Hunt County
Tenth Administrative Judicial Region (Region 10) · official region site ✓ · County seat: Greenville
Rules that apply here (county → region → statewide)
Preview of 25 instruments. All 39 county-scoped rules → search all three layers.
Administrative Order Regarding the Assignment and Transfer of Mental Health Cases (Hunt County Courts at Law; effective January 1, 2027)
Administrative order of the two county courts at law, effective January 1, 2027: from that date all new mental health proceedings filed in Hunt County (including matters under the Health and Safety Code) are filed in and assigned to County Court at Law No. 1; all active mental health cases pending on that date are transferred to County Court at Law No. 1, which takes them as if originally filed there; hearings set before January 1, 2027 stay as scheduled and later hearings are conducted by County Court at Law No. 1 unless otherwise ordered; the Clerk updates assignments and notifies affected parties, attorneys and agencies; this order controls over any conflicting prior administrative order.
Policy for Alternative Service of Process of Citation - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (registered July 31, 2026)
One-page policy of Justice Court Precinct 4 on alternative service: two methods (first-class mail plus leaving the citation and petition with a person at least 16 at the property, or first-class mail plus affixing them to the front entry or gate), neither deemed perfected unless the citation, petition and order are also mailed by both registered mail, return receipt requested, and regular mail; the return is not made until 30 days after mailing or until the post office's tracking or delivery record comes back, whichever is earlier; the return states the mailing dates and results and attaches any returned envelope or tracking; photos of the place of service and vehicles and a skip trace of the defendant are required; the return is otherwise made under TRCP Rule 501.
Local Rules on Submitting Motion for Bond Modifications - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (effective November 12, 2025)
One-sentence local rule of Justice Court Precinct 4: bond modifications will not be considered without the District Attorney's and/or County Attorney's input, 'or State Rule 17.151 time runs' (the instrument's words); effective November 12, 2025.
Minimum Documents Necessary at Trial to Receive a Judgment - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (October 28, 2025)
Directive of Justice Court Precinct 4 listing the minimum documents to be submitted at trial to receive a judgment: business records affidavit, return of service with all accompanying documents, certificate of last known address, military affidavit, proof that the defendant owes the debt and the amount, and proof of the current owner of the debt; the court prefers documents without redactions; copies must be submitted at trial by the plaintiff or plaintiff's counsel; the court no longer makes copies or takes judicial notice of electronic records submitted before trial.
Administrative Order Regarding Clerk's Duty to Notify Court upon Filing of Motion for Summary Judgment (Hunt County Courts at Law; signed September 9, 2025)
Administrative order of the two county courts at law, entered because SB 293 and HB 16 require the court to act within prescribed periods after a motion for summary judgment is filed: on the filing of a motion for summary judgment the clerk notifies the appropriate court coordinator; each court tells the Clerk how that notification is to be made.
Local Rules for Costs on Judgments - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (registered June 12, 2025)
Two rules of Justice Court Precinct 4 for judgment orders: all costs must be itemized in dollar amounts before the judge will sign, and post-judgment interest must be stated on the order at the current rate.
Turnover and Receiver Local Rule - Justice Court Four of Hunt County (effective April 1, 2025)
Local rule of Justice Court Four on turnover and receiver requests: the court that granted the judgment is the court of appropriate jurisdiction; relief under CPRC § 31.002 is discretionary; the court strongly prefers notice and an opportunity for the debtor to appear, and an ex parte request without evidence showing why it is necessary will be denied and set on notice; what an application must contain (the underlying judgment with an exhibit, a description of non-exempt property, evidence that the debtor has non-exempt property, the proposed receiver's identity, experience and resume, the compensation proposed, oath and bond); what a proposed order must recite (no turnover directly to the creditor, exempt property excluded, limited and clearly stated powers, termination 120 days after the order unless extended, no order beyond one year without a showing of essential necessity and none beyond five years, fees set conditionally and approved later, a nominal bond if any, the receiver's oath returned within 10 days, no disbursement without the debtor's written consent or court order, an inventory within 30 days of termination); receiver fees measured by services and results; nine powers that will not be granted absent special circumstances (for example opening mail, lockouts, collecting cash on hand, interrupting utilities, directing law enforcement, appointment as master in chancery, reaching exempt wages); enforcement by contempt as a last choice.
