Kristin L. Bays

Standing Order Regarding Mediation in the 410th District Court (eff. Jan. 1, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 160)

Judge Jennifer Robin's standing order requiring mediation in the 410th District Court: prior to an evidentiary oral hearing (with stated exceptions), all parties must attend mediation, and must participate in a SEPARATE mediation for final trial no more than 90 days before final trial (mediation more than 90 days out is too remote to comply); each party must contact the opposing side to schedule and complete mediation before the court date, and a party unable to obtain cooperation must file a motion to compel mediation at least 45 days before trial set on a submission docket. Mediation is NOT required before hearings on motions to compel discovery, summary judgment, default judgments, voluntary dismissal/nonsuit, service of citation, new trial, or TROs (post-TRO injunctive matters at the court's discretion). All parties and attorneys must attend all scheduled sessions for constructive settlement negotiation; TRE 408 and CPRC 154.054/154.073 confidentiality govern; each attorney may be present with the client throughout; and a party wanting time beyond the final-trial date to enter agreed MSA orders may request it in the Joint Status Report for the submission pretrial (failure to appear via that report, even with an MSA, could result in dismissal).

Standing Order Regarding Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings in the 410th District Court (eff. Jan. 1, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 161)

Judge Jennifer Robin's standing order prohibiting recording/broadcasting in the 410th District Court: 'recording' means photographing, audio, or video by any means; 'broadcasting' means disseminating to the public by newspaper, TV, radio, internet, or other means; 'media' is broadly defined; 'court proceedings' exclude investitures/ceremonies but include any time court is in session. Recording or broadcasting proceedings is strictly prohibited — no person may photograph, audio-record, video-record, broadcast live, or make a Zoom recording of proceedings; no person other than the court reporter, administrator, and coordinator may record or broadcast the court's Zoom video/telephonic proceedings without express permission (binding on the public and media who view or listen), on pain of monetary sanctions or contempt. Media outside the courtroom must not create a distraction or restrict movement through the courtroom door, and may not photograph or record the courtroom when its doors are ajar.

Standing Order of the 410th Judicial District Court Regarding Remote Appearances by Zoom (eff. Jan. 1, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 163)

Judge Jennifer Robin's standing order governing remote witness appearances by Zoom in the 410th District Court: a sponsoring attorney or pro se party whose written motion for a witness to appear remotely is granted must fully and timely comply; the motion is timely if filed at least 7 days before the hearing/final trial (or within one business day of receiving short notice), and a motion filed less than 72 hours before may be untimely absent leave; failure to comply vacates the remote-appearance permission and bars the witness from remote testimony (the witness must appear in person or be excluded, and the hearing/trial will not be continued for the failure); the sponsoring party must conduct Zoom testing with each remote witness beforehand (audio/video/internet checks); and must provide an electronic copy of all parties' exhibits and ensure each remote witness either prints the exhibits or has them on a separate device to reference while testifying.

Order Regarding Final Trial Settings and Mediated Settlement Agreements in the 418th District Court (eff. Jan. 1, 2024) (TOPICs reg. doc 1748)

Judge Tracy Gilbert's standing order on final trial settings and mediated settlement agreements (MSAs) in the 418th District Court: if all parties file a binding MSA with the District Clerk before the Docket Call-Pretrial Conference and notify the court requesting no appearance, then no Docket Call-Pretrial appearance is needed (the requesting party must notify all others of the request and this order's terms) and the case stays set on the Final Trial date for entry of a final decree/order on the MSA — but if the decree is not approved on the Final Trial date the case may be DISMISSED; a party seeking additional time beyond the Final Trial date to enter the agreed decree must appear at the Docket Call-Pretrial Conference; filing an MSA before the Docket Call-Pretrial but failing to appear results in DISMISSAL; and an MSA filed between the Docket Call-Pretrial and the Final Trial still requires a Final Trial appearance, with dismissal for non-appearance.

Order Regarding Persons Seeking Conservatorship in Family Law Cases, 418th District Court (eff. Jan. 1, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 1747)

Judge Tracy Gilbert's standing order requiring parent-education completion in 418th District Court family cases: any person seeking to become a managing conservator (temporary or permanent) or seeking access to a child in an original SAPCR or a modification must successfully complete a parent education and family stabilization course meeting Tex. Family Code § 105.009 (except enforcement-only actions and actions by a governmental agency); a copy of the order attaches to the original petition and every copy (the clerk ensures attachment if the filer fails), and a party filing a waiver of citation/service provides the order to the waiving person and files a compliance statement; the course must be completed and an original certificate timely filed — by the petitioner/movant within 60 days of filing and by the respondent within 60 days of first appearance or filing an answer/waiver; and failure to complete may result in the court not appointing the party as managing conservator or not granting possession/access, plus contempt, striking of pleadings, or TRCP 215 sanctions.

Standing Order on Motions and Hearings in the 418th District Court (2019) (TOPICs reg. doc 1763)

Judge Tracy Gilbert's standing order on all civil motions and hearings in the 418th District Court: matters not requiring live testimony are set by SUBMISSION with at least 10 days notice (or the longer TRCP period where required, e.g. MSJs) per Rule 2.3 of the county family local rules; submission dates come from the Court Administrator/Coordinator and go in a Notice of Submission served on all parties, and every motion carries a separately-filed proposed order granting the relief; counsel may request an oral hearing in writing when filing a motion, and an opponent may do so when filing a response (with a proposed order denying relief) at least two working days before submission — failure to respond may be treated as no opposition, a request for oral hearing is not itself a response, and the coordinator advises whether the hearing is granted and its date; live-testimony motions are set for oral hearing on a coordinator-given date with movant notice; and except on leave, no motion (other than summary judgment, default judgment, voluntary dismissal/nonsuit, new trial, and service-of-citation motions) is considered until the movant files a certificate of conference stating the dates, times, and manner of conferral attempts and that no agreement was reached.

Standing Order Regarding Approved Remote Court Proceedings in the 418th District Court (Sept. 20, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 1579)

Judge Tracy Gilbert's standing order governing approved remote appearances in the 418th District Court by Zoom: parties, witnesses, and attorneys approved to appear remotely log into the court's Zoom session (device with internet, camera, and microphone, or phone audio); standard court decorum, demeanor, and dress-code rules apply and participants must ensure no disruptions from their location (referencing the 418th Courtroom Rules on the court's website); and any participant intending to offer exhibits in a remote proceeding must email them to all attorneys and self-represented litigants, both court reporters, and both court staff no later than 3:00 p.m. CST the business day before the proceeding, with the email subject stating the full cause number and 'Petitioner's Exhibits'/'Respondent's Exhibits' as applicable.

