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Create your free account →District Judge · 366th District Court · Collin County, Texas
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Report generated October 14, 2026 · benchpath.ai/reports/judge/tx-tomasz-nowak
District Judge — 366th District Court (Collin County)
Answer three quick questions. The platform pulls Tomasz (Tom) Nowak's full public case-law record from the source, newest first — your matter never narrows the pull; it directs the relevance ranking and the dual-AI analysis. Every hit comes back Bluebook-cited with the opinion's own words quoted verbatim. The scan takes the time precision takes.
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Appeals from this courtroom go to the Fifth Court of Appeals.
● LiveThat court's published bench (13): Bonnie Lee Goldstein, Craig Smith, Cynthia M. Barbare, Dennise Garcia, Earl Jackson, Emily Miskel, Gino J. Rossini, J.J. Koch, Jessica Lewis, Maricela Moore Breedlove, Mike Lee, Nancy Kennedy, Tina Clinton
No verified ruling summary yet — summaries publish only after human review of a real opinion/docket corpus. The live scan at the top of this report covers what public sources hold today.
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This report compiles procedural information and public-record research from the official sources cited above, with per-item verification status. It is not legal advice, contains no outcome predictions, is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney, and creates no attorney–client relationship. Items below high confidence must be verified against the official source before relying on them. Print with your browser for a clean PDF.
County-to-district assignment per Tex. Gov't Code sec. 22.201(f), live-fetched registry.
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Unlock free →219th Judicial District Court, Policies and Procedures (Hon. Jennifer Edgeworth)
The 219th District Court's policies (Hon. Jennifer Edgeworth): the DWOP grounds, general trial procedures with the exhibit/witness/vocabulary-list and courtesy-copy practice, and the family-law regime — the notice-of-hearing-required setting process, requested-relief tender at the start of a hearing, the fixed time limits (temporary orders 20 minutes per side, bench trials 3 hours per side, jury trials 6 hours per side), interpreter notice, auto-setting for bench trial after the answer, the family Discovery Control Plan/Scheduling Order forms, mediation with the 30-day agreed-mediator designation, verified-motion continuances under TRCP 251/252, and §153.009 child interviews on prior written request.
296th District Court — Bench Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/benchtrialdiscoverycontrolplanandschedulingorder.pdf?sfvrsn=7f9590b5_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 296th District Court — Bench Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form), quoted whole from the document as posted (1 page(s)).
296th District Court — Jury Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/296plan.pdf?sfvrsn=bae4a012_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 296th District Court — Jury Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
380th Judicial District Court, Court Policies for Criminal Cases (Hon. Benjamin N. Smith)
The 380th District Court's criminal-case policies (Hon. Benjamin N. Smith): the setting-contact chain and 9:00 a.m./1:30 p.m. hearing times (jury weeks Thursday/Friday, three days' notice to the State for writ or bond hearings), the Art. 17.151 90-day-detention writ procedure, proposed-order filing options, the two-announcement-settings-then-disposition rule (with two additional bond-case settings by agreement, 30-day intervals), mandatory personal appearance with bailiff check-in, and the bond-forfeiture times (noon for morning settings, 3:00 p.m. for afternoon).
401st District Court — Policies and Procedures (Judge Kimberly M. Laseter) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/401st-pp.pdf?sfvrsn=5771e0e9_6 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 401st District Court — Policies and Procedures (Judge Kimberly M. Laseter), quoted whole from the document as posted (8 page(s)).
416th District Court, Court Policies (as of June 3, 2025)
The 416th District Court's policies (Hon. Andrea Thompson, June 3, 2025): proof-of-notice and advance-security requirements, the fixed civil time limits (temporary orders 20 minutes per side, full-day bench trial 2.5 hours, jury trial 6 hours; bench trials without a scheduling order capped at 1 hour), the form scheduling order, the 9:30 a.m.-Thursday formal jury pre-trial, mandatory mediation with the 1-hour-bench/3-hour-jury non-mediation penalty, e-filed ex parte relief with the no-overlap-with-standing-orders rule, the over-one-year continuance rule, the courtroom cell-phone policy with the $50 jury-trial sound fine, the property-division Excel preference and financial-information-statement requirements, and §153.009 child-interview practice.
429th District Court — Bench Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Family (form) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/429thdiscoverycontrolorder-familybenchtrial.pdf?sfvrsn=8a66a851_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 429th District Court — Bench Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Family (form), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
429th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 1 or 2 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/429thdiscoverycontrolorder-civillevel1or2.pdf?sfvrsn=6b294013_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 429th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 1 or 2 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
429th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 3 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/429thdiscoverycontrolorder-civillevel3.pdf?sfvrsn=47635b49_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 429th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 3 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024), quoted whole from the document as posted (3 page(s)).
