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The current local court rules of the County Courts at Law of McLennan County (adopted February 16, 2026, amended and effective March 6, 2026), governing the courts' jurisdiction and local criminal and civil practice, and superseding the January 17, 2023 edition.
Applies to civil and criminal practice before the County Courts at Law of McLennan County. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
[Stamp: RECEIVED, MAR 10 2026, COUNTY CLERK] Local Court Rules of the County Courts at Law of McLennan County, Texas [February 16, 2026] [amended March 6, 2026] The Judges of the County Courts at Law of McLennan County hereby ORDER that the following Local Court Rules be and are hereby adopted, effective on March 6, 2026. I. General The County Courts at Law are courts of limited jurisdiction. (See Texas Gov. Code, 25.0003, 25.1572). These local court rules amend the Local Court Rules of February 16, 2026. The local court rules are intended to be consistent with all applicable State rules. Nothing in these rules shall be construed to modify any provisions of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure or any applicable statutory provision. The County Court at Law and County Court at Law No. 2 will extend priority to criminal trials. The County Court at Law No. 3 will extend priority to civil trials. The local court rules may be supplemented, modified or amended from time to time at the discretion of the Courts, by memorandum, written notice, and formal court orders. Any supplements, modifications or amendments to these local rules will be signed by the Judges of the County Courts at Law and, when applicable, by the County Judge, and filed in the official "Local Court Rules" by the McLennan County Clerk. All such supplements, modifications or amendments have full force as local rules, whether filed with the Clerk or not. The Clerk is further directed to mark "superseded" on the face of any prior orders filed in the official Local Court Rules which are superseded or rescinded in writing by the Courts. II. Local Criminal Rules A. Appearances 1. All defendants are required to appear in person for all scheduled court appearances, unless excused by the Court or other provisions of these rules. 2. Retained attorneys must promptly file an appearance in writing with the Court Administrator. B. Filing 1. All criminal cases will be filed on a rotating system in the County Courts at Law, as set forth in the separate order of Adoption of New Case Filing Docket Assignments, or any amendments thereto. 2. If multiple cases are filed contemporaneously against the same Defendant, the first such case will be filed pursuant to this rule, and the subsequent cases will be filed in the same Court. C. Indigent Defense 1. The Courts will adopt and update an Indigent Defense Plan ("IDP") as required by Texas law and approved by the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, and all appointment of counsel and handling of related matters will be pursuant to the IDP, when applicable. 2. The Indigent Defense Plan, as amended from time to time, will have full force and effect as an order of these Courts and will be enforceable as such. D. Withdrawal as Counsel 1. A retained attorney may apply to withdraw as counsel only as follows: a. By submitting a Motion to Withdraw as Counsel conforming to Rule 10, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure; b. By scheduling the motion for a hearing; c. By giving written notice to the State and to the Defendant of the hearing date and time, including notice to the Defendant that he/she may appear and oppose the motion. 2. A retained attorney may move to withdraw as counsel at any time if the defendant executes written approval of a filed motion, the attorney is discharged in writing signed by the defendant, or the attorney is discharged by the defendant in open court. In this event the Court may waive the requirement of a hearing. 3. Any attorney allowed to withdraw as counsel must provide the defendant with both a copy of the order granting the withdrawal and written notice of the defendant's next scheduled Court appearance. 4. Absent good cause shown, court-appointed attorneys will not be allowed to withdraw as counsel. 5. In the event a retained attorney withdraws, leaving the Defendant without counsel, the case will be rescheduled to the Court's Pro Se Docket. E. Scheduling 1. The current weekly schedule is attached as Exhibit A. All scheduling is subject to change by Court order, memo, or approval. 2. All confirmations of settings will be provided to counsel via e-mail. F. Arraignment 1. An Arraignment Docket call will be held each week. 2. Arraignment will be deemed waived by the appointment of or written appearance of counsel for the defendant. 3. Unless arraignment is waived, a defendant on bond shall be present in Court as directed in the written notice of arraignment provided by the Court to the defendant and/or to the bail bond surety. 