San Patricio County
Fourth Administrative Judicial Region (Region 4) · official region site ✓ · County seat: Sinton
Rules that apply here (county → region → statewide)
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Rules of Court of the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts (Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen and San Patricio Counties; signed and ordered promulgated June 16, 2026; San Patricio County edition)
The 2026 local rules of the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts: bench exchange and emergency matters, judicial vacation, the Local Administrative Judge's duties, time standards, where juvenile and CPS cases are filed (county courts at law, except Bee County's CPS cases in the district courts), court calendars apportioned by county population, rotating assignment of cases and felony styling, transfers by consent, settings through the Court Administrators with docket control orders, preferential settings, ex parte relief with the applicant present, pre-trial and pre-trial motions, severance, continuances (presented at pre-trial or ten days before trial), summary-judgment courtesy copies by mail or delivery only, ADR referrals and objections, settlements, conflicting engagements, interpreters, a minute order on audio/video evidence and English translations, jury charges seven days before trial, the family standing order and parent-education course, sworn inventories and proposed property divisions, pro se divorce and adoption procedures (Exhibits C and D), criminal appearance, retention notices and interpreters, attorney vacation letters, courtroom decorum, entry of orders within seven days, and no photography or recording in the courtroom.
Standing Order Regarding Persons Seeking Conservatorship in Family Law Cases — parent education and family stabilization course (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts, San Patricio County Courts at Law Nos. 1 and 2, Aransas County Court at Law and 2nd Multicounty Court at Law; effective June 15, 2026; San Patricio County)
Every party seeking conservatorship, possession or access in a SAPCR or modification must complete a four-to-twelve-hour parent education and family stabilization course meeting Texas Family Code § 105.009 (petitioner within 31 days of filing, respondent within 31 days of first appearance or answer), offered by a qualified mental-health professional or religious practitioner, with a certificate of completion; non-completion may be sanctioned by contempt, striking pleadings or Rule 215 sanctions but does not delay judgment, and the assigned judge may waive the course for good cause.
Standing Order Regarding Children, Property, and Conduct of the Parties — San Patricio, Aransas, Bee, Live Oak and McMullen County Family Law Courts (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts, San Patricio County Courts at Law Nos. 1 and 2, Aransas County Court at Law; effective June 15, 2026; San Patricio County)
The automatic standing order attached to every divorce, SAPCR and modification petition filed in the five counties: no disruption, removal, hiding, disparagement or overnight dating guests concerning the children, no substance use before possession, no violence; no harassment, mail or account intrusion, interception, social-media posting or exclusion from the residence; in a divorce no dissipation of property, records, insurance or accounts beyond the specifically authorized business, living and legal expenses; served with the petition, effective on filing until final order or dismissal, subordinate to protective orders, bond waived.
Pro-se Divorce Procedures in the District Courts of Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen and San Patricio Counties (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts and the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law; 2026; San Patricio County edition)
A self-represented petitioner must serve the respondent under the Rules of Civil Procedure or file a waiver of citation dated and signed after the petition was filed; before requesting a setting must serve the Attorney General and consolidate any child-support case into the divorce, attend the family counseling program if children are involved (as must the spouse, with limited out-of-area exceptions), know the service or waiver date and whether the respondent answered or has counsel, and place a fully completed divorce decree and vital statistics form in the clerk's file; then requests a court date from the court administrator of the court where the case is filed, giving the case number — no date is set without service, waiver or answer and a decree on file, and every blank must be filled in before seeing the judge; the petitioner must keep a current address with the District Clerk or risk dismissal and loss of the filing fee.
Adoption Procedures in the District Courts in Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen and San Patricio Counties (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts; 2026; San Patricio County edition)
The petitioner's attorney must provide an order appointing the pre-adoptive home screening and post-placement report provider (the judge chooses the provider; the attorney notifies the provider of the appointment, deadlines and dates and the client pays the provider), obtain the DPS criminal history required by Family Code § 162.0085 (the hearing is passed until the report is on file and the attorney must request a reset), provide an order appointing the ad litem (the judge chooses; the attorney notifies the ad litem of the appointment, the court of hearing dates) or give the judge a written waiver before obtaining a hearing date, and have the clients complete the Adoption Vital Statistics form before leaving the courthouse.