Standing Order Regarding Mediation and Temporary Orders in the 418th District Court (2024) (TOPICs reg. doc 1764)

Judge Tracy Gilbert's standing order requiring mediation before any temporary-orders hearing in the 418th District Court: all parties must attend mediation prior to any temporary-orders hearing, and the party requesting temporary orders must contact the opposing side to schedule it before the hearing date; all attorneys and parties must attend every scheduled mediation session for constructive settlement negotiation; mediation confidentiality is governed by TRE 408 and CPRC 154.053 and 154.073; each attorney may participate and remain present with the client throughout regardless of whether all parties are represented; and if mediation does not produce agreement, the temporary-orders hearing carries time limits — no more than three hours (equally divided) where the exclusive right to designate a child's primary residence is at issue, and no more than two hours (equally divided) in all other temporary matters.

Standing Order for Alternative Dispute Resolution, 457th District Court, Montgomery County (Mar. 18, 2024) (TOPICs reg. doc 1851)

Judge Santini's ADR standing order for cases the 457th District Court's Docket Control Order refers to ADR (CPRC ch. 154): parties are referred to a CPRC 154.023-154.028 procedure, defaulting to mediation with the Montgomery County Dispute Resolution Center ((936) 760-6914) if they do not agree; parties schedule through counsel (or personally if pro se), and if no agreed date is set the ADR provider/impartial third party picks a date all must attend; ADR may be rescheduled by agreement but MUST be completed no later than 30 days before the Docket-Control trial date; plaintiff's counsel must initiate the ADR-method conference (opposing counsel must still try if plaintiff fails), disagreements on method fall to the court's default, a mediator dispute may be resolved by motion to appoint, and refusal to communicate warrants a motion to compel; failure to follow the ADR requirement may bring sanctions after a show-cause hearing; ADR administration and third-party fees are split equally unless agreed otherwise, paid directly to the provider, and taxed as court costs, with a fee statement filed with the District Clerk for the Bill of Costs; the provider must file a writing reporting completion, appearance, and whether settlement resulted; and all ADR matters remain confidential under CPRC 154.053 and 154.073, with the provider and its records not subject to subpoena or production except as 154.073 permits.

Standing Order in Limine, 457th District Court, Montgomery County (Aug. 11, 2020) (TOPICs reg. doc 101; dup. doc 90)

Judge Santini's self-executing standing order in limine for every civil jury trial in the 457th District Court: unless suspended for a specific trial, no attorney may mention, refer to, or suggest 17 enumerated matters before the jury or venire without first approaching the bench and securing a ruling, and each attorney must admonish clients, client representatives, and non-adverse witnesses to do the same (except where essential to a truthful answer to opposing counsel). The prohibited matters: liability insurance; a defendant's liability or non-liability to pay a judgment; collateral-source payments; attorney's fees (unless a fee claim goes to the jury); a party's or witness's criminal suspicion/arrest/charge/conviction; alcohol/tobacco/controlled-substance use; settlement or mediation negotiations; discovery disputes and rulings; prior suits or claims (with a relevance exception for prior injuries); requests for stipulations before the jury; requests for files/documents before the jury (with a recollection-refresh exception); discrimination-based treatment arguments (except exemplary damages); social cost of an award (premiums, prices, taxes); financial hardship from an award or non-award; Golden Rule arguments; the effect of answers to jury questions (with a limited argument exception); and the filing of or rulings on a motion in limine.

Standing Order on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, 457th District Court, Montgomery County (Apr. 1, 2026) (TOPICs reg. doc 2905)

Judge Vincenzo J. Santini's standing order governing generative AI use in the 457th District Court: attorneys and self-represented litigants who use generative AI (the order names Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic Claude, and AI-assisted research like Lexis+ and Westlaw Precision) in work product, research, or drafting MUST include a prescribed VERBATIM verification IN BOLD — swearing under penalty of perjury which AI programs were used, that the filer reviewed the ENTIRE pleading, that it contains no misstatements of law, misrepresented holdings, or improper citations, that it contains no sensitive or confidential information, and that no attached evidence was created, edited, enhanced, or altered by generative AI. A pleading using generative AI WITHOUT the verbatim bold verification WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. The order separately prohibits: filing pleadings that misstate law, misrepresent holdings, or cite non-existent cases; entering any case participant's sensitive, confidential information into a generative AI program; filing pleadings containing such information; offering evidence created/edited/enhanced/altered by generative AI in any contested hearing (oral or submission) or trial; using interpreters that rely on voice-recognition AI for document translation or live testimony; and using experts who rely on generative AI in their methodology or opinion formation. Violations draw a duly noticed show-cause hearing with all lawful sanctions on the table — expressly including death-penalty sanctions — plus possible orders to produce ALL invoices and time logs for the pleading (fraudulent-billing check), a requirement to attach highlighted copies of all cited case law to future pleadings, and referrals to disciplinary authorities (CPRC ch. 10, TRCP 13, Penal Code §§ 37.02, 37.09 grounds recited). The court binds itself too: no generative AI in drafting orders or on county equipment.

Standing Order Regarding HIPAA and the Texas Medical Privacy Act, 457th District Court, Montgomery County (Aug. 11, 2020) (TOPICs reg. doc 99; dup. doc 96)

Judge Santini's self-executing standing order authorizing use of protected health information (PHI) in every 457th District Court suit that uses it: all 'Litigation Participants' (parties, counsel of record and their firm staff, testifying and consulting experts, other litigation-support and copy services, witnesses, mediators, arbitrators, and the Court) may disclose, receive, and use PHI in the litigation without further authorization or order under HIPAA, the Texas Medical Privacy Act, or other law. Any PHI filed or offered in court must have the patient's (1) name, (2) birthdate, (3) SSN, (4) driver's-license/government-ID number, (5) address, and (6) telephone number redacted; the District Clerk may, without further order, restrict an unredacted filing and require a conformed redacted copy, and the Court may reject an unredacted document offered in court or require a conformed copy; any PHI document offered in court (admitted or not, redacted or not) is sealed for exhibit-filing and the appellate record. The order authorizes PHI use only for the pending litigation, and notes that PHI received under it is subject to electronic disclosure.

Standing Order Regarding Motions to Compel Discovery, 457th District Court, Montgomery County (TOPICs reg. doc 100; dup. doc 93)

Judge Santini's single-document procedure governing all motions to compel discovery in the 457th District Court, decided on the submission docket: the movant contacts the court (936-538-3697) for a submission date and serves notice per the county district-court local rules (Rule 3.7 subparts B/C, where not inconsistent); the motion sets out each disputed request BY ITS PROPOUNDED NUMBER with the request, each objection, and each answer/response quoted VERBATIM, followed immediately by succinct argument and authority for why each objection should be overruled or each response is deficient; the motion is e-filed and e-served with a Notice of Submission, and a Word/WordPerfect copy is emailed to the respondent; a proposed order restating each disputed request with space for the court's rulings is e-filed and emailed (named "[Case Number] - Proposed Order - [Party] Motion to Compel") to david.kallus@mctx.org; the respondent's response answers each discrete objection/response with argument and authority and is e-filed/e-served plus emailed to the movant; the movant may add a succinct reply beneath each response. The written discovery itself is NOT attached (except the specific highlighted page needed to prove a misquote). A no-response motion needs only a simple motion stating the service dates plus a simple proposed order. Oral-deposition compel motions follow the same steps using deposition page/line references instead of request numbers.

