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Standing order on mental-health case files in Hopkins County: the attorney appointed for the patient is authorized to obtain a copy of the patient's entire case file, in paper or digital form; a digital file is kept encrypted at all times and a paper file locked, secure and private, until the attorney destroys it; an attorney who takes no copy may inspect the County Clerk's original file during business hours; the County Clerk alone maintains, file-marks and keeps originals; copies may be made only for the patient's attorney. The order recites compliance with Health & Safety Code § 571.015, which is attached, federal medical privacy law and due process.
Texas > Tenth Administrative Judicial Region > Hopkins County > the Constitutional County Court and the County Court at Law. Applies to all proceedings under the Mental Health Code in Hopkins County, including protective custody, court-ordered mental health services and court-ordered psychoactive medication.
Hopkins County Constitutional Court & Hopkins County Court at Law Phone (903) 438-4004 Fax (903) 438-4107 118 Church Street Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482 STANDING ORDER REGARDING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CASE FILES 1. This standing order applies to all proceedings conducted under the Mental Health Code in Hopkins County, Texas, including protective custody, court-ordered mental health services, and court-ordered psychoactive medication. 2. In all such cases, the attorney appointed to represent the patient is specifically authorized to obtain a copy of the patient's entire mental health case file, whether in paper or digital form. If in digital form, the file shall be at all times encrypted (password-protected). If in paper form, the attorney shall take reasonable steps to keep the file in a locked, secure, and private place. 3. Until the attorney destroys the file, their heightened duty of privacy and security shall continue. In other words, after the case has concluded, the file should continue to remain encrypted or locked away until it is destroyed. 4. If an attorney elects to not receive a copy of the case file, they may inspect the County Clerk's original file during business hours. 5. The County Clerk has the exclusive duty to maintain, file-mark, and keep original documents. 6. A copy of the patient's case file may be made by the County Clerk's office or the staff of the County Judge or CCL Judge. Said copy may only be made for the patient's attorney. 7. This standing order complies with Texas Health & Safety Code 571.015, federal medical privacy laws such as HIPAA, and the patient's Due Process rights under the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. March 11, 2020 [signature] Robert Newsom Hopkins County Judge [signature] Clay Harrison Hopkins County CCL Judge Attachment to Standing Order Regarding Access to Mental Health Cases Texas Health & Safety Code 571.015 (a) Each paper in a docket for mental health proceedings in the county clerk's office, including the docket book, indexes, and judgment books, is a public record of a private nature that may be used, inspected, or copied only under a written order issued by the county judge, a judge of a court that has probate jurisdiction, or a judge of a district court having jurisdiction in the county in which the docket is located. (b) A judge may not issue an order under Subsection (a) unless the judge enters a finding that: (1) the use, inspection, or copying is justified and in the public interest; or (2) the paper is to be released to the person to whom it relates or to a person designated in a written release signed by the person to whom the paper relates. (c) In addition to the finding required by Subsection (b), if a law relating to confidentiality of mental health information or physician-patient privilege applies, the judge must find that the reasons for the use, inspection, or copying fall within the applicable statutory exemptions. (d) The papers shall be released to an attorney representing the proposed patient in a proceeding held under this subtitle. (e) This section does not affect access of law enforcement personnel to necessary information in execution of a writ or warrant. [File stamp: FILED FOR RECORD, HOPKINS COUNTY, TEXAS, 2020 MAR 11 P 5:02, Tracy Smith, County Clerk, by deputy]
Hopkins County Constitutional Court & Hopkins County Court at Law Phone (903) 438-4004 Fax (903) 438-4107 118 Church Street Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482 STANDING ORDER REGARDING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CASE FILES 1. This standing order applies to all proceedings conducted under the Mental Health Code in Hopkins County, Texas, including protective custody, court-ordered mental health services, an
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-19 (AJR-10 Tenth Region build) from BenchPath custody sources/registered/482.pdf (application/pdf, 100189 bytes, sha256 e8fed418db0b031fef5169e94fc83538a3ee8c2d972fe9057f9d27a48ea15f2a; 2 pages) - the TOPICs-registered document: transcribed by eye from the rendered pages of the scanned PDF (no text layer in the file was relied on), machine OCR draft corrected page by page; signature and file-stamp blocks bracketed. Two-page image-only PDF typed from the rendered pages; page 2 is the instrument's own attachment reproducing Health & Safety Code § 571.015 and is kept as part of it.
Standing order of the 109th Judicial District Court for every pending or later-filed case in Andrews, Winkler and Crane Counties: any attorney or self-represented litigant who uses any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting in a case must, before using AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the court's certification form stating that all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate by a human through traditional (non-AI) legal sources, and acknowledging responsibility and potential sanctions for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply. Effective immediately; in effect until rescinded or replaced.
Standing order of the 109th Judicial District Court for every pending or later-filed case in Andrews, Winkler and Crane Counties: any attorney or self-represented litigant who uses any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting in a case must, before using AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the court's certification form stating that all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate by a human through traditional (non-AI) legal sources, and acknowledging responsibility and potential sanctions for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply. Effective immediately; in effect until rescinded or replaced.