2026 Felony Appointment Certification — requirements for counsel accepting criminal appointments (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts; November 25, 2025; San Patricio County edition)
For 2026 appointments the Board of Judges certifies attorneys on January 2, 2026; proof of CLE hours and the Request for Appointments form were due to the court administrator by December 20, 2025, with a sworn statement of compliance with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission's 2025 reporting; attorney fee requests are due at sentencing; appointed counsel must make face-to-face contact with an incarcerated client within 14 days of appointment or before pre-trial; the district judges' office accepts felony-only requests for San Patricio and Aransas, felony, prison-felony and juvenile for Bee, and felony and juvenile for Live Oak and McMullen, with misdemeanor and (in Aransas and San Patricio) juvenile certifications going to the county courts at law; the enclosed request form lists the case types per county.
Plea Deadline Procedure — Arraignment, Pre-Trial and Plea Deadline Settings (County Court at Law No. 2, San Patricio County; effective October 1, 2024; Judge Viki Hesseltine Martino)
From October 1, 2024 every arraignment date in County Court at Law No. 2 carries a hard plea deadline: discovery, suppression and plea bargaining are expected to conclude between arraignment and that deadline, the court will not consider plea agreements after it, and unresolved cases go to a trial docket. Contested pretrial matters get a specific setting and time on request to the court coordinator once the motion is filed; cases pending lab results, other discovery issues or a pending felony may be placed on a Zoom status docket (by the court's request form) and carry no plea deadline until removed; motions for continuance must be properly executed and filed before the setting, and moving the pretrial setting never moves the plea deadline. The court's calendar of arraignment, pre-trial and plea-deadline dates runs from October 1, 2024 through the July 22, 2025 arraignment (plea deadline December 4, 2025).
Minute Order Relating to Electronic Audio and/or Video Evidence (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts; August 19, 2022; San Patricio County edition)
Audio or video evidence offered at pre-trial or trial must be in admissible form and format when offered (a flash drive is preferred over a DVD); questions of form and format go to the trial judge before the offer and, in jury cases, before jury selection; all objections to redaction of a recording are ruled on before a jury trial begins; every exhibit must be in English or offered with an English translation, and any translation must be disclosed to opposing parties at least 3 days before the offer; admission of non-conforming evidence is in the presiding judge's sole discretion. The judges' September 14, 2022 cover letter paraphrases the order and asks prosecutors to share it with law enforcement.
Interpreters — the Spanish-interpreter scheduling policy for announcement, trial and pre-trial settings (36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts; May 8, 2018; San Patricio County edition)
Under the courts' policy Spanish interpreters are scheduled only for announcement and trial dates; counsel who needs an interpreter for a pre-trial setting must notify the District Judge's office immediately on receiving the setting notice so the court administrator can schedule one; counsel are directed to the attached cancellation policies of the two interpreters the courts use (two-hour minimums for cancellations on less than 24 hours' notice).
Rules Governing the Procedure for the District Clerk of San Patricio County to Receive and File Electronically Transmitted Court Documents (Exhibit A)
Fifteen rules for documents transmitted electronically (by facsimile) to the San Patricio County District Clerk: what may not be filed that way (returns of service, bonds, signed orders or judgments, non-letter-size documents); laser-printed plain-paper receipt; payment of costs and transmission fees by approved credit card, with unpaid or non-conforming documents not filed; an annual clerk fee schedule approved by the local courts; the file-stamped transmission as the original record; TRCP formatting and signature requirements; the sender keeps the signed original (Gov't Code § 51.806); a cover sheet identifying sender, documents, pages, instructions and charge authorization; the clerk verifies completeness, confirms the charge, then stamps and acknowledges; no sealed citation or writ by transmission; transmission is not filing until the clerk's stamp is affixed; and receipt-time rules (same-day filing before midnight on a business day, after-4:00 pm and weekend transmissions verified and filed before 10 am the next business day).
