Leon County, TX
All 13 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Leon County, newest effective date first. 1 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 1–13 of 13
Local Rules of the District Courts of Leon County - 87th, 278th and 369th Judicial Districts (Revised June 2026; approved and signed June 30, 2026)
Local rules of the three district courts sitting in Leon County: assignment of civil, family and criminal cases in mandatory rotation and of juvenile cases to the 87th (Rule 1); the local administrative judge, the Board of Judges and the Rules of Decorum (Rule 2); civil cases - filing, transfer, exchange of benches, consolidation and severance, private process servers under TRCP 103, requests of the district clerk, guardians and attorneys ad litem, setting requests on the clerk's form, docket control orders, written pretrial motions with a certificate of conference, summary-judgment motion and response format, ADR and mediation, continuances, settlements, the Standing Order in Limine, jury charge submissions, voir dire procedure, and dismissal dockets with time standards of 18 months (jury) and 12 months (non-jury) (Rule 3); family law cases - a 6-month time standard, juvenile and DFPS cases, temporary and ex parte orders, the Standing Temporary Restraining Order in every divorce, proposed property division and support decision statements exchanged ten days before trial with temporary-orders hearings limited to thirty minutes per side, parent education, mandatory document exchange within thirty days of a written request, and the local child support registry (Rule 4); criminal cases - grand juries and the Grand Jury Minute Book, assignment after indictment, bonds, bond surrender and forfeiture, arraignment and the Notice of Setting, discovery under art. 39.14 no later than seven days before the pretrial hearing, a pretrial hearing within sixty days of arraignment, docket call, continuances, the Standing Order in Limine, voir dire, a 12-month time standard and the Fair Defense Act plan (Rule 5); conflicting engagements (Rule 6); attorney vacations - summer weeks designated with the District Clerk by March 15, other weeks by February 1 (Rule 7); judges' vacation, the Lawyer's Creed, adoption and repeal of prior rules (Rules 8-10); Addendum 1, Rules of Decorum.
Standing Discovery Order in Criminal Cases, 87th, 278th and 369th District Courts of Leon County (updated 2026; filed June 30, 2026)
Standing discovery order for criminal cases in the Leon County district courts: the State furnishes a witness list with addresses, the defendant's statements, notice of extraneous-offense evidence, inspection of seized items, physical and documentary evidence and conviction records, promises of benefit to witnesses, impeachment convictions, complaints, warrants and laboratory reports, business records, and exculpatory evidence; discovery under art. 39.14 is furnished no later than seven days before the pretrial hearing; offense reports and witness statements are encouraged but remain work product unless exculpatory; jury aids are work product absent a particularized need; the order disposes of pretrial discovery motions already filed and further discovery is sought by written motion limited to matters not covered; the State complies by the date in the scheduling order or 30 days from arraignment, whichever is first, and supplements as soon as practicable; on written request the State files a list of items exhibited or furnished before trial.
Standing Order in Limine for Trial of Civil Jury Cases, 87th, 278th and 369th District Courts of Leon County (updated 2026; filed June 30, 2026)
Standing order in limine for civil jury trials in the Leon County district courts: without first approaching the bench and securing a ruling, no attorney may mention before the jury or venire any of twenty-seven listed matters - insurance and jurors' connections with the insurance industry, liability for the judgment, collateral sources, retention of counsel, attorney's fees, income taxes, independent medical examinations, criminal offenses, alcohol or drug use, settlement or mediation, discovery disputes, prior suits or claims, ex parte statements, absent witnesses, hearsay medical opinions, exhibits not yet tendered and admitted, requests for stipulations or files, discrimination, the social cost of an award, hardship, the golden rule, counsel's opinion of credibility, the effect of jury answers, and witnesses, documents or objections tied to evidence not produced in discovery; each attorney admonishes clients and non-adverse witnesses.
