Jefferson County
Second Administrative Judicial Region (Region 2) · official region site ✓ · County seat: Beaumont
Rules that apply here (county → region → statewide)
Preview of 25 instruments. All 22 county-scoped rules → search all three layers.
Local Rules of Jefferson County Court at Law No. 1 (updated June 2026)
The local rules of Jefferson County Court at Law No. 1 (Judge Gerald W. Eddins, updated June 2026): trial-setting practice (the Court Coordinator sets trials, or any party by written request certifying pleadings are in order, discovery is/will be complete, and lead counsel is available; a party may object within 7 days or waive); special/preferential settings (priority over later settings, with a duty to advise the court and other tribunals of conflicts, and limited continuance grounds); and the court’s docketing, hearing, and case-management procedures.
279th & 317th District Courts — Standing Order Regarding Summary Judgment Hearings in Family Law Cases (Nov. 2025)
The 279th and 317th District Courts’ standing order (Judges Randy Shelton and Gordon Friesz, Nov. 2025) on summary-judgment hearings in family-law cases: any party filing a Motion for Summary Judgment or Partial Summary Judgment must contemporaneously file a SEPARATE proposed order setting the motion for hearing (with a TRCP-compliant date/time, sufficient notice, and coordinator-confirmed docket availability); failure to file it concurrently may cause the motion to be stricken, reset, or not considered until compliance; it applies to all family cases pending or filed in the two courts.
Local Rules of the 58th, 60th, 136th and 172nd Civil District Courts of Jefferson County (eff. Oct. 20, 2025)
The comprehensive local rules of the Jefferson County civil district courts (58th, 60th, 136th, 172nd), effective October 20, 2025: disposition time standards (civil jury cases within 18 months, non-jury within 12 months of appearance); random filing/assignment with a case staying on its assigned docket unless transferred; transfer rules (prior-judgment claims and bills of review to the rendering court; ancillary garnishments to the court of the pending suit); and the courts’ settings, docketing, motion, pretrial, and trial procedures.
58th/60th/136th/172nd Civil District Courts — Standing Order in re Motions for Summary Judgment Practice (eff. Sept. 1, 2025)
The Jefferson civil district courts’ (58th, 60th, 136th, 172nd) summary-judgment standing order implementing Gov’t Code § 23.303 (S.B. 293, 89th Leg.): all MSJs filed on/after Sept. 1, 2025 must be heard within 60 days of filing; a notice of hearing is filed contemporaneously as a separate document; absent a movant setting the court sets it, and once set the date is not reset without written good cause ruled on by the court; and no MSJ may be filed until the discovery period expires (a premature MSJ is denied by operation of the order, with rehearing available after discovery closes on a new notice of hearing).
279th District Court — Standing Order Establishing Confidentiality of DFPS Court Records (Aug. 1, 2025)
The 279th District Court’s standing order (Aug. 1, 2025) establishing that pleadings, orders, and documents in suits brought by the Department of Family and Protective Services under Texas Family Code chapters 261, 262, and 264 are CONFIDENTIAL: the District Clerk maintains them as confidential and allows access only to the court, an associate judge, DFPS employees, Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) employees, and other authorized participants — grounded in CAPTA (42 U.S.C. 5106a) and Family Code sec. 261.201 (DFPS abuse/neglect records are confidential absent a court order after in-camera inspection and a finding of necessity).
317th District Court — Policies and Procedures (Hon. Gordon Friesz; revised and effective August 1, 2025)
Policies and Procedures of the 317th District Court, Hon. Gordon Friesz (revised and effective Aug. 1, 2025): settings are requested by email to the Court Coordinator with an agreed date and a filed Notice of Court Proceeding; an 8:30 a.m. Zoom/ancillary docket for defaults, uncontested and non-testimony matters, with contested proceedings in person unless good cause is shown, hybrid and submission settings by agreement; status and scheduling conferences after temporary orders and after an answer; interpreter notice (three business days), child interviews under Fam. Code §153.009, security requests and firearms rules for law-enforcement attendees; temporary-orders proceedings (scheduling, required filings, 45-minute-per-side time limit, spousal and child support); final proceedings and trial settings (bench and jury), mediation, continuances and withdrawals; property division, spousal support and health-insurance/cash-medical requirements; and final decrees and orders (agreed decrees by affidavit, SAPCR and modification orders, defaults, adoptions and name changes).
