Tarrant County
Eighth Administrative Judicial Region (Region 8) · official region site ✓ · County seat: Fort Worth
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Tarrant County Local Rules — Part 5: Rules Governing Proceedings in Cases Before the Criminal Courts (adopted Mar. 11, 2025; Rule 5.33 added Mar. 27, 2026; Rule 5.44(b) amended June 4, 2026)
Part 5 of the Tarrant County Local Rules governs every case filed in the county's Criminal Courts — County Criminal Courts Nos. 1–10, Criminal District Courts Nos. 1–4, and the 213th, 297th, 371st, 372nd, 396th, 432nd and 485th District Courts (Rule 5.11). It sets courtroom conduct and decorum for counsel and all persons (Rule 5.2), motion practice (presentment within three business days of filing, a proposed order with every motion, "unopposed"/"agreed" in the title with a certificate of conference, 14-day responses), amended-versus-supplemental documents, the Rule 5.33 certification regime for filings created with artificial intelligence, attorney-in-charge and withdrawal rules, indigent-defense appointment and fee disclosure, 30-day vacation/CLE notices with sworn continuance motions within 7 days of a conflicting setting, interpreter requests (28 days before jury selection; 14 days before other settings), docket management and conflicting-setting rules, and the Presiding Criminal Judges Panel that administers the criminal court system. Adopted by majority vote of the criminal judges Mar. 11, 2025; this registration (Aug. 27, 2026) replaces all prior versions of Part 5.
213th District Court (Tarrant County) — Court's Standing Omnibus Order on Discovery (Aug. 5, 2026)
Judge Michael Ferry's standing omnibus discovery order for the 213th District Court (Aug. 5, 2026): the State may release medical records, grand jury records, Department of Family Protective Service records and criminal histories of State's witnesses to defense counsel without a formal motion (withholding permitted if the State requests a formal hearing); defense counsel may not disclose or repurpose protected information and must return or destroy the documents at the conclusion of the case.
Justice Court, Precinct 7 (Tarrant County) — Tickets/Citations (page last modified June 2, 2026: courtesy notice with plea options; not-guilty plea in writing specifying judge or jury; guilty pleas paid before the court date or by payment plan; warrant if no bond or payment by the appearance date; no third-party payment without the defendant's plea; cashier's check or money order to Justice Court, Precinct 7, no personal checks; juveniles pay in person; online payment enters a nolo plea; contact the court before paying to request defensive driving or deferred disposition)
Justice Court Precinct 7's tickets and citations procedures (page last modified June 2, 2026): citations from DPS, the constables, game wardens and the Sheriff are filed with the court, which mails a courtesy notice with payment options, due date and plea instructions; a defendant pleading not guilty must notify the court in writing and specify trial by judge or jury (a not-guilty plea may be changed to payment by contacting the court); a guilty plea is entered by paying in person, online or by mail before the scheduled court date, or by requesting a payment plan; failure to post bond or pay within the appearance date (ten days from filing) results in an arrest warrant; the court will not accept a third party's payment without the defendant's plea; a warrant is not recalled until the next business day after an after-hours online payment; cashier's checks and money orders payable to Justice Court, Precinct 7, personal checks not accepted; juveniles cannot pay online and must pay in the office; a defendant wanting defensive driving or deferred disposition must contact the court before paying online, because an online payment enters a plea of nolo contendere; fine and court-cost amounts are on the county's Class C pro se guide.
Justice Court, Precinct 2 (Tarrant County) — Local Rule: Discovery (eff. July 1, 2015; rev. May 1, 2026)
The Tarrant County Justice Courts' Local Rules for Discovery as adopted for Precinct Two by Judge Mary Tom Curnutt (effective July 1, 2015; revised May 1, 2026) — the same text Precinct One revised on Apr. 30, 2026: court-ordered pretrial discovery (TRCP 500.8), an objection-proof general disclosure request, a discovery period from the signed order to 30 days before trial, six deposition hours and fifteen interrogatories/requests for production/requests for admission per party, supplementation within 14 days and no later than 21 days before trial with exclusion of late material, a mandatory Certificate of Discovery Conference on every discovery motion, telephone or electronic discovery hearings on request, and 30-day post-judgment discovery objections.