4. In the event a defendant fails to appear at the Arraignment Docket, and if the bail bond surety locates the defendant and directs the defendant to report to the Court after the Arraignment Docket, the surety must accompany the defendant to Court. 5. Defendants expressing the intent to employ counsel or failing to qualify for court appointed counsel will be continued on the Arraignment Docket at the Judge's discretion for a reasonable period. a. If a defendant fails to retain counsel within a reasonable period, the case will be assigned to the Court's Pro Se Docket. 6. All reset confirmations for defendants without counsel will be issued in the standard printed format. G. Disposition Docket [CCL 1 and CCL 2 only] 1. Disposition Docket for each Court will be scheduled on Wednesdays, at 10:30 A.M. for CCL2 and 11:00 A.M. for CCL1, subject to holidays and other factors. 2. No negotiations will be allowed at the bar while Court is in session. All such matters not completed before Court convenes must be handled during recess or after Court adjourns. 3. Defendants in jail will not be transported to Court unless approved in advance by the Court or the Court Administrator. 4. The first scheduled Disposition Docket ["First Disposition Docket"] will be set approximately 150 days following the later of the waiver of arraignment or the filing of the Information. The second and final Disposition Docket ["Second Disposition Docket"] will be scheduled no more than ninety (90) days after the First Disposition Docket. All settings will be subject to the discretion of the Court. 5. Defendants and attorneys are required to attend all Disposition Docket settings unless a reset request has been granted. 6. Defense counsel may reset a case for a plea on the Status Docket at any time the case is pending a Disposition Docket by a. Obtaining a reset form from the Court Administrator with a Status Docket date between ten (10) days and twenty-one (21) days off, b. Signing the reset and obtaining a signature from the State's attorney approving the setting, and c. Returning the executed reset form to the Court Administrator. d. Failure to complete all the foregoing steps will result in the case remaining on the Disposition Docket. 7. At the First Disposition Docket, the State and the Defense will be required to make one of the following announcements: a. Negotiations have resulted in a plea agreement, [the case will move to Status Docket for a negotiated plea of guilty]; b. Additional discovery/negotiating time is required, [the case will move to the Second Disposition Docket]; c. A trial setting is necessary, [the case will be given a pretrial date and a trial date]. 8. At the Second Disposition Docket, the State and the Defense will be required to make one of the following announcements: a. Negotiations have resulted in a plea agreement, [the case will move to Status Docket for a negotiated plea of guilty]; b. A trial setting is necessary, [the case will be given a pretrial date and a trial date]. 9. If the parties announce that a plea agreement has been reached, the case will be scheduled for one of the next three (3) regular Status Dockets. 10. All reset forms presented at disposition will be signed by the State's attorney, defense counsel and the defendant. Confirmation will be forwarded to counsel by e-mail. 11. In the event of a change in Defense counsel, the case will be moved to either a First or Second Disposition Docket depending on the age of the case. 10. CCL 3 does not conduct Disposition Docket. All CCL 3 cases pending 180 days or more will be placed on the Status Docket or the Pre-trial Docket at the Court's discretion. H. Status Docket 1. Status Docket for each Court is scheduled for Thursdays at 9:00 A.M., subject to holidays and other factors. 2. Plea Procedures a. Cases to be disposed of by a plea will be scheduled at any time approved by the Court or the Court Administrator, giving priority to the regularly scheduled Status Docket. b. All attorneys scheduling cases for a plea will report to the Court Administrator upon arrival, and shall promptly complete, have executed and deliver to the Court staff all plea documents as required by the Courts. c. Plea documents must be completed and submitted to the Court administrator no later than 1) 10:30 a.m. on the day of the Status Docket, or 2) the scheduled time and date for the case. d. Conversations at the bar while Court is in session must be kept to a minimum. All negotiations not completed before Court convenes must be completed during recess. e. All plea papers must be in the form approved by rule or by the Courts. All forms provided by the Courts may not be altered or re-formatted in any way, including font style or size, spacing, etc. f. Plea papers will be produced and organized as directed by the Courts. All attorneys are requested to use the Court-approved forms in all cases, without modification, and must regularly review the current forms, located on the County Courts at Law website, to assure the current forms are being prepared. Use of other forms authorized by law or rule may result in delays. I. Pre-trial Docket 1. A Pre-trial hearing date will be scheduled at the time a request for trial is made. 2. Court will only hold hearings for cases that require rulings on timely filed motions. If neither party has filed motions or requires a hearing, then no appearance is required. 