429th District Court — Jury Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Family (form) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/429thdiscoverycontrolorder-familyjurytrial.pdf?sfvrsn=41feeab4_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 429th District Court — Jury Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Family (form), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
468th District Court, CPS Policies and Procedures (rev. June 1, 2025)
The 468th District Court's CPS docket policies (Hon. Lindsey Wynne, rev. June 1, 2025): the ex parte temporary appointment of parents' attorneys ending at the adversary hearing, the affidavit-of-indigence requirement (English and Spanish) that must be filed and qualified before the adversary hearing for appointed counsel to continue, and the discharge of appointed counsel for non-indigent parents at the 14-day adversary hearing (who may then privately retain).
468th District Court, Policies and Procedures (rev. June 12, 2025)
The 468th District Court's family-docket policies (Hon. Lindsey Wynne, rev. June 12, 2025): the two-of-six-ISD weather trigger, the fixed hearing/trial time limits (temporary orders 20 minutes per side, full-day bench trial 2.5 hours per side, 2-day jury trial 5 hours per side including voir dire, modification trials 1.5 hours, most non-evidentiary hearings 10 minutes), mandatory mediation with the one-hour-per-side penalty for non-attendance and the 45-day post-MSA dismissal, the email-coordinator setting process requiring a filed notice or scheduling order, the mandatory in-person jury pre-trial with the Word-format proposed charge, and the DWOP regime (45 days after ruling/MSA; 90-day no-activity notices requiring a scheduling order 24 hours before the dismissal date).
469th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/469thdcpso.pdf?sfvrsn=4ca848fe_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 469th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form), quoted whole from the document as posted (1 page(s)).
470th District Court, Court Policies (Apr. 21, 2025)
The 470th District Court's policies (Hon. Brook Fulks, Apr. 21, 2025; no auxiliary court): in-person-default appearance (Zoom only by agreement and court approval), the §153.009 child-interview-on-the-day-of-trial procedure with the non-party-adult transport and no-discussion rules, the over-9-months continuance-hearing rule, the mandatory default-judgment checklist before scheduling with the same-residence final-trial exception, the in-person DWOP docket with mandatory appearance, courtroom cell-phone and technology rules, exhibit copy/labeling, and health-insurance/cash-medical-support requirements.
471st District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 1 or 2 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/471stlevel1or2dco.pdf?sfvrsn=239ba05e_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 471st District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 1 or 2 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
471st District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 3 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/471stlevel3dco.pdf?sfvrsn=c01f7968_2 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 471st District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 3 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024), quoted whole from the document as posted (3 page(s)).
494th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 1 or 2 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/494_dco-civil_level_1or2_updated_-1-2024.pdf?sfvrsn=dc753caf_6 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 494th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 1 or 2 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
494th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 3 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/494_dco-civil_level_3_updated_1-2024.pdf?sfvrsn=751ecca7_6 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 494th District Court — Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order, Level 3 Civil (form, updated Jan. 2024), quoted whole from the document as posted (3 page(s)).
494th District Court — Family Bench Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/494benchtrialdcpso.pdf?sfvrsn=16ac3a23_4 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published 494th District Court — Family Bench Trial Discovery Control Plan and Scheduling Order (form), quoted whole from the document as posted (1 page(s)).
Collin County, Requirements for Receiving District Court Appointments (with parallel County and Juvenile CAA Requirements)
The Collin County indigent-defense attorney-qualification requirements for the district, county, and juvenile appointment lists: majority-judge (or MHMC-director) approval, the twice-yearly July 1–14 and December 1–31 application windows, the minimum felony-list standards (two years' criminal-law experience, Collin County residence/office/80%-practice, TBLS certification or 10 hours annual criminal-law CLE, TIDC practice-time reporting by October 15, no public discipline within five years, office capabilities, and three Collin County bar-association reference letters), and the graduated list tiers (state jail/third-degree through the higher felony lists).
Collin County Court at Law No. 3 — Standing Order No. 2: Criminal Docket Control (effective June 1, 2013) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/county-courts-at-law/documents/ccl-3-standing-order-2.pdf?sfvrsn=950ab821_4 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published Collin County Court at Law No. 3 — Standing Order No. 2: Criminal Docket Control (effective June 1, 2013), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
County Court at Law Judges in and for Collin County, Texas, Standing Orders Nos. 1 (Redacting of Videos), 2 (Compensation of Court Appointed Special Commissioners), 3 (Use of Artificial Intelligence for any Court Filing), and 4 (Required Fees for Monitoring Alcohol Detection Devices for ODL) (signed July 3, 2024) (TOPICs reg. docs 2028–2031)
The four standing orders adopted July 3, 2024 by all seven statutory County Court at Law judges of Collin County: No. 1 (video-redaction notice within 10 days of the trial-setting notice, deemed ORDERED absent specific State objection, waiver for untimely requests), No. 2 (court-appointed special commissioners in condemnation suits paid $250/hour with a 2-hour minimum), No. 3 (Use of Artificial Intelligence — mandatory disclosure and citation certification for any AI-assisted filing, with striking for non-compliance and a sample perjury-penalty certification), and No. 4 (a $60/month CSCD administrative fee under Gov't Code §76.015 to monitor ODL alcohol-detection devices, ODL revoked for non-payment).