Standing Order Regarding Online Publication of Sensitive Data, 457th District Court, Montgomery County (Aug. 11, 2020) (TOPICs reg. doc 98; dup. doc 95)

Judge Santini's standing order on sensitive data in the 457th District Court, tracking TRCP 21c (sensitive data = government ID numbers; financial account numbers; and a birth date, home address, or the name of anyone who was a minor when the suit was filed): the District Clerk may, without further order, restrict from internet posting any document containing unredacted sensitive data; a filer who must include unredacted sensitive data must mark the document "NOTICE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS SENSITIVE DATA," and the clerk may restrict any so-marked document from internet posting; and where a filed document contains unredacted sensitive data in violation of the rule, the clerk may require or allow a redacted substitute under Rule 21c(e) that may then be posted.

Standing Order on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, County Court at Law No. 6, Montgomery County (Apr. 1, 2026) (TOPICs reg. doc 2909)

Judge Scharlene W. Valdez's adoption of the same generative-AI standing order text for County Court at Law No. 6: attorneys and self-represented litigants who use generative AI (the order names Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic Claude, and AI-assisted research like Lexis+ and Westlaw Precision) in work product, research, or drafting MUST include a prescribed VERBATIM verification IN BOLD — swearing under penalty of perjury which AI programs were used, that the filer reviewed the ENTIRE pleading, that it contains no misstatements of law, misrepresented holdings, or improper citations, that it contains no sensitive or confidential information, and that no attached evidence was created, edited, enhanced, or altered by generative AI. A pleading using generative AI WITHOUT the verbatim bold verification WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. The order separately prohibits: filing pleadings that misstate law, misrepresent holdings, or cite non-existent cases; entering any case participant's sensitive, confidential information into a generative AI program; filing pleadings containing such information; offering evidence created/edited/enhanced/altered by generative AI in any contested hearing (oral or submission) or trial; using interpreters that rely on voice-recognition AI for document translation or live testimony; and using experts who rely on generative AI in their methodology or opinion formation. Violations draw a duly noticed show-cause hearing with all lawful sanctions on the table — expressly including death-penalty sanctions — plus possible orders to produce ALL invoices and time logs for the pleading (fraudulent-billing check), a requirement to attach highlighted copies of all cited case law to future pleadings, and referrals to disciplinary authorities (CPRC ch. 10, TRCP 13, Penal Code §§ 37.02, 37.09 grounds recited). The court binds itself too: no generative AI in drafting orders or on county equipment.

Local Rules of Practice Before the Family Courts of Montgomery County, Texas and Local Rules for the Administration of Family Cases in Montgomery County, Texas (adopted Nov. 16, 2022) (TOPICs reg. doc 309)

The Family Trial Judges' combined practice and administration rules for all family-law cases in the district courts and county courts at law (the 'Family Trial Courts' are those regularly receiving more than 10% of family filings under the current assignment orders): pre-trial motions in writing with a certificate of service, a CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE (signed, with the dates, times, and manner of each resolution attempt — not required for dispositive, summary-judgment, default, voluntary-dismissal/nonsuit, post-verdict, or citation-service motions), and a SEPARATE proposed order; movant schedules consideration and notices oral-vs-submission; submission-docket motions need a movant-obtained submission date at least 10 days from filing (leave excepted), responses in writing with their own separate proposed order at least 2 business days before submission — failure to respond may be treated as NO OPPOSITION; oral-argument requests in writing with reasons (discretionary, and not a response); scheduling/docket-control orders per court with the attorney's DUTY to check the record and obtain copies from the District Clerk; setting preference may favor parties who mediated; lateness protocol — notify the court and opponents with estimated arrival and reason (dual-setting details included), and a movant more than 30 minutes late may have the motion passed; CHILD PROTECTION — no child who is the subject of a suit comes to the courthouse for a hearing/trial without the Family Trial Judge's specific approval or administrator/coordinator instruction, the responsible attorney/party immediately notifies the court of the child's presence, and the child does not enter the courtroom without express judicial consent; FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE — at least 24 HOURS before any temporary-orders hearing involving child or spousal support, and at least 30 DAYS before final trial (unless ordered otherwise), the parties file and exchange Monthly Financial Information Statements (Texas Family Practice Manual form or court form), two years of federal returns, six most recent payroll stubs, three most recent bank statements for all controlled accounts if self-employed, and the Family Code §§ 154.181(b)/154.1815(c) information; at least 30 DAYS before final trial in divorce/annulment each party files a sworn Inventory and Appraisement (TFPM conformity: all property with character opinions, beneficial interests, debts, and itemized fair market values) — an untimely party is BOUND by the complying party's stipulated information and barred (absent good cause) from contesting it, and if both fail the court may DISMISS; ADR strongly encouraged with personal attendance at mediation; orders prepared by the prevailing/designated party by the entry date with form-approval attempts (motions to enter carry the proposed order separately); bench exchange preserved (a judge signing for another court leaves the case in the original court absent a transfer order); PRIOR FILINGS — a terminated Family Trial Court suit's successor involving the same parties or subject (divorce, support, conservatorship, and incident matters, by original proceeding, modification, clarification, or enforcement) must be filed in or transferred to the first-jurisdiction Family Trial Court, with immediate transfer requests when late-disclosed; and inter-court transfers on the written agreement of both Family Trial Judges. Adopted November 16, 2022 (Robin 410th, Gilbert 418th, Tucker CCL3), effective on OCA-website publication per TRCP 3a(c); amendable by more than one-half of the Family Trial Judges at a noticed meeting.

Local Rules of Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the Justice of the Peace Courts (Justice Courts), Montgomery County, Texas (eff. Jan. 1, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 130)

The five justice courts' uniform local rules (Gov't Code § 27.061), effective January 1, 2023: jurisdiction (civil to $20,000; residential and commercial evictions including writs of re-entry; administrative appeals — driver's-license suspension/revocation, handgun-license revocation, dangerous-dog determinations, occupational licenses; fine-only criminal cases; other matters under Gov't Code §§ 27.031–27.034); precinct organization (five precincts, each with its own clerks and public weekly docket; bench exchange when a justice is unavailable); electronic jury selection with impaneling coordinated with the district courts and CCLs; DECORUM — proper dress required (no exposed midriffs or suggestive clothing, halter/undershirt garments, excessively low-rise jeans, pants, skirts or shorts, or drug/alcohol advertisements), cell phones silent or off, with per-court supplemental rules; CIVIL — file where a defendant resides (evictions where the leased premises sit), mediation referrals at each court's discretion, prompt settings with discretionary pre-trial conferences, written jury demands with the fee paid on filing, and holiday roll-forward to the next business day (all county holidays are court holidays); CRIMINAL — file in the precinct of the alleged offense (school-attendance cases in any precinct within the school district; multi-precinct offenses in any precinct touched by the offense), first appearance at the filing court per the citation or summons, and guilty/no-contest pleas at any time except defendants under 17 and minors with alcohol violations, who must appear with a parent or guardian (standard-fine lists available from each court). Signed by the justices of the peace (Precincts 1, 2, 4, and 5 legible on the registered print).