3. The defendant and counsel of record must attend, if motions are to be considered. 4. Prior to the Pre-trial date, the State and the Defense will a. contact all witnesses and determine their availability for trial; b. timely file and serve all pre-trial motions, accompanied by a written proposed order with each motion. c. Motions to continue Pre-trial must be submitted in writing, verified, and served on opposing counsel; (1) If a pre-trial continuance is granted, the case will be scheduled for a later Pre-trial to be determined by the Court. The deadline for filing pre-trial motions will not be extended to the subsequent Pre-trial except on leave of Court. 5. The Judge will call all cases at the beginning of pre-trial, and inquire into the following: a. the completion of discovery b. The existence of pre-trial motions, and any related agreements or stipulations; c. the necessity of a hearing on any pre-trial motions. 6. Discovery: a. The official Court form entitled "Discovery Form" must be completed and signed by the Defense and the State and submitted to the Court at the beginning of or prior to the Pre-trial Docket; b. The Defendant must specify any item(s) not yet disclosed or reviewed as contemplated by 39.14, TCCrP, at that time. 7. Pre-Trial Motions: a. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure §28.01 will be strictly enforced. b. All pre-trial motions not filed and served upon opposing counsel by seven (7) days prior to the initial Pre-trial Docket setting are waived and may not be raised or filed thereafter. c. All timely filed, contested pre-trial motions will be considered at the Pre-trial Docket, unless the Court sets a special hearing date. d. Attorneys will present a proposed order granting pre-trial motions, or portions thereof. e. Attorneys will have issued and served any subpoenas required for pre-trial hearing of evidentiary motions. 8. Plea Agreements at Pre-Trial: a. Cases in which the Defendant accepts the State's offer at pre-trial will be heard immediately following pre-trial, or at the Court's discretion. b. Plea agreements reached after Pre-Trial will be considered "advisory" only, and any subsequent plea of "guilty" or "nolo contendere" will be with no limitations on the Court, subject to the applicable range of punishment. J. Trial Setting: 1. Defendants in the custody of the McLennan County Sheriff will receive priority. 2. The Court will set a trial date for every case the Court determines is ready for trial, on a date the Court determines no earlier than the Monday following two (2) weeks after the pre-trial, or on any week thereafter. 3. Each case will be given a trial order number at Pre-Trial at the Court's discretion, subject only to priority cases as determined by the Court. K. Trial 1. Jury Trial Docket Call: a. Jury trials will begin at 9:00 A.M. on Monday of each jury week. Multiple cases may be tried on any week, at the discretion of the Court, in which case, special instructions will be provided. b. The defendant and the attorneys must appear in person on the date and at the time trial is scheduled. c. Defense attorneys are responsible for confirming their trial order status at the end of the week immediately prior to the trial setting. d. If any case is dismissed, or settled, or otherwise reset by the Court, the next case on the list will be called. This process will continue until a case is deemed ready for trial or until all cases on the list have been called. 2. Continuance of Trial: a. Any request for a trial continuance by the State or the Defense must be submitted in writing, verified, and served on opposing counsel. b. No continuance will be granted absent the showing of harm due to unforeseeable or unexpected circumstances, or unless provided for by statute. c. Any case which is either continued by the Court or not reached will receive an immediate new trial date - no case will be returned to the Pre-trial Docket without good cause. 3. Documents and Evidence The following pre-trial procedures will be followed in all criminal cases scheduled for jury or bench trial, unless provided otherwise in a scheduling order: a. All parties will pre-mark exhibits to the extent reasonably possible, and prepare an exhibit list containing 1. the number/letter of the exhibit; 2. a description of the exhibit; and, 3. a space for the initial of the Court reporter's notation of the admission of, or refusal to admit the exhibit. b. The exhibit list will be submitted to the court reporter at the beginning of trial. c. All parties will submit, in printed form and in digital form (Microsoft Word format) any requested instruction(s) to be included in the charge to the jury, with provision for the Court to note its approval or rejection of the requested instruction. d. All parties will prepare and submit a witness list, including addresses and telephone numbers, to the court reporter at the time the party calls its first witness. L. Motions to Revoke Probation or to Adjudicate Guilt 1. All pending Motions to Adjudicate Guilt or Motions to Revoke Community Supervision will be scheduled for an initial hearing upon the arrest of the Defendant, giving priority to the regularly scheduled docket for such proceedings. 