Local Rule - Non-Recording of Court Proceedings and Staff Communication - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (effective April 1, 2025)
Local rule of Justice Court Precinct 4, in English and Spanish: from April 1, 2025 recording, taping or photographing by any means is strictly prohibited for any party taking part in a court proceeding, remotely or in person, and for any party communicating with court staff at any time and by any means; a person found doing so could be held in contempt.
Local Rule - Mandatory Electronic Communications (eFile Texas Preferred, Email and Fax) - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (effective April 1, 2025)
Local rule of Justice Court Precinct 4: from April 1, 2025 electronic communication is mandatory in all cases - every communication between the court and litigants goes by E-File Texas (preferred), e-mail or fax and must include a valid e-mail address; self-represented litigants and attorneys are both required to communicate electronically; notices, copies, judgments and other documents come from the court's JP4court e-mail address, which litigants are encouraged to add to their contacts; litigants must tell the court at once of any change of e-mail address.
Hunt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4-1 Youth Diversion Program (order signed October 8, 2024; plan effective January 1, 2025)
Order of October 8, 2024 adopting the court's youth diversion plan under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 45.306(b), with the plan: eligibility (under 17 at the offense, no diversion in the previous 365 days, no unsuccessful diversion, no objection from the county attorney - the plan prints another county's name there - and written consent of child and parent); judicial education; local agreements with service providers; the judge and the administrative assistant share the youth diversion coordinator's duties; three diversion routes (graduated sanctions for school offenses, intermediate diversion before filing, diversion by the court without a plea); a program or service-provider referral with twelve numbered items, including restitution up to $100 and up to 20 hours of community service; the written diversion agreement (up to 180 days, measurable terms, rights notice, no admission of guilt); the non-adversarial referral hearing under art. 45.311 and its options; limits on orders to parents, enforceable by contempt; an optional $50 administrative fee, waived for indigent families; confidential records expunged on the child's 18th birthday; cases that must be diverted and how non-diverted juvenile cases proceed.
Policy for Attending Judge Rankin's Magistration - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (registered November 21, 2024)
Policy of the judge of Justice Court Precinct 4: the public may attend any magistration the judge conducts, but for safety reasons anyone wishing to attend must call the court's office (ext. 1) and schedule to be at the Hunt County Courthouse Annex in Quinlan at 7 a.m. on a day the judge has magistration duty; the on-call schedule changes monthly, so the date and time are given when the caller schedules.
Juvenile Court of Hunt County Standing Order in Juvenile Cases
Standing order of the Juvenile Court of Hunt County (Judge Timothy S. Linden, County Court at Law No. 1): all juvenile settings requested by the State or the juvenile attorney, other than detention hearings, must have a motion and accompanying order to be set; if set orally in court, the motion and order must be filed within 24 hours of the oral setting. Signed July 25, 2024.
Rules of Evidence Submission - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (July 16, 2024)
Three rules of Justice Court Precinct 4: evidence to be submitted during trial must reach the court 48 hours before the trial date, and the court does not print evidence sent electronically; the submitting party must give the evidence to all parties or it will not be allowed at trial; evidence sent electronically before trial must also be submitted at trial in hard copy.
Administrative Order Regarding Estates Code § 1101.003 Affidavit Containing Contact Information of Certain Persons (Hunt County Courts at Law; signed June 12, 2024)
Administrative order of the two county courts at law on the contact-information affidavit of Estates Code § 1101.003: the applicant for a guardianship files the affidavit at least 10 days before prove-up, trial or other final disposition, captioned '§1101.003 Affidavit Containing Contact Information of Certain Persons'; the County Clerk's office seals the affidavit and does not release or disclose it or its contents to the public.