317th District Court — Self-Represented (Pro Se) Litigant Guidelines (rev. Jan. 10, 2025)
The 317th District Court’s guidelines for self-represented (pro se) family-law litigants (rev. Jan. 10, 2025): the court’s expectations, filing and setting procedures, and conduct requirements for parties proceeding without counsel, so pro se litigants can comply with the court’s family-law practice.
Local Rules for the Probate Court of Jefferson County (2025)
The 2025 local rules for the Jefferson County Court sitting in probate (the constitutional county court, Judge Jeff Branick), governing probate proceedings for uniformity, fairness, and efficiency; adopted as standing orders of the Jefferson County Court, with knowing/intentional violation sanctionable.
Local Rules of Administration for the District and Statutory County Courts of Jefferson County (Amended Oct. 4, 2024)
The county-wide master administration rules of the Jefferson County district and statutory county courts (Gov’t Code sec. 74.093, amended Oct. 4, 2024): four court divisions — Civil (58th, 60th, 136th, 172nd District Courts + County Court at Law No. 1), Probate (constitutional County Court), Family Law/Juvenile (279th and 317th District Courts), and Criminal (Criminal District Court, 252nd, and County Courts at Law No. 2 and No. 3); the clerks assign cases by subject matter and jurisdiction per the divisions (child-welfare cases to the 279th, juvenile-delinquency to the 317th); cross-division transfers with affected-court consent; felony transfers to the Felony Drug Court or a civil district court with the civil judge’s consent; and assigned-judge coverage on a requesting judge’s vacation/illness/conference with the receiving judge’s consent.
58th District Court — Notice of Change in Docket Call / Announcement Procedure (Jan. 11, 2023)
The 58th District Court no longer holds in-person docket call/announcement; announcements must be e-filed by letter by the docket-call date, and no announcements are received by telephone or email.
Jefferson County Courts at Law No. 2 & No. 3 — Second Amended Local Rule on Electronic Filing and Service (eff. Jan. 1, 2018)
The second amended local rule for Jefferson County Courts at Law No. 2 and No. 3 on electronic filing and service: effective January 1, 2018, all documents in criminal matters must be e-filed (per the Supreme Court’s Misc. Docket No. 16-003) except where the defendant is pro se, and all proposed orders and judgments must be e-filed as an attachment coded as a Proposed Order.
Jefferson County Courts at Law No. 1, 2 & 3 — General Order No. 2017-1: Standard Bond Conditions
General Order No. 2017-1 sets standard bond conditions in Jefferson County Courts at Law No. 1, 2, and 3: following the return of a criminal information, all bail bonds executed for a defendant’s release carry the order’s standard conditions (reporting and related requirements).
Local Rules of the 279th and 317th District Courts of Jefferson County for Family Law Proceedings
The family-law local rules of the 279th and 317th District Courts: attorney and self-represented conduct/decorum (Disciplinary Rules and the Lawyer’s Creed); photographs and audio/video recording prohibited in the courtroom absent a written TRCP 18c order (except adoptions); current contact information required with the court and District Clerk (the court notices by email); lead-counsel vacation letters up to three weeks per year (June–Aug designations filed by May 15, other months by Feb. 1); mandatory e-filing and TRCP 21c sensitive-data redaction (no initials in place of names absent redaction authority); bench exchange (a case stays in the original court absent a transfer order); and the prior-filing rule sending a later suit involving the same parties/subject (divorce, support, conservatorship, and incident matters, by original, modification, clarification, or enforcement) to the court that first had jurisdiction.
58th District Court — Amended Electronic Filing Rule
The 58th District Court’s amended electronic-filing rule governs e-filing format and service requirements for documents in the court, supplementing the statewide e-filing standards.
Jefferson County District Courts — Remote Hearing Orders and Plan for Detention and Related Proceedings
The Jefferson County district courts’ remote-hearing orders and plan for detention and related proceedings, authorizing and governing remote (Zoom/videoconference) appearances for detention and related hearings, including the platform, notice, and participation requirements.
279th & 317th District Courts — First Amended Standing Temporary Orders (Family Cases)
The 279th and 317th District Courts’ first amended standing temporary orders, self-executing in family cases: the standard protections for children, property, and conduct of the parties during the pendency of a divorce or SAPCR (no removal/disruption of children, no property dissipation, no harassment), binding until modified.