2. Final hearing will occur in all such cases within 200 days from the date of arrest on the capias, unless good cause is shown for further extensions. 3. All cases pending 200 days or more following the Defendant's arrest on the capias, unless the parties notify the Court that an agreement has been finalized, will automatically be scheduled for the contested docket, and the State is required to be present for the contested docket with witnesses and/or other evidence. 4. Advance requests for a reset must be made in person no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day preceding the probation hearing date and must be approved by the Judge. Requests for resets made on the scheduled date of the probation hearing may not be presented until the Court begins the docket and will be added to the queue of plea papers submitted during the docket. The defendant must be present. 5. Hearing Procedures a. Cases to be disposed of by agreement will be scheduled at any time approved by the Court or the Court Administrator, giving priority to the regularly scheduled probation hearing docket. b. All attorneys presenting a plea agreement will report at the beginning of the docket to the Court Administrator and will deliver to the Court staff all completed plea documents as required by the Courts. c. Conversations at the bar while Court is in session must be kept to a minimum. All negotiations not completed before Court convenes must be completed during recess. d. All plea papers must be in the form approved by rule or by the Courts. All forms provided by the Courts may not be altered or re-formatted in any way, including font style or size, spacing, etc. e. Plea papers will be organized as directed by the Courts. f. Uncontested cases will be heard first, followed by contested cases. M. Jail Docket 1. Defendants being held in the McLennan County Jail who are represented by counsel will automatically be assigned to the video Jail Docket as regularly scheduled by the Courts, unless scheduled for pre-trial. 2. Any defendant in jail whose case, (other than probation revocation proceedings), has passed 180 days following the filing of the Information will be assigned to the Disposition Docket. Defendants being held in jail over 90 days on a motion to revoke community supervision or a motion to adjudicate guilt will be assigned to the next contested probation hearing docket. 3. Jail pleas will follow these procedures, or procedures adopted by the Courts from time to time. a. CCL 1 & CCL 2: (1) All jail plea papers must be submitted no later than 4:00 P.M. one (1) business day before the day the Jail Docket is scheduled - No Exceptions! (2) If this date is a holiday, all jail plea papers must be submitted no later than 4:00 P.M. on the previous business day. b. CCL 3: (1) All jail plea papers must be submitted no later than 5:00 P.M. two business days before the day the Jail Docket is scheduled - No Exceptions! (2) If this date is a holiday, all jail plea papers must be submitted no later than 12:00 P.M. on the business day before the day the Jail Docket is scheduled. c. Attorneys must remain in the Court Administrator's office when submitting plea papers until the papers have been checked for completeness and accuracy. d. Defense attorneys will be scheduled on the Jail Docket by the Court staff in the order that all complete sets of plea papers for all defendants represented by the defense attorney are accepted by the office of the Court Administrator. e. Defense attorneys failing to appear timely, (remote or video hearings), will be moved to the end of the list. 4. "Stand-in" counsel for a court-appointed attorney is discouraged. N. Jail Status Review Jail Status Review will be held weekly for defendants who are incarcerated and have been for an extended period of time with no settings other than Jail Docket. 1. The review will be primarily limited to defendants with court-appointed counsel, although the Court may include defendants with retained counsel as it may appear appropriate. 2. Any indigent defendant who has been appointed counsel, is scheduled on the Jail Docket, and has been in jail for a period of ninety (90) days or more as of Tuesday of any week will automatically be placed on the Jail Status review for the following week. 3. Defense counsel is required to contact the Court Administrator at or prior to the time of the Jail Status review and to report the status of the case and any reason for further delay. 4. If Defense counsel does not contact the Court Administrator by the Jail Status review deadline, the case(s) will be scheduled on the Disposition Docket at the earliest possible convenience to the Court. 