Justice Court, Precinct 2 (Tarrant County) — Discovery Local Rule (eff. July 1, 2015; revised May 1, 2026)
Precinct 2's discovery local rule, revised effective May 1, 2026, sets the Justice Court discovery period and per-party discovery limits and frames them against Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Part V.
Justice Court, Precinct 1 (Tarrant County) — Local Rule: Discovery (eff. July 1, 2015; rev. Apr. 30, 2026)
The Tarrant County Justice Courts' Local Rules for Discovery as adopted for Precinct One by Judge Ralph Swearingin Jr. (effective July 1, 2015; revised Apr. 30, 2026): pretrial discovery only by court order (TRCP 500.8), a general disclosure request no party may object to, a discovery period running from the signed order to 30 days before trial, limits of six deposition hours and fifteen interrogatories, fifteen requests for production and fifteen requests for admission per party, a duty to amend or supplement within 14 days and no later than 21 days before trial with exclusion of late material absent good cause or lack of surprise, a mandatory Certificate of Discovery Conference on every discovery motion, telephone or electronic discovery hearings on request, and 30-day post-judgment discovery objections.
Justice Court, Precinct 1 (Tarrant County) — Local Rule: Court Procedures for eFile Texas Filings and Copy Fee Assessment (eff. Apr. 30, 2026)
Judge Ralph Swearingin Jr.'s local rule for Justice Court Precinct One (effective Apr. 30, 2026): eFile Texas filings of five pages or fewer per envelope carry no copy fee and may be filed through eFile Texas Self-Help; filings of more than five pages per envelope incur copy fees of $1 for the first page and $0.25 for each additional page and must be filed through eFile Texas, not eFile Texas Self-Help.
Tarrant County Criminal Courts — Local Rule 5.33: Use of Artificial Intelligence in Court Filings (adopted Mar. 27, 2026)
Rule 5.33 of the Tarrant County Local Rules (Part 5, criminal courts), adopted by majority vote of the criminal judges on March 27, 2026: every motion and brief filed in the county's 21 criminal courts must carry a signed certification stating whether the document was created using artificial intelligence; where A.I. was used the certification must also attest that a human verified every A.I.-generated quotation, source, citation, argument and analysis and that the filer accepts responsibility for the document; the court may demand disclosure of the A.I.-created parts and the tool used; violations and false certifications are sanctionable, including striking the filing or contempt.
Justice Court, Precinct 1 (Tarrant County) — Court Procedures Notice (DWOP progression eff. Mar. 2, 2026; in-person eviction hearings; 20-minute check-in; continuance filing; fees)
Justice Court Precinct 1's posted procedures (page last modified Feb. 11, 2026): effective Mar. 2, 2026 the court follows a "30, 30, Prove Up" progression on the DWOP docket for served-but-unadjudicated cases and a "30, 30, 30" progression for non-service cases, dismissing for want of prosecution the business day after the third period lapses; all eviction hearings are in person and no remote-hearing requests are approved; since Mar. 1, 2023 all parties must check in at least 20 minutes before their scheduled time or be barred from the session (with default or dismissal risk); motions for continuance must be e-filed at least two days before the hearing, in writing and served, and requests with less than 24 hours' notice are not considered; the 2022 civil filing fee ($54) applies to motions for new trial and appeals; the 2021 electronic-communication and non-recording rules are restated.
Justice Court, Precinct 1 (Tarrant County) — Local Rule: Court Procedure on Non-Compliance with TRCP 510.16(b) Plaintiff Duties in Eviction Default Judgments (eff. Jan. 1, 2026)
Judge Ralph Swearingin Jr.'s local rule for Justice Court Precinct One (effective Jan. 1, 2026; bilingual notice): every eviction plaintiff seeking a default judgment must give the clerk, in writing, the defendant's known e-mail address and mailing address at or before the time the judgment is signed (TRCP 510.16(b)); if the judge allows extra time, the documents must reach the court by 4:00 p.m. on the day of trial; otherwise the default request is denied and the case is dismissed for want of prosecution, without prejudice, on the next business day.