Supplement to the Local Rules of the 279th and 317th District Courts of Jefferson County
The supplement to the 279th/317th family local rules, adding or refining family-law practice provisions (settings, submissions, and procedural requirements) beyond the base local rules.
58th District Court — Pre-Trial Requirements (Judge Walston)
The 58th District Court’s pretrial requirements (Judge Kent Walston): contested continuance motions require oral presentation and must be set before the call to trial (unheard motions are not considered); motions in limine are prepared and exchanged no later than 10 days before trial; exhibits are marked and exchanged no later than 10 days before trial for pre-admission, with objections set for hearing no later than 3 days before trial (failure waives the objection); exhibits are offered in DIGITAL format with duplicate paper copies for counsel/court/jury; the proposed charge is furnished at the start of jury selection (hard copy + Word-compatible digital); non-video deposition page/line designations are exchanged like limine items; video depositions must be edited for brevity/cogency; and displays/models/equipment are set up before court convenes.
58th/60th/136th/172nd Civil District Courts — Standing Order Regarding Attorney Ad Litems in Tax Suits
The Jefferson civil district courts’ standing order governing the appointment and practice of attorney ad litems in delinquent-tax suits, setting the procedure for ad litem service for defendants served by other than personal service.
58th District Court — Discovery Control Plan Order
The 58th District Court’s sua sponte Rule 190.4 discovery-control-plan order sets a deadline schedule (new parties, paper discovery, expert designations with CV and full report, discovery close, dispositive/Robinson-Havner motions, mediation, pretrial with all discovery objections brought forward or waived, and trial month). Mediation requires all parties to attend individually (corporations and insurers by a person with full authority) and mediate in good faith; Robinson/Havner motions not set for hearing by pretrial are waived; and the deadlines remain even if trial is not reached — "THERE WILL BE NO CONTINUANCES GRANTED."
Court Rules for Jefferson County Court at Law No. 2
The local rules for Jefferson County Court at Law No. 2 (Judge Terrence L. Holmes): a fixed weekly docket schedule (Monday jury trial/announcement; Tuesday jail run/arraignment; Wednesday announcement-plea/jury trial; Thursday pretrial conference/plea; Friday jail run/MTRP/announcement/pretrial motions), an arraignment-docket procedure, and the court’s criminal case-flow practice.
279th & 317th District Courts — Standing Order Regarding Ad Litem Appointments
The 279th and 317th District Courts’ standing order governing ad litem (attorney/guardian ad litem and amicus) appointments in family cases: the appointment procedure, the appointees’ duties, and fee handling for ad litems representing children or absent parties.
Second Administrative Judicial Region of Texas — Regional Rules of Administration
The Regional Rules of Administration governing the district and statutory county courts of the Second Administrative Judicial Region of Texas (adopted 1995, effective January 3, 1996; amended 2007 and 2016). Eleven rules: case-disposition time standards (felonies 12 months, misdemeanors 6, civil jury 18 / non-jury 12, contested family 6 / uncontested 3, and the juvenile deadlines); the duty to supply docket information to the Regional Presiding Judge; the requirement that each county adopt conforming local rules for civil, family/juvenile and criminal dispositions and a jury plan; judicial-absence plans; the rule-with-respect-to-rules (numbering and Supreme-Court/Presiding-Judge approval for effectiveness); local court administration including recusal-referral procedure to the Presiding Judge (Rule 18a) and recording/broadcasting standards; conflicting engagements of attorneys; and the four-week attorney-vacation rule.
Second Administrative Judicial Region — Rules for the Appeal of an Approval of or Failure to Act on a Request for Payment of Appointed Attorney’s Fees
The Second Administrative Judicial Region’s rules (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 26.05(c)) for appointed counsel to appeal a trial court’s or Managed Assigned Counsel Director’s disapproval of, or failure to act on, a request for payment of appointed-attorney fees. Counsel files an original motion with the clerk and forwards copies to the Regional Presiding Judge and the payment authority within 20 days of a disapproval order (or within 80 days if the authority fails to act), setting out the enumerated case and billing details; the Presiding Judge abates ruling at least 10 days for the payment authority to reconsider, then rules under art. 26.05(c) on the form order in Appendix B, with the Judge’s/Director’s findings on the Appendix A forms.
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.