5. The following constitute valid reasons to remove a defendant from the Jail Status review: a. Defense counsel has submitted plea papers for the defendant to plead at the next Jail Docket; b. Defense counsel has a valid trial conflict with the next Jail Docket, in which case the defendant will be rescheduled to the following Jail Docket; c. Defendant has executed a written waiver of both statutory and constitutional rights to a speedy trial, in a form satisfactory to the Court, in which case the defendant will be rescheduled for a Jail Status review approximately eight (8) to twelve (12) weeks away; d. Any other reason deemed by the Court to be compelling. O. Pro Se Proceedings 1. A record shall be made of all pro se proceedings, until and unless the Defendant formally waives such a record. 2. A special Pro Se Docket shall be established at which the Court will determine if the defendant will be allowed to waive counsel. 3. If the defendant waives counsel, the case will be a. heard on that date, if a plea agreement is announced by the parties; b. scheduled for pre-trial on a later Pro Se Docket; c. scheduled for a plea on a later Pro Se Docket, if agreed by the parties. P. Bond Forfeitures 1. Judgment nisi will be rendered by the Court as set out below and a capias will issue promptly in each case in which the personal appearance of the Defendant was required and the Defendant failed to appear in person, unless such failure to appear has been excused by the Court. 2. Upon a defendant's failure to appear and the forfeiture of the defendant's bond, a new bond amount will be set by the Court. 3. Unless directed otherwise by the Judge, judgment nisi will be rendered on or following the 61st calendar day after the bond forfeiture. 4. Once judgment nisi is rendered, all matters pertaining to the bond forfeiture must be presented at the date and time set for the hearing to show cause and trial, in the manner prescribed by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Q. Drug Testing 1. All defendants who have been released on bond are subject to drug testing at any time. Testing ordered as a condition of bond will be performed at no cost to the defendant. 2. All defendants are subject to drug testing when appearing in Court. 3. Defendants who are requesting (a) deferred adjudication community supervision, (b) community supervision following conviction, or (c) alternative means of serving jail sentences, such as SPURS, work or education release, or house arrest and electronic monitoring must be prepared to submit to drug testing prior to obtaining a ruling from the Court on the request. 4. Other than testing as a condition of bond, a defendant who has not been found indigent by the Court for purposes of receiving court appointed counsel will be responsible for the cost of such testing, payable prior to the test. A defendant who has been found indigent by the Court and has been appointed counsel will not be responsible for the cost of such testing. R. Non-US Citizens 1. All defense counsel are required to comply with the provisions of Padilla v. Kentucky in advising non-US citizen defendants of the effect a plea of guilty or nolo contendere may have on their status in the US. 2. Court-appointed counsel are specifically required to provide to or obtain for their non-US citizen defendants immigration law information which meets the requirements of Padilla. 3. myPadilla.com is a free website providing defense counsel with a written statement of any defendant's consequences in pleading guilty or nolo contendere to a criminal charge, and must be utilized for all indigent defendants with court-appointed counsel, unless the defense counsel satisfies the Court that the attorney has the requisite knowledge and has reached a definitive conclusion in regard to the defendant's possible immigration issues. III. Local Civil Rules A. Filing 1. All civil cases will be filed on a rotating basis, as set forth in the separate order of Adoption of New Case Filing Docket Assignments, or any amendments thereto. 2. All initial pleadings must conform with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and must include any cover sheet or other tracking documents required by the McLennan County Clerk. B. Scheduling Orders 1. Within 30 days following the answer and/or appearance of all parties, the parties must conference and submit an agreed proposed scheduling order or trial date to the Court Administrator. 2. If the parties cannot agree to a scheduling order, the Plaintiff shall promptly file a motion for the Court to enter a scheduling order, with a certificate of conference. 