Montgomery County District Courts Plan — Local Rules for the Fair Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Defendants in Felony Cases (amended through Oct. 1, 2021) (TOPICs reg. doc 316)

The district judges' felony indigent-defense plan, binding every attorney certified for felony appointments: the county Office of Court Administration manages the entire appointment system through the Fair Indigent Defense Online (FIDO) system — the ONLY method to determine indigence, appoint attorneys, and submit/approve/pay vouchers; magistration within 48 hours of arrest (Art. 15.17) with probable-cause forms at booking for warrantless arrests, interpreter compliance (Arts. 38.30/38.31), an assigned defense attorney PRESENT at magistration and bail review (limited-scope appointment ending with the 15.17 hearing, no withdrawal motion needed), next-working-day bail re-hearings on request, 24-hour transmittal of counsel requests, one-working-day appointment deadlines, and out-of-county warrant mechanics (transmittal to the issuing county within 24 hours; counsel appointed here if still in custody on the 11th day after arrest on another county's warrant); indigence standards (net household income ≤ 125% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines AND non-exempt assets ≤ $2,500; correctional/mental-facility residence; substantial-hardship fallback weighing charge, complexity, private-counsel cost, support needs, income/assets/obligations, and spousal income; bail posting and friends'/relatives' resources expressly NOT considered; indigence presumed for the remainder of the case absent material change; partial-indigency contribution orders); appointment rotation from the NEXT FIVE names on the public list (good-cause out-of-order findings recorded; one attorney for mixed felony/misdemeanor charges from the most-serious-offense list; a higher-category request requires the defendant's signed Motion to Appoint Attorney on Higher Category Case); public-list qualifications (sworn application, certification of knowledge of these rules, sworn FIDO training affidavit; licensed and in good standing; six CLE hours in criminal law yearly with one-year carryover; no public discipline within three years; PRINCIPAL LAW OFFICE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY; typed motions and email/fax/phone capability; October 15 annual practice-time reports to TIDC; biennial reapproval by a majority of the criminal district judges); appeal-list criteria (board certification in Criminal or Appellate Law, OR three authored criminal/civil appellate briefs or post-conviction writs, OR a year as an appellate briefing clerk — plus a writing sample); CAPITAL qualifications tied to the SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE JUDICIAL REGION's Art. 26.052 selection-committee lists for lead, second-chair, and appellate counsel; special-language appointments; removal (majority vote) and case-level removal for cause; duties of appointed counsel (contact by the end of the first working day, interview as soon as practicable, representation through dismissal/acquittal/exhausted appeals/good-cause replacement, Performance Guidelines compliance, workload management); appointment by litigation phase (appellate counsel other than trial counsel absent a specific request; PDR through CCA final decision; certiorari in capital cases; habeas counsel other than trial/appellate counsel, through CCA decision); the Contract Defender Program (independent-contractor terms over a week and up to fifteen months; selection on experience, past performance, discipline, and contract-compliance ability; posted appointment methods; NO overlapping contract appointments; monthly OCA caseload reports to the judges; UP TO 95 DEFENDANTS PER TERM with withdrawal cases not counting; bi-weekly compensation $2,692.31 — $2,884.62 for Spanish-language attorneys — plus $750/day trial fees for continuous-sexual-abuse and aggravated-sexual-assault-of-a-child-under-6 trials); capital flat fees ($35,000 first chair / $30,000 second chair) or hourly where complexity requires ($150/$100 capital, $90 appeals, per Art. 26.05(a) criteria) with FIDO vouchers, presiding-judge approval or written findings, fee-denial appeals to the PRESIDING JUDGE OF THE SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE JUDICIAL REGION under the Fair Defense Act, ex parte confidential investigator/expert requests (type, admissibility facts, cost estimate; unapproved expenses reimbursed only if reasonably necessary and reasonably incurred), ex parte capital payment orders without time detail, and $1,000 magistration/bail-review block fees; retention in the OCA, both administrative judges' offices, and both clerks' offices. Adoption trail from Nov. 26, 2001 through the July 13, 2021 amendment effective Oct. 1, 2021 (signed /s/ Grant 9th, Michalk 221st, Hamilton 359th, Maginnis 435th).

Montgomery County Probate Courts Rules of Administration (adopted July 7, 2026) (TOPICs reg. doc 3036)

The Statutory Probate Court's rules of administration governing Texas Health and Safety Code (mental-health) proceedings in Montgomery County Probate Court No. 1, adopted July 7, 2026 by Judge Claudia Laird (statutory-probate administrative judge / PC1) under Gov't Code § 25.0022(d)(1), TRJA 10, TRCP 3a, Rule 2 of Presiding State Statutory Probate Judge Administrative Order 2025-2, and the county Rules of Administration; these constitute standing orders of the Statutory Probate Courts and knowing or intentional violation may be sanctioned. They supersede the mental-health portion of the December 16, 2022 probate-cases rules. Contents: definitions (Ancillary Matter; Board of Probate Judges; Clerk = County Clerk); Rule 1 the local administrative statutory probate court judge; Rule 2 docket and scheduling (court-set hearings; contested motions in writing with a SEPARATE proposed order; movant schedules and serves notice stating oral vs. submission; responses in writing at least 24 hours before consideration, with leave assumed if the court rules without further setting; submission-vs-hearing at the court's discretion unless law requires oral); Rule 3 filing per TRCP and local e-filing; Rule 4 attorney and mental-health attorney ad litem responsibilities (reasonable efforts to meet/advise clients before any hearing, notify the court and County Attorney if unable; waivers encouraged filed by 8:00 p.m. the day before, e-filed or emailed, as a request not an order); Rule 5 continuances (agreed filed promptly; contested per TRCP 251 et seq., set for submission with 24-hour notice, grounds stated, emergencies on less notice showing the emergency); Rule 6 conduct of hearings (per Health & Safety Code chs. 573/574, TRCP and Evidence; patient/proposed-resident rights honored; professional conduct with reasonable court-imposed time limits); Rule 7 courtroom attire (respectful dress, no obscene/offensive clothing; attorneys need not wear suits; no hats/head coverings except religious or medical; HOSPITAL GOWNS, medical attire, or facility-issued clothing PERMITTED for proposed residents/respondents/patients/witnesses appearing from hospitals or treatment settings; no denial of participation or adverse inference from medically-required attire; dignity preserved); Rule 8 professionalism and civility (Texas Lawyer's Creed); Rule 9 compliance and enforcement (sanctions for non-compliance); Rule 10 modification at any time; Rule 11 adoption/amendment (effective on TRCP 3a posting; amendable by majority of the Statutory Probate Judges; recorded in the Minutes of Montgomery County Probate Court Number One).