Standing Restraining Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties, Leon County District Courts (Rev. 4/2026; filed June 30, 2026)
Standing restraining order of the Leon County district courts in every divorce and suit affecting the parent-child relationship, enforceable by contempt: no disruption of the children (removal from Texas, school or daycare changes, hiding the children, disparaging remarks, discussing the litigation with the children, overnight unrelated adult guests between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in an original divorce); conduct of the parties (harassing or threatening communication, mail or e-mail interception, bodily injury, changing passwords, intercepting communications, tracking property, vehicles or persons); in divorce cases, preservation of property and funds, of personal and business records including electronically stored information and social-network content, and of insurance; protection of pets and companion animals; specific authorizations for business, attorney's fees and living expenses. The petitioner attaches the order to the original petition and each copy; it is effective on filing as a temporary restraining order for fourteen days and continues as a temporary injunction unless contested at a hearing; protective orders and temporary restraining orders already entered prevail; mediation may be required; bond is waived.
Standing Order in Limine for Trial of Criminal Jury Cases, 87th, 278th and 369th District Courts of Leon County (signed May 28, 2026)
Standing order in limine for criminal jury trials in the Leon County district courts: without first approaching the bench and securing a ruling, no attorney may mention before the jury or venire any of twenty-one listed matters - among them the facts of the case during voir dire, the defendant's application for probation, the range of punishment when the judge assesses it, commitment questions, the defendant's right to silence, the enhancement portion of the indictment, ex parte statements and absent witnesses, hearsay medical opinions, exhibits not yet tendered and admitted, requests for stipulation, counsel's opinions of credibility or guilt, evidence or witnesses not disclosed under the Standing Discovery Order, polygraph exams, extraneous offenses, argued objections, and how the defendant retained or was appointed counsel; each attorney admonishes clients and non-adverse witnesses; violations may result in contempt or referral to the State Bar.
Standing Local Administrative Rule on Case Captions and Styles in Family Cases, Leon County District Courts (signed April 28, 2026)
Local administrative rule of the Leon County district judges: because Family Code §§ 6.401 and 102.008 require the full names of the parties and of any minor children in the caption, the District Clerk is ordered to refuse for filing any pleading that lacks that identification or gives only initials of the parties or children in the style of the case; the rule does not apply to adoption cases or Chapter 33 cases. First entered April 3, 2017 and adopted by the current judges.
278th District Court Divorce Information for Pro Se Litigants - Checklist Before Appearing in Court (registered March 27, 2026)
Court information sheet for self-represented divorce litigants: the district clerk's office and court staff cannot give forms or legal advice; before the case is set for final hearing all paperwork must be on file - the petition for divorce, and a waiver of service (signed before a notary no earlier than the day after the petition is filed), proof of service by citation, or the spouse's answer - and a final decree with every applicable blank completed, in the file at least three days before the court coordinator is contacted for a hearing, because the judge reviews the decree before a hearing is set; if both parties sign the decree and an affidavit of prove-up is filed, the divorce may be granted by submission after the 60th day without a hearing; the divorce must be on file sixty days before it can be finalized (limited family-violence exceptions); the court coordinator sets the court date.
278th District Court Instructions for Requesting and Confirming a Hearing (Judge Sorensen; registered March 27, 2026)
Hearing instructions of the 278th District Court: contact the court coordinator for a date before sending or filing any documents; Judge Sorensen requires that every hearing date be confirmed, and a setting that is not confirmed will not be heard on the day requested; be ready to state how soon the hearing is wanted, the notice to be given, the type and length of hearing; the court does not send notices, so the requesting party notifies opposing counsel and pro se parties in writing, typically with the Confirmation of Hearing form, files it and gives a copy to the coordinator; a jury trial date requires a filed written jury demand, a pretrial conference precedes the jury trial, motions not yet heard are heard there, and a proposed jury charge is brought to it; a party asking for a ruling without a hearing states the date requested and notifies all parties, and objections or further information are filed at least 3 days before that date.
Attorney Vacation Letter Directive, 278th District Court (Second Region Rule 11 applied from January 1, 2026; letter of September 18, 2025)
Letter to counsel from the judges of the 12th and 278th District Courts: from January 1, 2026 the two courts apply Rule 11 of the Second Administrative Judicial Region on attorney vacations - not more than four weeks a year, lead counsel only unless the court expands coverage; summer weeks (June-August) designated in writing with the district clerk by May 15 are protected even against earlier trial settings; non-summer weeks are designated by February 1, run no more than two consecutive weeks and do not protect against orders signed before the designation; the courts confirm by letter whether the dates are protected from all settings, from future settings, or not protected, with the reason.