3. In the event a scheduling order is unnecessary or not required under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure or any applicable statute, this section shall not apply. C. Dismissal Docket 1. In addition to the provisions of Rule 165a, T.R.C.P., a case may be subject to dismissal for want of prosecution if one or more of the following conditions exist: a. a case has been on file for more than 180 days, citation has been served and the time to answer has expired with no answer or appearance, or no answer is required by law; b. a case has been on file for more than eighteen months and is not set for trial; c. a party or an attorney has failed to take any action as directed by the Court. D. Motions 1. Form. Motions shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by a proposed order granting the relief sought. The proposed order shall be a separate instrument, unless the entire motion, order, signature lines and certificate of service are all on one page. 2. Response. Responses shall be in writing and shall be filed at least three (3) working days before the date of submission, except on leave of court. Failure to file a response may be considered a representation of no opposition. 3. Conference. a. Whenever practicable, counsel shall include with all filed motions a "Certificate of Conference" signed by counsel for movant and containing confirmation that 3.b. below has been satisfied. Except on leave granted by the Court, the Clerk shall not accept for filing and the Court Administrator shall not schedule for hearing any motion not containing a certificate of conference. b. Prior to filing a motion, counsel shall personally contact all other attorneys in the case to schedule and conduct a conference in an attempt to resolve the disputed matters. Counsel shall make at least three attempts to contact all other attorneys during regular business hours over a period of no less than two business days. 4. Proposed Orders. Counsel seeking affirmative relief shall be prepared to tender a proposed order to the Court at the commencement of any hearing on any contested matter. The opposing party must approve the proposed order as to form, object to the form in open court, or file objections in writing with the Court within one business day. Nothing herein prevents the Court from drafting a separate order at any time after the hearing. 5. Notice of Hearings. Upon setting a motion or other matter for hearing, a party must serve written notice on all other parties in written or other verifiable form, within one business day of receipt of such setting. All motions other than threshold motions must be scheduled for hearing as soon as practicable following both the filing and any response period authorized by the rules or applicable statute, and not reserved for Pre-Trial. 6. Agreed Motions a. Agreed motions submitted in writing with a proposed order and reflecting the agreement of all parties by personal or legally authorized signatures either (a) on the form of order, or (b) in the certificate of conference will be considered without a hearing. b. Notwithstanding 6.a. above, the following must be scheduled for a hearing: (1) agreed motions for continuance in cases older than two years; (2) final hearings involving financial settlements to or on behalf of minors. E. Pre-Trial The following pre-trial procedures will be followed in all civil matters scheduled for jury or bench trial, unless provided otherwise in a scheduling order: 1. All parties will pre-mark exhibits to the extent reasonably possible, and prepare an exhibit list containing a. the number/letter of the exhibit; b. a description of the exhibit; and, c. a space for the initial of the Court reporter's notation of the admission of or refusal to admit the exhibit. 2. The exhibit list will be submitted to the court reporter no later than the Pre-trial hearing. 3. All parties will submit, in printed form and in digital form (Microsoft Word format) a complete proposed charge to the jury. a. Specific requested instructions should be included in the body of the proposed charge and in a separate request containing a provision for the Court to note its approval or rejection of the requested instruction. 4. A witness list, including addresses and telephone numbers, will be submitted to the court reporter no later than the time the case is called for trial. 5. If written deposition excerpts will be offered at trial, the party must designate each page and line in sequence to be used at trial. If edited videotaped depositions will be offered, objections must be raised at the Pre-trial Conference or may be deemed waived. 6. Pre-Trial Hearing: a. Pre-Trial hearings for all civil jury trials will be scheduled on the Friday, 10 days in advance of the scheduled trial date. b. Motions in Limine and other threshold motions will be heard at the Pre-Trial hearing. c. All parties are required to make announcements at the Pre-Trial hearing concerning their readiness for trial. d. If no party announces "ready," the case will be passed automatically and removed from the Trial Docket until it is scheduled again for trial; however, the Court may, in its discretion, exercise its authority to dismiss the case for want of prosecution. e. Cases which are ready or deemed ready for trial will be assigned a starting day and time for the following week, or on a later date, at the Court's discretion. F. Scheduling for Trial 1. The Judge may order a trial setting at any time. 2. In the discretion of the court, preference in setting cases for trial shall be given to matters in which the parties have participated in alternate dispute resolution procedures. 