Montgomery County Rules of Administration for Civil Cases (adopted and approved Jan. 27, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 1111)

The Civil Trial Judges' administration rules for all civil cases in the Civil Trial Courts (the district courts and county courts at law that, under the current assignment orders, regularly receive more than ten percent of civil filings — excluding family, probate, nisi, non-disclosure, and occupational-license cases): weekly court sessions and coordinated absence coverage; bench/case exchange at any time; previous-judgment claims assigned to the court holding the prior judgment; consolidation mechanics (single clerk's office — heard in the lowest-numbered case's court; dual clerks' offices — heard by the court with jurisdiction over both when not concurrent, or the lowest-numbered case's court when concurrent, with clerk transfer of the papers); severance cases stay in the original court with a new file date and cause number payable by the severing party (severance orders remain interlocutory and subject to vacatur if the clerk's filing fees go unpaid); case distribution by TRCP 3a standing orders with redistribution per the fair-distribution rule; cases remain pending in the original court when a judge presides for another; emergency matters may be taken to any other Civil Trial Judge (or any district or CCL judge) when the assigned judge is unavailable; joint administrative-judge transfers between district courts and CCLs; automatic clerk transfer of misfiled cases before citation issues; docket-control orders per court; MANDATORY CERTIFICATES OF DISCOVERY (written requests, responses, and depositions logged with type, dates, and responsible parties); certificates of service must name the instrument, method, persons served, and date — a deficient certificate creates no presumption of service; discretionary dismissal dockets; contested motions in writing (12-to-14-point font, complete sentences) with a SEPARATE proposed order; hearing/submission notices scheduled through the court and served at least 10 calendar days before consideration (except emergencies); written responses at least 24 hours before consideration; oral hearing at the court's discretion unless required by law; ad litem appointments from the court's list with fee requests by application and proposed order; mediation encouraged with personal party-and-counsel attendance required unless excused; and oral final orders reduced to writing by the prevailing party by the court's entry date, with form-approval attempts and possible sua sponte sanctions for unreasonable refusal.

Montgomery County Rules of Administration for Felony Cases (adopted January 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 987)

The Felony Trial Judges' administration rules: the Clerk equally distributes every indicted criminal case into the 9th, 221st, 359th, and 435th District Courts (instanter arrests follow the week's assignment court; the Board of Judges may change these practices at any time); capital cases rotate among the district courts and may be transferred in the interest of justice; co-defendants are assigned to the same court and transferred if inadvertently split; bench/case exchange at any time; the Administrative District Judge may transfer cases between courts carrying an inequitable burden; defendants must be PERSONALLY PRESENT at all Motions, Plea, Call, and Trial Docket settings (remote appearance only on pre-date request when a serious emergency or higher-court authorization allows it); self-represented defendants must appear personally at every setting, are held to counsel's standard, receive on-the-record self-representation inquiries, and may have stand-by counsel appointed; resets generally within 30 days with notice to both sides (bail and revocation hearings noticed so witnesses can be called); trial settings at any time with a standard discovery order filed in every case under Michael Morton Act guidelines, a pre-trial call docket for additional motions (limine encouraged by call docket), custody defendants heard first then oldest cases, preferential settings on request for complex or witness-heavy cases or by the court for efficiency; discovery through the Montgomery County District Attorney's online portal (some responses in writing or electronic media); and bond set aside for non-appearance at any setting. Adopted by the Felony Trial Judges effective January 1, 2023 (signed Grant 9th, Michalk 221st, Hamilton 359th, Maginnis 435th); amendable by a vote of one half of the Felony Trial Judges.

Montgomery County Rules of Administration for Juvenile Cases (adopted Dec. 20, 2022) (TOPICs reg. doc 311)

The juvenile-docket administration rules: County Court at Law No. 6 is the designated 'Juvenile Trial Court' — assigned ALL cases filed under Title 3 of the Texas Family Code by written Order of Assignment signed by the administrative judges of the district courts and county courts at law. Detention hearings are held per Family Code § 54.01(a); all other juvenile matters at least weekly unless the Juvenile Trial Judge directs otherwise; coordinated absence coverage; bench/case exchange at any time; previous-judgment claims and severed juvenile cases go to the Juvenile Trial Court (severed cases get a new file date and cause number); consolidation motions are heard by the Juvenile Trial Court, which selects the surviving cause number; a judge presiding for another court files a designation of presiding judge and the clerk records the presiding judge in the filing system; the Juvenile Trial Judge is the ON-CALL judge for all juvenile matters (litigants contact the Juvenile Trial Judge first; anticipated absences get an arranged on-call judge; unforeseen unavailability routes to the Administrative Judge for the County Courts at Law); the district clerk automatically transfers misfiled cases before citation issues; guardian ad litem appointments come from the list maintained by the Director of the Office of Court Administration with fee requests by application and proposed order; attorney ad litem appointments follow the Local Rules for the Timely and Fair Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Defendants in Juvenile Proceedings. Adopted by the Juvenile Trial Judge and approved December 20, 2022 (Judge Scharlene W. Valdez, Presiding Judge, County Court at Law No. 6).

Montgomery County Rules of Administration for Misdemeanor Cases (adopted Dec. 15, 2022) (TOPICs reg. doc 703)

The Misdemeanor Trial Judges' administration rules for all misdemeanor cases in the county courts at law: bench/case exchange at any time; previous-judgment claims stay with the court holding the prior judgment; a judge presiding for another court is recorded in the filing system while the case stays in the original court, and emergency matters may go to another misdemeanor judge or associate criminal judge from the OCA-maintained list; the Administrative County Court at Law Judge may transfer cases to cure inequitable burdens; defendants must be PERSONALLY PRESENT at all Motions, Plea, Call, and Trial Docket settings — for arraignment and pre-trial settings a waiver of arraignment/reset with scheduling order filed before noon the business day prior excuses presence; self-represented defendants must appear personally unless expressly waived, receive the Right to Counsel/Dangers and Disadvantages form at arraignment, and get resets (max 30 days) to retain or seek appointed counsel; scheduling flow — pre-trial set ~75 days from original arraignment (fast-track discretion: Assault Family Violence settings every three weeks unless the State and defendant agree longer), discovery obtained from the prosecution during the reset window with plea negotiation expected, motions settable at Pre-Trial or Motions Docket on at least 3 days' notice (testimony motions to the Motions Docket; evidentiary/dispositive motions may be set there; others carried with trial), each court's approved standard/breath/blood Discovery Orders presentable any time up to 30 days before trial (signed copies served on the State immediately with a certificate of service; no Motions-Docket setting needed), CCP art. 28.01 motions per statute, first Motion-to-Revoke setting goes to final trial on the next Motions Docket absent leave; the Plea Acceptance/Plea/Trial Determination setting (~45 days after pre-trial or shorter) disposes by plea or sets trial (pleas allowed any time before the Plea setting, and before the Call Docket once trial-set; after the Call Docket pleas are unlikely absent special circumstances); and IMMEDIATE bond forfeiture for non-appearance without the noon-prior waiver. Adopted by the Misdemeanor Trial Judges December 15, 2022, effective January 1, 2023 (Watson CCL1, Turner CCL4, Stewart CCL5, judge-elect Hafley CCL1, judge-elect Hutson CCL4); amendable by a vote of one half of the Misdemeanor Trial Judges.