Collin County CPS Courts — Attorney Fees and Expenses in Child Protection Cases (billing policy, Aug. 20, 2018) — Collin County, Texas — https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/indigent-defense/documents/cpsbillingpolicies.pdf?sfvrsn=abe6a286_0 — sha256-hashed 2026-09-14
The court-published Collin County CPS Courts — Attorney Fees and Expenses in Child Protection Cases (billing policy, Aug. 20, 2018), quoted whole from the document as posted (2 page(s)).
District Courts and Statutory County Courts in and for Collin County, Courthouse Policies Order (Russell Steindam Courthouse) (adopted July 9, 2025) (TOPICs reg. doc 2446)
The unanimous Courthouse Policies Order of the District and Statutory County Court judges for the Russell Steindam Courthouse (July 9, 2025): courtroom demeanor for all cases (silence, no signals of approval/disapproval, silenced devices, no immature children, no food/drink/gum, dress code, no signs/banners, no juror contact), the photography-and-recording prohibition (personal cell phones and computers excepted from the device ban but recording of individuals with matters before the courts barred without approval; absolute juror, minor, and court-staff protections; no recording of attorney conferences), the prohibited-weapons regime (no firearms, knives, chemical agents, Tasers, or batons — applying even to off-duty officers on personal business, who secure weapons at the security desk), and sanctions.
Local Rules of Administration, District Courts of Collin County, Texas (Tex. Gov't Code §74.093) (adopted July 7, 2025) (TOPICs reg. doc 2441)
The §74.093 Local Rules of Administration for the District Courts of Collin County (adopted July 7, 2025): TRJA time standards, random assignment with the first-court/same-parties rule and the Notice of Administrative Transfer and Case Transfer policies, continuing-exclusive-jurisdiction precedence, consolidation into the first-filed court, successive weekly terms with 8–5 M–F hours, the two-of-six-ISD inclement-weather closure trigger, settlement weeks under CPRC §155, the §37.003 ad litem/GAL/mediator/guardian lists and §36.004 monthly appointment reporting, and the local administrative district judge's biennial election and duties (with the 417th's judge chairing the Juvenile Board).
Local Rules of Practice, District Courts of Collin County, Texas (approved May 6, 2026; eff. July 1, 2026) (TOPICs reg. doc 3015)
The Local Rules of Practice for the District Courts of Collin County (approved by all sixteen district judges May 6, 2026): conduct and decorum with the TRCP 18c recording ban (adoptions excepted), contact-information and vacation-letter duties, the anti-forum-shopping related-filings rule, electronic-filing and TRCP 21c sensitive-data/initials requirements, the district clerk's ministerial limits and the court-registry disbursement-order drafting rules with the 30-day waiver language, the conference requirement for setting hearings (two-attempt), continuances only by consent on a verified motion, ex parte relief mechanics with the 2-hour notice rule and its Title 4 / imminent-harm exceptions, the 20-minute-per-side family-law temporary-orders limit, motion-practice certificate-of-conference in three forms, the non-party government-employee subpoena conference/certificate rule, discovery-motion single-document rule, the form protective order, attorney-withdrawal mechanics, DWOP grounds, the 30-day final-judgment rule, and the §4.8 AI accuracy-verification requirement.
District Courts of Collin County, Notice of Administrative Transfer Policy (Tex. Gov't Code §§24.003, 74.094) (TOPICs reg. doc 2332)
The district judges' Notice of Administrative Transfer Policy (Gov't Code §§24.003 and 74.094): conflict-based cases are administratively transferred and randomly reassigned by the local administrative district judge (or assigned by the district clerk on filing) away from the court with the conflict — covering specified law firms appearing as lead counsel or counsel of record, the District Attorney's office (away from the 429th), USAF-Reserve-unit parties tied to the 366th's presiding judge, and family-relationship counsel conflicts.
District Courts of Collin County, Standing Orders Regarding Online Publication of Sensitive Data (Jan. 8, 2021), Sealing of Records (May 3, 2017), Sealing Birth Certificates Filed in CPS Cases (Sept. 12, 2025), and HIPAA/Texas Medical Privacy Act/Drug Testing Records (Jan. 8, 2021) (TOPICs reg. docs 1116, 551, 2605, 1118)
Four district-court standing orders on court records: the Online Publication order (Jan. 8, 2021) restricting six categories of sensitive documents from internet posting under TRCP 21c; the Rule 76a order (May 3, 2017) voiding any sealing provision that does not comply with TRCP 76a; the CPS Birth Certificates order (Sept. 12, 2025) sealing birth certificates and alternative parent-identity proof in governmental SAPCRs under Family Code §102.008(c-1); and the HIPAA/Drug-Testing order (Jan. 8, 2021) authorizing litigation participants to disclose and use drug-test records in Family Code suits without further authorization.