Policy for Service of Process of Citation in Person - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (registered May 31, 2024)
One-page policy of Justice Court Precinct 4: service may be made at the address in the citation with anyone over sixteen years of age, but is not deemed perfected unless photos are taken at the place of service and of vehicles there and a skip trace of the defendant is made; the return of service is otherwise made in accordance with TRCP Rule 501.
Policy for Out of County / Out of State Service of Citations - Hunt County Justice Court, Precinct 4 (registered May 31, 2024)
One-page policy of Justice Court Precinct 4 for service by a constable of another county: the plaintiff gives the court the county of service, the constable who will serve, that constable's full address and service fee, and the fee itself as a money order or cashier's check made out to that constable; the court mails the payment with the citation to the constable.
Standing Order in Cases Involving Child Protective Services (196th and 354th District Courts of Hunt County; adopted April 2, 2024)
Standing order of the two Hunt County district courts for CPS cases: conduct of parents and intervenors (nine prohibited acts concerning the children, DFPS staff and other parties); discovery (informal investigation encouraged; release and exchange of health information within ten business days under HIPAA and the Texas Medical Privacy Act; redaction of placement information; no interrogatories, depositions or requests for production without leave; DFPS produces the deidentified case record at least 30 days before trial; a parent signs releases within five days of temporary orders; no Requests for Disclosure without leave and pretrial disclosures 14 days before trial; pleadings amended 30 days before trial; service on self-represented parties; trial conference at the second permanency hearing); release of placement information to attorneys only, with an ex parte procedure to withhold it and a hearing within 14 days; placement and transportation of children (licensed placements, foster homes within 60 miles of the courthouse, school enrollment within two school days, placement contact information within 24 hours); transportation of parents; caseworker identification and attendance at hearings; psychotropic medication only by court order after notice and hearing, with an emergency exception and a hearing within five business days; Indian Child Welfare Act notices filed within five business days.
Administrative Order Regarding Security for Attorney Ad Litem Costs (Hunt County Courts at Law; effective April 1, 2024)
Administrative standing order of the two county courts at law: for six listed kinds of probate and guardianship applications the Clerk collects, at filing, a $550 Attorney Ad Litem Retainer Deposit (administrative fee waived) unless an affidavit of indigency is on file; the deposit is held for payment of the court-ordered ad litem fee; if the court orders less than $550 the excess is refunded to the applicant, if more the order says how the additional fee is paid; accumulated interest is returned to the applicant or, on the applicant's request, deposited in the county general fund.
Administrative Order Regarding Standards for Court Approval of Attorney Fee Applications - Probate, Guardianship and Estates (Hunt County Courts at Law; signed February 20, 2024)
Standards of the two county courts at law for approving attorney's fees paid from estates: court-approved rates for a fiduciary's attorney by years of probate and guardianship practice (0-5 years up to $200 an hour, 5+ years up to $300); attorney and guardian ad litem fees ($150 an hour in county-pay cases; a $550 flat fee in a typical solvent-estate case, with itemized billing kept for requests above it); fees when the attorney is also the fiduciary (election between commission and fees, dual compensation on full disclosure with separate legal and non-legal records, $100 an hour for fiduciary services, quarterly payment on a hardship finding); fee shifting for bad-faith guardianship filings under Estates Code § 1155.054(d); paralegal work at $50 an hour for delegated substantive legal work only; the form of fee applications (period covered, total fees to date, attorney's affidavit, client's signature, order with blanks); and twelve invoice rules (no block billing, descriptions, legend, all time shown, extraordinary time justified, travel, research, fee-petition preparation, conversations with court staff, deliveries up to $25, costs caused by misfeasance, itemized invoice except an agreed ad litem fee under $550). Appendix A is a sample invoice.