Montgomery County Rules of Administration for Probate Cases (adopted Dec. 7, 2022) (TOPICs reg. doc 310)

The Probate Trial Judges' administration rules for all probate cases in the county courts at law (the 'Probate Trial Judges' are those CCL judges who, under the current assignment orders, regularly receive more than 25% of probate cases — mental-health cases and Chapter 48 removals excluded), adopted to meet the time standards of Rule 3 of the SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE JUDICIAL REGION Regional Rules of Administration and Rules 6, 7, 9, and 10 of the Supreme Court Rules of Judicial Administration: bench/case exchange at any time; previous-judgment claims stay with the prior-judgment court; consolidation heard where the lowest-numbered case pends; severed cases stay in the original court with a new file date and cause number on fee payment (severance orders stay interlocutory until fees are paid); presiding-for-another-judge designations recorded by the clerk; an ON-CALL judge system (if established by the Board of Judges) takes emergencies when the assigned judge is unavailable — the on-call calendar is on the county Office of Court Administration website, updated quarterly; the Administrative CCL Judge may transfer cases to cure inequitable burdens; the County Clerk automatically transfers misfiled cases before citation issues; docket-control orders and discretionary dismissal dockets per court; WILL-PROBATE CITATIONS must serve the deceased's identical name as contained in the will with accurate citation information; property-sale citation postings satisfy the requirement at 10 days posted; attorneys of record (except ad litems) remain until the case closes or withdrawal is ordered; contested motions in writing with a SEPARATE proposed order, movant-scheduled consideration with written notice of oral vs. submission hearing, written responses at least 24 hours before consideration (late filing needs leave — assumed granted if the court rules without further setting), oral hearing discretionary unless required by law; guardian/attorney ad litem fee requests of $1,000 or more must use the Court-promulgated order form; ADR strongly encouraged with personal party-and-counsel attendance at mediation unless excused; and oral final orders reduced to writing by the prevailing party by the entry date with form-approval attempts and possible sua sponte sanctions. Adopted December 7, 2022 (Judge Claudia Laird, then Presiding Judge, County Court at Law No. 2); effective on the signature of the Judge of the Second Administrative Region and a majority of Probate Trial Judges after TRCP 3a posting.

Montgomery County Second Amended Standing Order Regarding Children, Pets, Property and Conduct of the Parties (Dec. 28, 2022) (TOPICs reg. doc 493)

The county-wide family standing order of the 410th and 418th District Courts and County Court at Law No. 3, self-executing in every divorce suit and every suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed in Montgomery County (the Office of the Attorney General is excepted from 'party'). It is BINDING on the parties, their officers/agents/servants/employees/attorneys, and anyone acting in concert with actual notice, ENFORCEABLE BY CONTEMPT (fine and/or imprisonment). It orders: NO DISRUPTION OF A CHILD (no removing the child from Texas to change residence or evade jurisdiction, and no disrupting/withdrawing the child from school or day-care, absent written agreement or court order or a prior order granting that right); conduct prohibitions protecting the parties and children (no threats, harassment, profane/obscene communication, no bodily injury or threats of imminent injury to a party or child, no opening/diverting the other party's mail or electronic communications); PRESERVATION OF PROPERTY in divorce cases (no destroying/concealing/encumbering/transferring property to obstruct a just division, no misrepresenting or refusing to disclose property, no damaging/tampering causing loss, no selling/mortgaging/alienating property except as authorized, no incurring debt except legal expenses, no withdrawing from accounts except as authorized) with a specific-authorization carve-out for usual business, legal fees, and living/business expenses using community funds while keeping records; ELECTRONIC DATA preservation (no destroying/altering emails, texts, chats, or ESI relevant to the suit; no altering native format/metadata; no deleting social-network content; no using the other party's passwords/PINs to access their accounts); INSURANCE preservation in divorce (no withdrawing life-policy cash value, changing beneficiaries, or canceling/altering life/casualty/auto/health coverage); and specific authorizations (usual business/occupation acts and reasonable attorney's fees and litigation expenses).

Recording of Court Proceedings, Probate Court Number One, Montgomery County (eff. Oct. 1, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 1608)

Judge Claudia Laird's recording policy for Probate Court No. 1: recording (photographing, audio, or video by any means) is prohibited in the court without written approval from the presiding judge placed in the case file; approval may be revoked if recording becomes a distraction; no video of jurors is permitted even with approval; equipment must be set up in advance to avoid distraction; Zoom proceedings and the YouTube videos compiled from them may not be recorded or obtained by subpoena or other means; recording outside the courtroom must not create a distraction or restrict movement through the courtroom doors, courthouse, or court offices; approved recordings are not part of the official court record; the court may enforce the policy by any legal or equitable process; and the policy does not apply to investitures or ceremonial proceedings.

Probate Court No. 1 Standing Order Regarding Court Visits (Standing Order No. 05282026) (TOPICs reg. doc 2974)

Judge Claudia Laird's standing order (No. 05282026) modifying the guardian visitation requirement in Probate Court No. 1: taking judicial notice of Tex. Estates Code sec. 1151.351(b)(19), a guardian of the estate only is not required to make visits if another person acts as guardian of the person for the ward, unless the ward or the guardian of the person requests an in-person visit.

Standing Order Regarding Remote Hearings or Appearances for Probate Court Number One (TOPICs reg. doc 1614)

Judge Claudia Laird's standing order on remote hearings and appearances in Probate Court No. 1: the court uses Zoom (the Court Reporter or Court Administrator emails the link, or litigants obtain the link for regularly scheduled dockets from the court's website); a participant able to appear only by telephone must coordinate it the day before with the appropriate court coordinator; a litigant intending to offer exhibits must email them to all parties and the Court Reporter no later than 3:00 p.m. the day before the hearing, with the email subject stating the full cause number and '[Party Name] Exhibits' and the documents in PDF format — the court cannot consider, and the Court Reporter will not maintain in the record, exhibits not timely emailed in the correct format; and an attorney noticing a Zoom hearing must include in the notice the Zoom link and meeting ID (provided by the court when the hearing is set).