3. Any party may schedule the trial of a cause, subject to any scheduling order, by submitting a written request to the Court Administrator, with a copy to all other parties, setting out the following: a. The cause number and style of the case; b. The purpose of and the requested date for the hearing or trial; c. The identity of the party and counsel submitting the request; and d. A certificate of conference demonstrating a reasonable attempt to reach an agreement on such setting. 4. All civil jury trials will be scheduled on Monday, but may be tried on any day during that week, at the Court's discretion. 5. Civil trials in the County Court at Law and the County Court at Law No. 2 are subject to the priority of criminal trial settings, except during weeks set aside by the Courts from time to time for civil priority settings. Criminal trials in the County Court at Law No. 3 are subject to the priority of civil trial settings. 6. All civil or probate matters, other than those pending before the County Judge, will be scheduled for hearing by the Court Administrator upon request of counsel or the Court, giving priority to the regularly scheduled docket for such proceedings. Trials on the merits will be scheduled by the Courts. G. Pro Bono Matters The McLennan County Courts at Law encourage attorneys to represent qualified clients on a pro bono basis. An attorney representing a pro bono client on a matter set for hearing on a docket containing multiple other cases, may inform the Court of his or her pro bono representation, in which event the Court will make every reasonable effort to give that matter priority, subject to the other scheduling needs of the Court. IV. Probate and Mental Health A. All probate and mental health matters will be heard by the County Judge. 1. In emergency circumstances, the Judges of the County Courts at Law may hear ex parte matters requiring immediate attention. 2. The County Court at Law Judges may also hear uncontested probate matters when the County Judge is unavailable or has a conflict. B. All probate matters heard by the County Judge will be scheduled by that office and heard in accordance with the procedural requirements followed by the County Judge, and will not be subject to these rules. C. The County Judge may transfer probate and mental health cases to the County Courts at Law as he deems necessary, and for the specific purposes expressed in the order of transfer. Such transfer shall remain in effect until the matter is transferred back to the County Judge by Court order. V. Advance Approval of Court Interpreters A. The County Courts at Law may approve in advance an interpreter or interpreters to translate from English into other languages during Court proceedings, by Court order signed and filed in the Local Rules of the County Courts at Law of McLennan County. B. Advance approval of an interpreter as set out in this provision will authorize the interpreter to provide services in any County Court at Law without the necessity of taking the oath of the interpreter in each specific case, and will create a presumption that the interpreter is qualified under Rule 183 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Section 38.30 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and under Rule 604 of the Texas Rules of Evidence. If objection is not timely made to an interpreter with advance approval pursuant to this rule, such objection will be deemed waived. C. Advance approval of any interpreter in this manner is conditioned upon his/her execution of a written oath as interpreter, which shall be filed with the official Local Court Rules. D. An order approving an interpreter pursuant to this rule shall remain in effect until further order of the Courts or the written resignation of the interpreter. E. This rule does not preclude the use of the services of any other qualified interpreter upon the request of any party or upon the Court's motion. VI. Rules of Decorum [applicable in all cases] A. Children under the age of 17 years are not allowed in the courtroom while Court is in session, unless authorized by the Court in advance. B. Telephones, smart devices, computers, electronic pads and other instruments capable of 1) receiving or sending communications, 2) photography, 3) video recording, or 4) audio recording are strictly prohibited, except as used by officers of the Court in the performance of their Court duties. C. Dress 1. No witnesses, observers, spectators or parties will be allowed in the courtroom unless dressed appropriately. 2. Inappropriate clothing or dress includes the following: a. Shorts, of any length, showing any portion of the leg; b. Sandals, flip-flops, or bare feet; c. Hats, caps, do-rags, skull caps or other head-coverings (except those required by religious precepts); d. Sunglasses or other unnecessary eyewear; e. Torn or dirty clothing; f. Sleeveless shirts; g. Clothing displaying offensive, vulgar, disrespectful or otherwise unacceptable graphics or words; h. Exposed undergarments; i. Women's halter-tops, low cut blouses, or other revealing clothing; j. Men's slacks or pants worn with the waist-band significantly below the waist. 