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The current edition (updated July 14, 2026) of the rules posted for the Ellis County JP Precinct 3 court and clerk's office: in-person appearances only (no Zoom/WebEx), one-sided filings with service copies attached or the filing is rejected, eviction cases must be filed in the proper precinct (the court will not determine it for you), parties bring their own evidence copies for all parties and the judge, exact-change cash, written agency-authorization letters, firearm disclosure to the Constable's Office, enforced dress code, hallway negotiations, no recordings, security searches, written continuance/translator requests at least 3 working days before the court date, autopsy-inquiry limits, and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. weekday hours.
Texas > Ellis County > Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3 (Judge Dan Douglas Cox, 101 W. Main St., Ste. 106, Waxahachie) — the rules sheet is unsigned in the document itself and is posted on the county's live Precinct Three page. The autopsy-inquiry and inquest-adjacent items reflect the JP's statutory inquest role.
"THESE RULES APPLY IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND IN THE COURTROOM • NO ZOOM/WEBEX APPEARANCES. ALL PARTIES MUST APPEAR IN PERSON. • FILINGS THAT ARE INCORRECTLY FORMATED WILL BE REJECTED. FRONT AND BACK FILINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED. ALL FILINGS MUST BE ONE SIDED AND COPIES FOR EACH PERSON BEING SERVED MUST ACCOMPANY THE FILING. • ALL EVICTION CASES MUST BE FILED IN THE PROPER PRECINCT. THE COURT WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THE PROPER PRECINCT FOR FILING. • THE COURT WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COPIES TO BE PROVIDED TO OTHER PARTIES. ANY EVIDENCE THAT WILL BE PRESENTED IN COURT MUST HAVE COPIES FOR ALL PARTIES AND THE JUDGE. • THE COURT ACCEPTS CREDIT, DEBIT, CHECKS (FOR CIVIL ONLY) AND CASH; HOWEVER, IF PAYING IN CASH, IT MUST BE EXACT CHANGE. • PARTIES THAT WANT TO BE REPRESENTED BY AN AGENCY RELATIONSHIP SHOULD PROVIDE A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION. • NO FIREARMS ALLOWED IN THE COURTROOM WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ON-DUTY PEACE OFFICERS (ACTIVELY DISCHARGING THEIR OFFICIAL DUTIES), OR ACTIVE JUDICIAL OFFICERS. ALL FIREARMS MUST BE DISCLOSED TO THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE. • THE COURT CANNOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE TO ANY PARTY. FORMS AND SELF-HELP PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE OR IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. • APPROVED DRESSED CODE IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE AND WILL BE ENFORCED. • NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PARTIES MUST BE DONE IN THE HALLWAY UNLESS INSTRUCTED BY THE JUDGE. • THERE ARE NO RECORDINGS OF ANY TYPE. • ALL ATTENDANTS OF COURT MUST FOLLOW ALL RULES AND DIRECTIONS GIVEN BY THE COURT OR CONSTABLE'S OFFICE. • EVERYONE ATTENDING COURT WILL BE SEARCHED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE. • NO PROFANITY, AGGRESSIVE, OR INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR IN THE COURTROOM… TURN OFF CELL PHONES PRIOR TO COURT. • FOR CONTINUANCES AND TRANSLATOR REQUESTS, A REQUEST MUST BE MADE IN WRITING A MINIMUM OF 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO COURT DATE. • AUTOPSY INQUIRIES WILL BE LIMITED TO NEXT OF KIN AS DESIGNATED BY THE COURT UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY THE COURT. • EXCEPT FOR HOLIDAYS, THE COURT WILL BE OPEN 8 AM TO 4 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS WILL BE POSTED ON THE DOOR OF THE COURT AS SOON AS SCHEDULED." UPDATED: JULY 14, 2026.
Reviewer note: Text-layer document transcribed verbatim (sha256 c720d5e2…, 46,676 B), linked from the county's live Precinct Three page (elliscountytx.gov/141/Precinct-Three). Edition precedence: this July 14, 2026 edition supersedes the older undated variant registered as TOPICs doc 656 ("Local Rules," court column "Justice of the Peace" without a precinct number; same text family with COVID-era mask line and Friday-only closing) — doc 656 is held as a superseded-edition record, not published. Composed benchpath-ajr1-p6.
Division XI: information forms for data processing (Rule 11.2); required action - action taken on all calendared cases and a future date always set (Rule 11.19); and pro tem judges - an attorney named as a plaintiff in a civil or small claims case may not sit as a judge pro-tem during the case or within six months following its resolution, nor one named as a defendant in two or more such cases (Rule 11.22). Rules 11.1, 11.3 to 11.5, 11.7 to 11.18, 11.20 and 11.21 are repealed, and Rule 11.6 (voluntary arbitration; see Local Rule 10.2) was repealed and renumbered.
Duval County's indigent-defense and magistration rules under the Texas Fair Defense Act (S.B. 7): who may be booked into the county jail and on what paper; arrest-case numbering; presentment to a magistrate within 48 hours (art. 15.16); the magistrate's warnings, counsel inquiry, interpreter duty, indigence determination and appointment of counsel within 24 hours of a request; the alternative appointment plan under art. 26.04(g)-(h) with annual applications, seven attorney categories (capital, first and second degree, third degree/state jail/misdemeanor, competency, appeals, post-conviction, extradition), CLE and experience standards, random rotation within each category, written acceptance within 48 hours, first contact by the end of the next working day, replacement and suspension of counsel, fee applications within five days of completing services and the compensation attachment ($500 pleas; $175/$150 hourly; $1,400 per jury-trial day; appellate caps); bail schedules by offense class with a personal bond office (fee $20 or 3%), pre-trial supervision and revocation hearings within two working days; arraignment settings and notice; repeal of conflicting rules.