Justice Court, Precinct 5 (Tarrant County) — Instructions if the defendant is located outside Tarrant County (2026): plaintiff supplies the serving agency's name, address and phone and its service fee by money order or cashier's check, one form per defendant
Justice Court Precinct 5's 2026 instruction sheet (Judge Sergio L. De Leon): when a defendant in a small claims or debt claim case is to be served outside Tarrant County it is the plaintiff's responsibility to give the court the name of the constable, sheriff or other agency that will serve the citation, its address and phone number, and the agency's service fee, paid by money order or cashier's check payable as that agency instructs; a copy of the form is submitted for each defendant.
Justice Court, Precinct 1 (Tarrant County) — Civil Fee Schedule and Payment Rules (eff. Jan. 1, 2026; updated Nov. 4, 2025)
Justice Court Precinct 1's fee schedule effective Jan. 1, 2026 (updated Nov. 4, 2025): $54 justice filing fee plus a $90 constable service fee per defendant for small claims, debt claims, evictions and repair-and-remedy suits ($144 total; $90 for each additional defendant); $5 writ fees with $180 constable fees for writs of execution, possession, attachment, sequestration, retrieval and re-entry; $64 appeal fee plus the county court's own fee; $22 jury fee; certified copies $2 and regular copies $1 for the first page; subpoenas $90 plus a $10 cash-tendering fee; and payment rules — filings and payments accepted until 4 p.m. except appeals, no temporary or personal checks, a 2.35% credit-card convenience fee, and criminal fines payable online or by phone only for adult defendants, with payment constituting a plea of nolo contendere.
67th District Court (Tarrant County) — Scheduling Order (Level 1 & 2) and Docket Control Plan (Level 3) standing provisions, eff. 1/2026: no continuance of agreed trial dates; pretrial conference in person; dispositive motions and expert challenges 30 days before pretrial or waived; Daubert hearing procedure by affidavit; trial documents by noon with Word charge e-mailed; exhibits pre-marked, three-hole punched, in tabbed binders
The standing provisions of Judge Donald J. Cosby's scheduling order (Levels 1 and 2) and docket control plan (Level 3), both effective January 2026: the orders bind pro se parties and counsel; deadlines may be modified by Rule 11 agreement except pretrial, dispositive-motion and expert-challenge dates; it is the court's policy not to continue a trial setting the attorneys agreed to, and reset does not move other deadlines absent good cause; lead counsel and pro se parties appear in person at the pretrial conference, where all motions in limine and pretrial motions are presented; dispositive motions and pleas are heard 30 days before pretrial or waived; the joining party serves the order on new parties and responsible third parties are designated by the joinder date; experts not listed are barred absent good cause and challenges are heard 30 days before pretrial or waived, under a Daubert procedure in which the challenge specifies every ground (unspecified grounds waived), the sponsoring party files affidavits or deposition excerpts by 3:30 p.m. four days before the hearing and serves them by 4 p.m., affiants are not presented live, and the objecting party cross-examines; failure to mediate by the deadline is not good cause for continuance; by noon on the court-set date the parties file exhibit lists, separate fact-witness lists, videotaped deposition designations, motions in limine with separate orders, proposed jury questions and instructions (named per party and e-mailed to the coordinator in Word) and a vocabulary list in medical-malpractice cases; exhibits are pre-marked, three-hole punched, in labeled three-ring binders with numbered tabs (Local Rule 3.0), originals to the court reporter the morning of trial; the Level 3 plan adds pleading-amendment cutoffs, deposition hour limits, a mediation objection deadline ten days before mediation, summary-judgment hearings no less than 30 days before pretrial, and a Daubert challenge filing 15 days before the hearing, and states that the plan prevails over TRCP and local-rule deadlines but not Chapter 74 statutory deadlines.