Protocols for Electronic Appearance (County Court at Law No. 2, San Patricio County; Judge Viki Hesseltine Martino)
Cases set for electronic hearing in County Court at Law No. 2 appear by Zoom under the court's protocols: a Zoom account under the participant's real name, appearance by video (not voice only), courtroom attire for attorneys and appropriate dress for everyone else, admission limited to counsel of record, litigants (and spouses where the rules permit), testifying experts and witnesses when called; hearings are public and may not be recorded; participants join a few minutes early, wait in the virtual waiting room, keep a quiet well-lit indoor location (never a moving vehicle or crowded place), use private chat only between client and lawyer, and observe the Rule as to Witnesses, which is invoked in every virtual hearing; witnesses may not consult anyone or any document while testifying; private client conferences happen in a breakout room on request. Failure to appear as directed may bring sanctions up to default judgment, dismissal, fines, or a warrant or capias.
Judge's Explanation of Misdemeanor Arraignment Procedures (County Court at Law No. 2, San Patricio County; Judge Viki Hesseltine Martino)
Misdemeanor defendants bonded to appear INSTANTER receive a setting notice for arraignment in County Court at Law No. 2 once the County Attorney files the case. A defendant who appears without counsel may ask for a reset to hire an attorney, apply for appointed counsel, or waive counsel (questionnaire and written waiver, provided at arraignment and posted on the county website). Reset requests go to the court by email at least three days before the setting with the reason; all resets are discretionary. Defendants must report contact-information changes to their bondsman and the County Clerk's Office. Failure to appear means bond forfeiture and an arrest warrant.
Fourth Administrative Judicial Region of Texas — Procedures for Attorney Fee Appeals (signed January 17, 2017; effective for decisions on or after January 20, 2017)
The Fourth Region's presiding-judge procedures for court-appointed attorneys' fee appeals under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 26.05, applying to the district and county courts of the region's twenty-two counties: an appeal lies from a trial court's attorney-fee decision or from its failure to decide within the 60-day period of article 26.05(c); the appeal packet (the written documentation sent to the trial court, a copy of the court's decision with the written findings and reasons article 26.05 requires, and a motion or letter explaining why the decision should be modified) must be sent to both the Presiding Judge and the trial court within fourteen days after the attorney receives notice of the decision, by e-mail with PDF attachments or by hard copy to the region's office at the Bexar County Courthouse; the trial court may modify its findings or decision in writing within five days of receiving the packet, sending the modification to the Presiding Judge and the attorney; and the Presiding Judge "determine[s] the appropriate amount of payment" under article 26.05(c) and notifies the attorney and the trial court. Signed January 17, 2017 by Presiding Judge David Peeples; effective for decisions made on or after January 20, 2017.
Fourth Administrative Judicial Region of Texas — Rules of the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region (adopted March 8, 1993)
The thirteen region-wide rules of the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region (the 22-county South Texas region), adopted by the Council of Presiding Judges at Austin on March 8, 1993: time standards for disposition (criminal trial within 180 days of indictment, civil jury 18 months and non-jury 12 months from appearance, contested family cases 6 months and uncontested 3 months, juvenile detention hearings the next business day with adjudication within 10 or 30 days and disposition within 15), complex-case allowance, continuances only as the rules permit and one agreed pass; monthly OCA reports to the regional presiding judge; county boards of judges must adopt uniform local rules for civil, family/juvenile and criminal cases, a jury plan, a judicial-absence plan and a rule for regular judges' meetings; local rules must follow the region's numbering and take effect only on approval by the presiding judge and the Supreme Court; conflicting-engagement priorities (criminal, statutory preference, preferential settings, earliest setting, earliest filing, multi-judge counties yield to rural counties); four weeks' attorney vacation on 90 days' written notice; pretrial motions three days before docket call and certified requests for settings; and courtroom decorum.
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.
N.D. Tex. LR 83.2 — Miscellaneous and Special Orders
N.D. Tex. LR 83.2 — Miscellaneous and Special Orders: 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 83.18 — Photographs, Broadcasting, Recording, and Television Forbidden
N.D. Tex. LR 83.18 — Photographs, Broadcasting, Recording, and Television Forbidden: 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 83.17 — Weapons Forbidden
N.D. Tex. LR 83.17 — Weapons Forbidden: 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 83.16 — Dress and Conduct
N.D. Tex. LR 83.16 — Dress and 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.