District Courts of Collin County, Standing Discovery Order for Criminal Cases (eff. May 1, 2021) (TOPICs reg. doc 550)
The district courts' self-executing criminal discovery standing order (effective May 1, 2021, applying in every criminal case unless otherwise ordered): the State's first-announcement-setting production (reports, statements, Art. 38.22 defendant statements, warrants, expert/lab reports, records, and all Brady/exculpatory material), the 20-days-before-trial production (404(b)/609/38.37 notice, witness lists, jail-call recordings, inspection of seized/physical evidence, impeachment convictions, benefit/leniency promises), the defense's 20-day expert-witness list, the on-the-record 'last best' plea-offer announcement at the pre-trial hearing, and expert voir-dire practice.
District Courts of Collin County, Standing Order on Children, Property & Conduct of Parties (reg. Oct. 21, 2025) (TOPICs reg. doc 2638)
The district judges' family standing order applying in every divorce and SAPCR (signed by the full current bench, reg. Oct. 21, 2025): property-preservation prohibitions (no harassment, threats, or bodily injury; no destroying/transferring/encumbering property; no signing the other's negotiable instruments; no altering financial records or electronically stored information/metadata; no deleting social-network content or accessing the other's accounts; no cutting off utilities/insurance/withholding), the children provisions (no removal, no disparagement, no discussing the litigation in a child's presence), the distinctive §4 mandatory 30-day information exchange (net-resources data, two years' tax returns, pay stubs, and each child's health and dental insurance details), and the standard TRO-to-temporary-injunction 14-day mechanics.
Standing Order Regarding HIPAA, The Texas Medical Privacy Act, and Drug Testing Records, registered with the Office of Court Administration as TOPICs document 1118 (Standing Orders, registered 01/30/2023).
Standing order of the Collin County district courts authorizing disclosure of protected health information and substance-abuse treatment records to the courts and parties under HIPAA, the Texas Medical Privacy Act and 42 C.F.R. Part 2, with the protective conditions that apply.
Standing Order Sealing Birth Certificates Filed in CPS Cases, registered with the Office of Court Administration as TOPICs document 2605 (Standing Orders, registered 09/30/2025).
Standing order of the Collin County district courts (199th, 296th, 417th, 468th, 469th and 470th) directing that birth certificates filed in child protection cases be sealed and setting who may access them.
Local Rules of Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the Justice of the Peace Courts, Collin County, Texas (eff. Aug. 11, 2023) (TOPICs reg. doc 1547)
The Local Rules of Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the Justice of the Peace Courts of Collin County (eff. Aug. 11, 2023, under Gov't Code §27.061): the courts' jurisdiction ($20,000 civil, evictions/reentry, license-revocation and other administrative hearings, fine-only Class C criminal, animal cruelty, peace bonds, emergency mental-health commitments), inclement-weather closure, civil mediation-referral with a 10-day objection window (no ADR-caused eviction delay), continuances (7 days for jury trials), the criminal venue/first-appearance/setting/plea regime with the 21-day pretrial-motion deadline and standard-fine lists, and the rules of decorum.
County Court at Law No. 5, Revised Criminal Docket Control Policy (Hon. Randy Johnson)
County Court at Law No. 5's revised criminal docket-control policy (Hon. Randy Johnson): the 8:30–11:30 a.m. Tuesday–Friday docket with mandatory 8:30 check-in (an 11:30 plea cutoff), the four-stage setting sequence (First Appearance, 1st and 2nd Announcement, Plea or Set for Trial) at ~30-day intervals for bond defendants, the two-stage revocation/adjudication sequence, the two-week jail-case intervals with same-day counsel visits, the plea-timing rules (pleas unlikely after arraignment), mandatory defendant appearance with next-setting-only waivers, noon bond forfeiture, the Thursday 10:00 a.m. pre-trial conference, and Chapter 29 continuances ('Agreed does not mean granted').
County Court at Law No. 7, Standing Order Regarding Proposed Jury Charges (July 9, 2026)
County Court at Law No. 7's standing order on proposed jury charges (July 9, 2026): counsel confer within 14 days of a jury-trial setting to prepare an agreed proposed charge, an agreed charge is submitted by the arraignment/pretrial conference, disputed charges are each submitted (with questions, instructions, definitions, and objections) by that conference, the court may modify any proposed charge before submission to the jury, and non-compliance may remove the case from the jury-trial docket.