342nd District Court (Tarrant County) — Dress Code for Courtroom Proceedings (Nov. 10, 2025)
Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick's 342nd District Court dress code (dated Nov. 10, 2025): courtroom participants — attorneys and staff, parties and representatives — wear business attire (suit; dress; skirt or tailored slacks with a professional top; sport coat with dress slacks, collared shirt and tie) and may be excluded from participating otherwise; visitors may not wear shorts, tank tops, ball caps or T-shirts, with business casual generally acceptable; the court decides propriety case by case.
432nd District Court (Tarrant County) — Standing Order Regarding Requests to Modify a Bail Decision (Oct. 7, 2025)
Judge Ruben Gonzalez Jr.'s standing order for the 432nd District Court (Oct. 7, 2025): any request to modify a bail decision must be a written motion complying with Local Rule 5.31 and filed with the District Clerk, stating the factual or legal basis and whether it rests on a change in circumstances since the bail decision; a general desire for lower bail or fewer conditions is not enough; oral requests and requests by e-mail to the court or its staff are not considered.
Criminal District Court No. 2 (Tarrant County) — Court's Standing Omnibus Order on Discovery (May 27, 2025)
Judge William A. Knight's standing omnibus discovery order for Criminal District Court No. 2 (May 27, 2025): the State may release medical records, grand jury records including grand jury testimony, DFPS records, criminal histories, juvenile records (if previously released by the presiding juvenile judge) and prior juror service to defense counsel without a formal motion; the State may withhold if it requests a formal hearing; defense counsel is barred from disclosing or repurposing protected information and must return or destroy the records at the conclusion of the case.
Justice Court, Precinct 2 (Tarrant County) — Local Rule: eFile Submission Copy Fees (eff. Feb. 1, 2025)
Judge Mary Tom Curnutt's local rule for Justice Court Precinct Two (dated Jan. 14, 2025; effective Feb. 1, 2025): eFile Texas envelopes of five pages or fewer incur no copy fees and may be filed through eFile Texas Self Help; envelopes of more than five pages incur copy fees of $1.00 for the first page and 25¢ for each additional page and must be filed through eFile Texas, not eFile Texas Self Help.
396th District Court (Tarrant County) — Court's Standing Omnibus Order on Discovery (Jan. 9, 2025)
Judge Vincent Giardino's standing omnibus discovery order for the 396th District Court (Jan. 9, 2025), re-adopting the court's Oct. 12, 2021 order (Judge George Gallagher) for the current bench: the State may release medical records, grand jury records, DFPS records and criminal histories to defense counsel without a formal motion (withholding permitted if the State requests a formal hearing); defense counsel may not disclose or repurpose protected information and must return or destroy the documents at the conclusion of the case.
Justice Court, Precinct 2 (Tarrant County) — Youth Diversion Plan (eff. Jan. 1, 2025; CCP art. 45.306)
Judge Mary Tom Curnutt's order adopting the Justice Court Precinct 2 Youth Diversion Plan under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 45.306(b), effective Jan. 1, 2025: applies to children alleged to have committed fine-only misdemeanors other than traffic offenses; eligibility per art. 45.304 (no prior unsuccessful diversion, no successful diversion in the previous 365 days, no prosecutor objection, written consent of parent and child); an eligible child who goes to trial must be offered diversion instead of an adjudication of guilt; a $50 administrative fee from the parent only if agreed, waived for indigence; diversion strategies (teen court, educational programs, counseling, community service up to 20 hours, restitution up to $100, etc.) and prohibited strategies for home-schooled children; a written diversion agreement; successful completion bars prosecution and records are expunged at 18; unsuccessful completion may be referred for prosecution.