Leon County Policy Regarding Cremation Time Waiver
Policy of the Justices of the Peace of Leon County, under Section 716.004 of the Health and Safety Code, on waiving the 48-hour cremation waiting period: the crematory or funeral establishment submits a written request to the Justice of the Peace conducting the inquest (the request must not violate Chapter 49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or Title 8 of the Health and Safety Code, and the remains must be identified), how to contact the Justice of the Peace during and outside business hours (including through the Leon County Sheriff's Office for the on-call judge), and the Justice of the Peace's duty to inform the establishment of the process. Entered February 3, 2025 by the Justices of the Peace of Precincts One, Two and Four.
Leon County Court Attorney Fee Schedule for Appointed Counsel (signed November 30, 2023)
Fee schedule adopted by the judges of Leon County for appointed counsel, in four parts. Felony cases: $90.00 per hour for trials and contested dispositions; plea or dismissal $600 (state jail or 3rd degree), $750 (2nd degree), $1,000 (1st degree), $150 for each additional case to a $1,200 maximum; motions to revoke $500 plus $150 per additional case to $1,200; appeals $2,000 (jury) or $1,500 (nonjury) for a single case, $2,500 or $2,000 for multiple cases, $10,000 for a capital case; death-penalty lead counsel $125 per hour and second chair $100 per hour, each to a $75,000 maximum. Misdemeanor cases: fixed rates of $100 (dismissal), $350 (plea and sentence), $250 (probation revocation), appeals $350 to $1,000, plus $50 per additional case to $600; daily rates of $350 (non-jury) and $500 (jury) premised on six hours in court; hourly rates of $40 to $75 when approved, claimed to the nearest tenth of an hour with an itemized statement; expenses, with prior written court approval for investigators or experts; payment requests at disposition or within five working days after a trial, one form for all of a defendant's cases. Juvenile cases: $350 per adjudication hearing. DFPS cases: $100 per hour. Vouchers for appointments made through the indigent defense software are submitted through it.
Standing Orders Designating the Judges and Magistrates Who Set Bail under Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 17.027, 87th, 278th and 369th District Courts of Leon County (signed January 5-6, 2023)
Three standing orders, one by the judge of each district court sitting in Leon County, under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 17.027: for a new felony charged against a person who is on bail for a felony pending before that court, bail may be set by the judges of the other two Leon County district courts and by the Justices of the Peace of Precincts 1, 2 and 4.
Local Rules of Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the Justice of the Peace Courts, Leon County (effective January 1, 2023)
Local rules of the three Leon County Justice Courts: jurisdiction, precinct organization, dockets, on-call judges and jury selection (ch. 1); civil cases - filing under Part V of the TRCP, mediation referrals with a 10-day objection window, settings and pre-trial conferences, written jury demand with the fee not later than 14 days before trial (3 days in eviction cases), preferential settings, continuances, assignment and transfer of cases, the uncontested docket with 24 hours' notice to the clerk for more than two cases, pre-trial motions (non-jury motions filed three days before trial), telephone appearances at the judge's discretion when requested in advance, dismissal for want of prosecution (plaintiff's failure to appear; inactive 180 days after 12 months; motions to retain 10 working days before the dismissal date), drafts of judgments and orders, attorney withdrawal, holidays, and authorization to serve citation under Rule 103 (ch. 2); criminal cases - trial in the precinct of the offense, first appearance, one reset requested no later than the day before the setting, pretrial and trial settings with written continuance motions not less than 24 hours before a jury trial, pleas, no appointed counsel in fine-only cases, withdrawal or substitution of counsel, transfer of pending cases, and a prohibition on recording or broadcasting without the justice's written permission (ch. 3); rules of decorum (ch. 4); transfer of civil and criminal cases between precincts (ch. 5); driver's license hearings with written reset requests and other administrative hearings (ch. 6); magistration, inquests and weddings (ch. 7).