Standing Order Sealing Contact Information Affidavits in Guardianships (Hunt County Courts at Law; signed December 19, 2023)
Standing order of the two county courts at law: contact information affidavits submitted in guardianships under Estates Code § 1101.003 are sealed; effective from the date signed, December 19, 2023.
County Courts at Law Standing Order Sealing Public Safety Reports, Hunt County
Standing order of the Hunt County Courts at Law No. 1 and No. 2 (Judges Timothy S. Linden and Joel D. Littlefield): all Public Safety Reports ('PSR') filed in any and all criminal cases in the Hunt County Courts are sealed and confidential, accessible only to the Hunt County Attorney's Office and the defendant's attorney (who may not disclose the PSR to a third party) unless a court orders disclosure for good cause after notice and hearing. Signed December 13, 2023.
Remote Detention Hearing Procedures - Juvenile Courts of Hunt County (Family Code § 54.012 plan; filed October 23, 2023)
Plan of the four Hunt County courts sitting as juvenile courts for remote detention hearings: definitions (detention hearing per Family Code § 54.01; remote proceeding); the court may allow or require any party, attorney, witness or court reporter to take part remotely; the same opportunity to cross-examine as in person; a testifying party's or witness's camera must give an unobstructed view or the testimony is not allowed; physical evidence is displayed so all can view it simultaneously, digital copies are e-mailed to the court's listed addresses and to counsel before the hearing if practicable, and evidence that cannot be made digital is tendered within 7 days; a recording is made and preserved under § 54.012(c); the plan was submitted to the Office of Court Administration by posting.
Standing Order on Special Commissioners' Fees in Condemnation Suits (Hunt County Courts at Law; signed July 14, 2023)
Standing order of the two county courts at law: special commissioners in condemnation suits are awarded a standard fee of $250 per hour when submitted to the court; effective from the date signed, July 14, 2023; supersedes all prior orders on awards to special commissioners.
Hunt County Court at Law No. 2 - Policies & Procedures (Judge Joel D. Littlefield; adopted 03-01-2022, amended 06-15-2023)
The 47-page policies and procedures manual of Hunt County Court at Law No. 2 as amended June 15, 2023. A. General: decorum; self-represented parties; attorney appearances; conflict settings; failure to appear; ex parte and emergency orders; settings and resets; submission dockets; motion practice; scheduling orders; mediation; depositions and discovery; dismissal dockets; pretrial exchange; written orders; interpreters. B. Criminal: appointed and retained counsel, settings and resets, plea paperwork, discovery, pretrial motions, continuances, and requests for interpreters. C. Probate: wills, muniments of title and small estate affidavits, heirships and guardianships - applications, proofs, resident agents, safekeeping agreements, the court's information sheets and instructions, uncontested prove-ups, inventories and accounts, estates of minor wards, and guardianships transferred into Hunt County. D. Mental commitment cases. E. Applications for an occupational driver's license, by attorneys and by self-represented applicants.
Administrative Order Regarding Applications to Probate a Will More Than Four Years After the Testator's Death (Hunt County Court at Law No. 2; effective February 15, 2023)
Administrative order of County Court at Law No. 2 for late probate of a will: findings on the notice or waiver affidavits required by Estates Code §§ 258.051 and 258.053 (and on § 258.052, the attorney ad litem for heirs whose address cannot be ascertained); the court appoints an attorney ad litem under § 53.104 for unknown heirs, heirs whose whereabouts are unknown and heirs under a legal disability unless another will has already been admitted to probate - the applicant e-files the court's order appointing attorney ad litem on filing the application, does not select the ad litem, and sends the ad litem the order, the application and the will; the Clerk attaches the court's 'Notice of Application to Probate a Will More than Four Years after the Testator's Death' to every citation; every heir (or every beneficiary of a previously probated will) is personally served or delivers an affidavit waiving citation and stating no objection; a waiver affidavit must itself state every point of the notice - reference to an attached notice is not sufficient. The notice and a sample affidavit are attached.