Justice Court, Precinct 7 (Tarrant County) — Youth Diversion Plan (signed Dec. 17, 2024; eff. Jan. 1, 2025; CCP art. 45.306)
Judge Kenneth D. Sanders's order adopting the Justice Court Precinct 7 Youth Diversion Plan under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 45.306(b) (signed Dec. 17, 2024; effective Jan. 1, 2025): the same statutory plan structure as Precinct 2's — fine-only non-traffic misdemeanors by children aged 10–16; art. 45.304 eligibility (no prior unsuccessful diversion, none successful in the past 365 days, no prosecutor objection, written parent-and-child consent); mandatory diversion offer before an adjudication of guilt; a $50 parental fee only if agreed, waived for indigence; strategies from teen court to counseling, restitution up to $100 and up to 20 hours of community service; protections for home-schooled children; expunction at 18 on successful completion.
Justice Court, Precinct 4 (Tarrant County) — Youth Diversion Plan (eff. Jan. 1, 2025; CCP art. 45.304–45.312)
Justice Court Precinct 4's Youth Diversion Plan, effective Jan. 1, 2025 and published on the court's web page (last modified Jan. 29, 2025): applies to children alleged to have committed fine-only misdemeanors other than traffic offenses; court staff serve as diversion coordinators; art. 45.304 eligibility (no prior unsuccessful diversion, none successful in the previous 365 days, no prosecutor objection, written consent of parent and child); an eligible child who goes to trial must be offered diversion before any adjudication of guilt and is found guilty and sentenced only if the family declines; a $50 administrative fee from the parent only if agreed, waived for indigence; diversion strategies (teen court, school and educational programs, counseling, mentoring, restitution up to $100, community service up to 20 hours); protections for home-schooled children; a signed written diversion agreement; successful completion bars prosecution and records are expunged at 18; unsuccessful completion may be referred for prosecution.
Tarrant County Criminal Courts — Standing Order Regarding Certain Discovery Matters (No. 3393, July 16, 2024)
County-wide criminal discovery standing order (No. 3393) signed July 16, 2024 by the district judges giving preference to criminal cases, the criminal district judges and the statutory county criminal judges of Tarrant County: in all pending cases prosecutors may release medical records, grand-jury records, DFPS records, criminal-history information and juvenile records to defense counsel without a motion to release (and may withhold them on a successful motion); defense counsel must keep control of released records, may not reproduce or share them — including with the defendant or the defendant's family — without a court order, and must return or destroy them when the case, including any postconviction proceedings, is finally disposed of.
Tarrant County Criminal Courts — Standing Order Sealing Personal Information About Jurors (No. 3394, July 16, 2024)
County-wide criminal standing order (No. 3394) of July 16, 2024: in all cases, information collected during jury selection about a person who serves as a juror — home address, home telephone number, social-security number, driver's license number and other personal information — must be filed under seal and is not publicly available or otherwise disclosed unless the court orders otherwise (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 35.29(a); Tex. R. App. P. 9.10(g)).
Tarrant County Criminal Courts Nos. 1–10 — Standing Order Regarding Transfer of Cases Between Courts (No. 3392, July 16, 2024)
Standing order (No. 3392) of the ten statutory county criminal court judges of Tarrant County, signed July 16, 2024: a certificate of proceedings or similar document filed in a case's record showing an intent to transfer the case to another county criminal court is treated as an agreed transfer order complying with all laws and local rules on transfers between statutory county courts.
Justice Court, Precinct 7 (Tarrant County) — Court Notices: all hearings in person, no Zoom (eff. Apr. 1, 2024); continuances or resets at least one business day ahead (eff. July 15, 2024); e-filing after 3:30 p.m. accepted next business day; appeals not by eFile
Justice Court Precinct 7's standing notices on its court page: effective Apr. 1, 2024 no Zoom request is approved and every hearing is held in person without exception; effective July 15, 2024 the court will not consider any continuance or reset requested within one business day of the hearing — requests for any case type must be received at least 24 hours (one business day) before the hearing begins; e-filed cases received after 3:30 p.m. are accepted the next business day; appeals are not accepted through eFile; the court produces the first copy free and charges $1 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page for service copies; filings and payments are received until 4 p.m. and appeals until 5 p.m.