Probate Court No. 1 Standing Order Regarding Small Estate Affidavits (eff. May 5, 2025) (TOPICs reg. doc 2649)

Judge Claudia Laird's standing order requiring applicants filing a Small Estate Affidavit in Probate Court No. 1 to use the court-promulgated forms published on the court's website (the affidavit and the order), to facilitate administration of the increasing number of small-estate-affidavit filings.

Rules of Administration of Montgomery County, Texas (Board of Judges; eff. Jan. 1, 2023; registered Apr. 14, 2026) (TOPICs reg. doc 2926)

The county-wide master administration rules of the Board of Judges (all district judges + all CCL judges), made under Gov't Code § 74.093 in compliance with the Second Administrative Judicial Region's Regional Rules of Administration, applying to all cases within district-court and CCL jurisdiction: Rule 1 designates six court divisions (Civil, Probate, Family law, Juvenile, Felony, Misdemeanor), designates each district court and CCL as a specialized court within one or more divisions, and DELEGATES § 74.093 rule-making to each division's judges (acknowledging the division rule-sets: civil, probate, family practice + administration, juvenile, felony, misdemeanor); Rule 2 adopts the Commissioners-Court-approved Jury Plan filed with the District Clerk; Rule 3 lets judges request assigned-judge coverage for vacation, illness, conferences, dual dockets, and similar needs; Rule 4 governs local administration — concurrent-jurisdiction cases file with the District Clerk and are assigned between the district courts and CCLs by a written assignment order signed by BOTH the Local Administrative District Judge and the Local Administrative Statutory County Court Judge (exclusive-jurisdiction classes by the respective LAJ's order with the respective clerk; alterations need every affected judge's signature and terminate per their terms, on a signer's termination order, or when a new judge takes a signing bench without ratifying), cases stay on the assigned docket unless transferred, misfiled cases auto-transfer before citation issues; LAJ elections (district: two-year terms elected by December under § 74.091; statutory county: one-year terms under § 74.0911) with meeting/quorum mechanics, inequitable-burden transfers within each tier, JOINT district-CCL transfers on both LAJs' signed order, § 74.092 duties, and Board-of-Judges meetings run by the LADJ in even years and the LASCCJ in odd years; every court appoints a court administrator/coordinator with enumerated duties (settings, notices, scheduling orders, setting coordination, juror coordination); VOLUNTARY RECUSAL without motion routes the case to the Second Administrative Judicial Region's judge for assignment (or transfer to the next rotation court); Rule 18a and the REGIONAL Rules of Administration govern recusal/disqualification motions, with referral forms available from the region's administrative office; each court may promulgate recording/broadcast rules; conflicting-engagement priorities (criminal, statutory preference, preferential settings, earliest set, earliest filed; metro yields to rural; unresolved conflicts to the LAJ or Regional Presiding Judge); weekly-minimum dockets per Supreme Court time guidelines; and adoption/amendment mechanics (effective Jan. 1, 2023; per-tier opt-out under TRCP 3a via Rule 5.5, which itself cannot be amended; recorded in the minutes of the 9th, 221st, 284th, 359th, 410th, 418th, 435th, and 457th District Courts and CCLs 1–6). Signed by the Board of Judges April 2026 and approved by Judge Robert Trapp, Presiding Judge of the Second Administrative Judicial Region.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 99(b)–(c)

The citation directs the defendant to answer by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next after the expiration of twenty days after the date of service — the distinctive Texas answer date every deadline calculation starts from.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 4

How Texas procedural deadlines are computed: exclude the trigger day, include the last day unless it falls on a weekend or legal holiday, skip weekends and holidays entirely in periods of five days or less, and count them for the three-day mail-service extensions under Rules 21 and 21a.

Business Court Division 8A, Division 8A - Judge Bullard Specific Procedures (TOPICs reg. doc. 2240)

Division 8A - Judge Bullard Specific Procedures, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/15/2025). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Business Court Division 8B, Division 8B - Judge Stagner Specific Requirements Eff. 4/1/26 (TOPICs reg. doc. 2916)

Division 8B - Judge Stagner Specific Requirements Eff. 4/1/26, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 04/02/2026). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Eighth (8th) Court of Appeals, Eighth Court of Appeals Anders Requirements (TOPICs reg. doc. 747)

Eighth Court of Appeals Anders Requirements, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Eighth (8th) Court of Appeals, Eighth Court of Appeals Local Rules (TOPICs reg. doc. 740)

Eighth Court of Appeals Local Rules, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/01/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Eighth (8th) Court of Appeals, Eighth Court of Appeals Oral Argument Requests (TOPICs reg. doc. 746)

Eighth Court of Appeals Oral Argument Requests, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 21a(a)

A document filed electronically must be served electronically through the electronic filing manager whenever the recipient's email address is on file with it; otherwise service may be made in person, by mail, by commercial delivery, by fax, by email, or as directed by the court.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 510.8, 510.11, 510.15, 510.19

In justice-court eviction cases: the citation sets a personal-appearance trial day not less than 10 nor more than 21 days after the petition is filed; a written answer is permitted but NOT required (appearing on the trial day is what matters); no trial may be held until 4 days after service; and an appeal must be perfected within 5 days after the judgment is signed.

First (1st) Court of Appeals, 1st COA Local Rule (TOPICs reg. doc. 767)

First (1st) Court of Appeals — 1st COA Local Rule, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

First (1st) Court of Appeals, 1st COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment in Appeals (TOPICs reg. doc. 768)

First (1st) Court of Appeals — 1st COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment in Appeals, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

First (1st) Court of Appeals, 1st COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment in Original Proceedings (TOPICs reg. doc. 769)

First (1st) Court of Appeals — 1st COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment in Original Proceedings, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

First (1st) Court of Appeals, 3. Form of Motions for En Banc Reconsideration (TOPICs reg. doc. 2910)

First (1st) Court of Appeals — 3. Form of Motions for En Banc Reconsideration, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 04/01/2026). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 245

Contested cases may be set for trial on any party's written request or the court's own motion with reasonable notice of not less than forty-five days for a FIRST setting; resets need only reasonable notice. A request for a setting is a good-faith representation of expected readiness.

Fourteenth (14th) Court of Appeals, 14th COA Local Rule (TOPICs reg. doc. 751)

Fourteenth (14th) Court of Appeals — 14th COA Local Rule, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Fourteenth (14th) Court of Appeals, 14th COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment of Related Case in Appeals (TOPICs reg. doc. 752)

Fourteenth (14th) Court of Appeals — 14th COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment of Related Case in Appeals, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Fourteenth (14th) Court of Appeals, 14th COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment of Related Case in Original Proceedings (TOPICs reg. doc. 753)

Fourteenth (14th) Court of Appeals — 14th COA Local Rule Notice of Assignment of Related Case in Original Proceedings, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/02/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Fourth (4th) Court of Appeals, 4th COA Local Rules (TOPICs reg. doc. 2749)

Fourth (4th) Court of Appeals — 4th COA Local Rules, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/07/2026). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Fourth (4th) Court of Appeals, Fee Schedule (TOPICs reg. doc. 1108)

Fourth (4th) Court of Appeals — Fee Schedule, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/27/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 216

A written jury request must be filed a reasonable time before the non-jury trial setting and not less than thirty days in advance, with the jury fee deposited within the same window.

