminal filing unchanged.
Local Rules of Hidalgo County, Texas District Courts — effective May 1, 1999 (or on Supreme Court approval)
The Hidalgo County district courts' local rules: filing and random assignment, transfers by order of the presiding judge or with the receiving court's consent, docket control and settings, motions and hearings, pretrial and trial procedures, jury matters, and effective date (Rule 13.1: May 1, 1999 or on approval by the Supreme Court under Rule 3a).
County Court at Law No. 4 (Hidalgo County) — Revised Local Rules (24 rules: mediation before trial settings, proposed orders with motions, settings through the court coordinator, continuances 72 hours ahead, plea negotiations before the hearing day, decorum)
Judge Federico (Fred) Garza Jr.'s 24 local rules for County Court at Law No. 4: dismissal orders after settlement, proposed orders attached to motions, mandatory mediation before a civil trial setting, agreed continuances signed by all counsel and clients and filed 72 hours before the hearing, settings and fiats through the court coordinator, one criminal pre-trial setting, arraignment waivers filed a day ahead, defendants' appearance, plea negotiations before the hearing day, capias and appointment practices, no interruptions during arraignments and jury trials, and strict courtroom decorum.
County Court at Law No. 10 (Hidalgo County) — Standing Order Regarding Child(ren), Pets, Property and Conduct of Parties in Divorce and Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship
Judge Armando Marroquin's standing order attached to every divorce and SAPCR filed in County Court at Law No. 10: no removal of children from Hidalgo and contiguous counties, no disparagement or discussion of the litigation with children, no overnight romantic guests during possession in original divorces, protection of family pets, conduct of the parties (including electronic communications), preservation of property and electronically stored information, records, insurance, specific authorizations, service with the petition and 14-day TRO/temporary-injunction effect, mandatory mediation under Family Code §§ 6.602 and 153.0071, and bond waiver.
92nd District Court (Hidalgo County) — civil and family hearings by Zoom unless an in-person hearing is requested; criminal hearings in person; every motion and request must carry a proposed order setting hearing
The 92nd District Court holds civil and family hearings by Zoom unless a party requests an in-person hearing (Zoom ID e-mailed the day before); criminal hearings are in person; all motions and requests — ex parte and emergency ones included — must be accompanied by a proposed order setting hearing.
476th District Court (Hidalgo County) — civil and family hearings by Zoom unless an in-person hearing is requested; criminal hearings in person; every motion and request must carry a proposed order setting hearing
The 476th District Court holds civil and family hearings by Zoom unless a party requests an in-person hearing (Zoom ID e-mailed the day before); criminal hearings are in person; all motions and requests — ex parte and emergency ones included — must be accompanied by a proposed order setting hearing.
Rules of the Fifth Administrative Judicial Region of Texas (adopted March 9, 1979) — the regional rules of administration on the registry (TOPICs 322)
The Council of Judges' rules for the Fifth Administrative Judicial District adopted at Laredo on March 9, 1979 under article 200a of the Revised Civil Statutes: assignment and transfer of judges and cases, docket administration and reporting within the region, the relationship between regional and county rules (county rules govern where they conflict), filing with each district clerk and the Supreme Court. The registered copy is the publisher's edition under Presiding Judge J. Manuel Banales, with a front note that the region was revising the rules; no later regional rules are registered.
Fifth Administrative Judicial Region of Texas — Rules for the Appeal of a Trial Court's Disapproval of or Failure to Act on a Request for Payment of Court Appointed Attorney's Fees (20 days after a disapproval order; 80 days after an unanswered request)
The presiding judge's procedures for court-appointed attorneys' fee appeals under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 26.05: the attorney files a motion with the Presiding Judge of the Fifth Region within twenty (20) days of the trial court's order disapproving the fee, or within eighty (80) days of submitting the request if the trial court fails to act; the trial judge may respond and resolve the matter, and if no resolution is noticed within twenty (20) days of the motion the Presiding Judge rules under art. 26.05; the county pays the approved amount within 45 days under art. 26.05(c).
N.D. Tex. LR 83.9 — Attorneys Not Admitted to Practice Before this Court
N.D. Tex. LR 83.9 — Attorneys Not Admitted to Practice Before this Court: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.8 — Loss of Membership and Discipline of Attorneys
N.D. Tex. LR 83.8 — Loss of Membership and Discipline of Attorneys: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.7 — Admission of Attorneys
N.D. Tex. LR 83.7 — Admission of Attorneys: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.6 — Applications to Proceed In Forma Pauperis
N.D. Tex. LR 83.6 — Applications to Proceed In Forma Pauperis: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.4.1 — Compliance with Standards of Litigation Conduct
N.D. Tex. LR 83.4.1 — Compliance with Standards of Litigation Conduct: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.4 — Conduct of Attorneys at Trial or Hearing
N.D. Tex. LR 83.4 — Conduct of Attorneys at Trial or Hearing: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.3 — Assignment of Cases
N.D. Tex. LR 83.3 — Assignment of Cases: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL CIVIL RULES OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS (Effective September 1, 2026), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.