Tex. R. Jud. Admin. 10

Local rules, forms, and standing orders must be published on the Office of Court Administration's website (TOPICs) — with regional presiding judges and the Supreme Court empowered to order amendment or withdrawal — and no court may require a party to use a local form or reject a properly completed Supreme Court–approved form.

Local Rules of Administration for the Texas Business Court (eff. July 1, 2026)

The Business Court's administrative rules (eff. July 1, 2026, adopted by all ten judges under Gov't Code §§ 25A.005, 25A.020(b) and TRJA 7 and 10): a three-month ruling standard for matters under advisement; reassignment and consolidation mechanics (severed cases stay with the severing judge; substantially related cases may be consolidated before the first-filed judge by the administrative presiding judge or by consent; relief premised on a prior Business Court judgment returns to its rendering judge; APJ docket-equalization reassignments); quarterly docket-equalization orders assigning a confidential, randomly sequenced number of next-filed cases (TRO cases excluded) to judges of other divisions who sit as judges of the originating division; the court calendar (state/national holidays, county closures per division, no settings during the Texas Center for the Judiciary annual conference week); visiting judges (§ 25A.014, TRJA 8) including APJ-requested coverage for absences beyond ten consecutive court business days; the emergency-matter referral chain (same-division judge first, then an APJ-designated judge); budget submissions through the APJ; the administrative-presiding-judge structure (majority election at the annual meeting by September 15 of even-numbered years for two-year terms, a pro tempore, § 25A.017(b) duties, delegation and committees, annual meeting the first Tuesday after Labor Day with monthly meetings); and rule-adoption mechanics (majority vote or 30-day no-objection circulation for these administrative rules; judge- and division-level local rules and guidelines under § 25A.020(b) and TRJA 7.2(f)(5) with division-uniform options; TRJA 10(a) publication on the OCA and clerk websites; a TRJA 7.1 confidentiality policy binding all court staff).

Second (2nd) Court of Appeals, Local Rules of the 2nd Court of Appeals (including amendments received through June 21, 2025) (TOPICs reg. doc. 2512)

Local Rules of the 2nd Court of Appeals (including amendments received through June 21, 2025), as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 08/15/2025). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Local Rules of the Texas Business Court (eff. July 1, 2026) (TOPICs reg. doc 3023)

The court-wide local rules adopted by all ten Business Court judges (eff. July 1, 2026), supplementing the TRCP in the statewide Business Court: bench exchange and administrative-presiding-judge docket re-assignment (trials stay in the division absent agreement; the assigned judge's forms and division practices govern); deemed consent to supplemental jurisdiction absent a severance motion or objection within 30 days; consolidation motions in the first-filed case; the mandatory Case Information Sheet and counsel-of-record mechanics with eFileTexas e-service subscription; scheduling orders proposed jointly within 30 days of first appearance or removal/transfer, accompanied by corporate-disclosure statements (14 days for later-joined parties; governmental entities exempt); the discovery-dispute prerequisite (good-faith resolution attempt, then a summary letter capped at 700 words with a 300-word conference certificate, a 7-day 700-word response, no replies without leave, and court-directed next steps) with cost-shifting statements; motion word limits (discovery 3,000 / replies 1,250; all others 7,500 / replies 3,000, with compliance certificates), 10-day responses and 7-day replies, pinpoint citations, unopposed labeling, conference certificates for all but dispositive motions, 10-day written-opinion requests, and summary-judgment written submission on the last business day before the 60th day after filing; mediation referral and immediate settlement notice; emergency-relief mechanics (clerk notification, proposed order, and a 2-hour pre-hearing certificate of grounds or notice); removal practice (TRCP deadlines unchanged, certified copies, re-filing of pending motions, filing in the operating division containing the removal county); sealing practice (redaction-first, in-camera delivery by secure link or Case Center, TRCP 76a, sensitive-data indicator does not seal); and miscellaneous rules — pro hac vice continuity after removal, vacation letters up to four weeks, the ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE accountability clause (use not prohibited; the filing attorney or party is independently responsible for accuracy and must comply with TRCP 13 and CPRC chs. 9–10), deemed consent to remote proceedings absent a 3-business-day objection, and amicus-brief leave with required disclosures.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 21(f)

Attorneys must electronically file documents in courts where e-filing has been mandated (statewide for civil cases in district, county, and appellate courts); unrepresented parties may e-file but are not required to. Filing runs through the certified electronic filing manager (eFileTexas).

Ninth (9th) Court of Appeals, Fee Schedule (TOPICs reg. doc. 643)

Ninth (9th) Court of Appeals — Fee Schedule, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/01/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Ninth (9th) Court of Appeals, Statewide E-Filing Rules (TOPICs reg. doc. 641)

Ninth (9th) Court of Appeals — Statewide E-Filing Rules, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/01/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Tex. R. App. P. 26.1

A civil notice of appeal is due 30 days after the judgment is signed — extended to 90 days by a timely motion for new trial, motion to modify, motion to reinstate, or proper findings request; accelerated appeals allow only 20 days; restricted appeals six months; and any other party may appeal within 14 days after the first notice.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.1–194.2(a)

In suits not governed by the Family Code, every party must serve initial disclosures — without awaiting a discovery request — within 30 days after the first answer or general appearance (later-joined parties: within 30 days of being served or joined), unless the parties agree or the court orders otherwise.

Tex. R. Civ. P. 166a(d), (e), (g)

Under the restructured Rule 166a, the deadlines anchor to the MOTION'S FILING, not a noticed hearing: the response is due within 21 days after the motion is filed, any reply within 7 days after the response, the hearing or submission may not be set within 35 days of filing and must be set within 60 days (or 90 for docket need, good cause, or movant agreement), and each side must submit a proposed order before the hearing or submission date.

Tenth (10th) Court of Appeals, Standing Order No. 1 (TOPICs reg. doc. 104)

Tenth (10th) Court of Appeals — Standing Order No. 1, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/01/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Tenth (10th) Court of Appeals, Standing Order No. 2 (TOPICs reg. doc. 105)

Tenth (10th) Court of Appeals — Standing Order No. 2, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/01/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.

Third (3rd) Court of Appeals, Local Rules (TOPICs reg. doc. 190)

Third (3rd) Court of Appeals — Local Rules, as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/01/2023). The operative requirements are quoted verbatim; the registered document is the controlling text.