3. All attorneys will maintain a professional appearance, and will appear in Court in appropriate business professional attire, e.g. a suit and tie or a coat and tie for men. 4. The Courts have discretion to modify or clarify these rules at any time. 5. Violators of these rules will be required to leave the courtroom. Parties in violation will be required to leave the courtroom and to dress properly and return on the same day as directed by the Court. Non-participants in violation of these rules will be denied access to the courtroom. In criminal cases, a defendant in violation who fails to return as directed, dressed appropriately, will be subject to a "failure to appear" finding. D. Testimony 1. Witnesses and participants in courtroom proceedings will refrain from non-verbal communications, including gestures, head-shakes, and sounds such as "uh-huh." 2. Attorneys and witnesses will be respectful and allow others to finish speaking before beginning to speak. 3. Witnesses will stop speaking whenever an attorney or the Judge interrupts. 4. The "rule" will be strictly enforced. (See Texas Rules of Evidence, Rule 614; Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 267; Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, 36.03 - 36.06). E. Contact with Jury 1. No attorney, party or witness may have contact with or carry on conversations with or near any member of a jury or jury panel (venire) of any nature. 2. All witnesses waiting outside the courtroom will sit or stand in an area well removed from any juror or potential juror and will not review reports or other evidence regarding the case in the presence of or near any juror or prospective juror. F. Responsibility of Attorneys 1. Attorneys are responsible for assuring that their clients and witnesses are aware of these rules and are complying. VII. Applicability The foregoing rules are applicable to all matters pending before the Courts, whether jury or non-jury cases, subject to the local criminal rules for criminal cases. VII. Prior Orders and Local Court Rules A. The following documents on file in the McLennan County Rules of Court have been superseded and are no longer effective: (1) Local Court Rules, [September 1, 2023]. APPROVED and ADOPTED on March 6, 2026. [signature] Vikram Deivanayagam, Judge, County Court at Law [signature] T. Bradley Cates, Judge, County Court at Law No. 2 [signature] J. Patrick Atkins, Judge, County Court at Law. No. 3 Exhibit A Monday 9:00 am - Jury Trial docket call 10:00 am - Criminal, Civil and Probate Jury Trials Tuesday 9:00 am - Criminal, Civil and Probate Jury Trials 1:30 pm - Criminal, Civil and Probate overflow 3:00 pm - Jail Status Review Wednesday CCL - 9:00 am - Criminal Arraignment [alternating weeks] 11:00 am - Criminal Disposition Docket 1:30 or 2:30 pm - Criminal Pre-trial [2 weeks out of every 3 weeks, alternating between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm] 1:30 pm - Criminal Jail Docket [every 3rd Wednesday] 3:00 pm - Criminal Pro-Se Docket [every 3rd Wednesday] CCL2 - 9:00 am - Criminal Arraignment [alternating weeks] 10:30 am - Criminal Disposition Docket 1:30 or 2:30 pm - Criminal Pre-trial [2 weeks out of every 3 weeks, alternating between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm] 1:30 pm - Criminal Jail Docket [every 3rd Wednesday] 3:00 pm - Criminal Pro-Se Docket [every 3rd Wednesday] CCL3 - 9:00 am - Criminal Arraignment [once per month as scheduled] - Civil and Probate hearings - 1:30 pm - Criminal Pre-trial 1:30 pm - Civil and Probate hearings - Criminal Jail Docket [every 3rd Wednesday] 3:00 pm - Criminal Pro-Se Docket [once per month as scheduled] Thursday - 9:00 am - Status (Plea) Docket - Civil and Probate hearings [CCL 3] 1:30 pm - Community Supervision Revocations [uncontested] - Civil and Probate hearings [CCL 3] 2:30 pm - Community Supervision Revocations [contested] 3:00 pm - Special Criminal Pre-trial hearings Friday - 9:00 am - Civil, Probate, Pre-trial and other hearings 1:30 pm - Civil and Probate hearings [Footer: Amended Local Court Rules [March 6, 2026], with the page number]
[Stamp: RECEIVED, MAR 10 2026, COUNTY CLERK] Local Court Rules of the County Courts at Law of McLennan County, Texas [February 16, 2026] [amended March 6, 2026] The Judges of the County Courts at Law of McLennan County hereby ORDER that the following Local Court Rules be and are hereby adopted, effective on March 6, 2026. I. General The County Courts at Law are courts of limited jurisdiction. (See
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-06 from the TOPICs custody scan (text layer read; structure confirmed against the prior edition doc 1197). Current edition; supersedes the January 17, 2023 edition (doc 1197, recorded). Bound to McLennan County (County Courts at Law). [TRANSCRIBED BY EYE 2026-09-21 (corpus-0920 P12): every page of the registered file (sha256 cbbf6ee200b4..., 16 page(s), digital layer that failed the machine checks; text taken from the layer and corrected word by word from the page) read against the rendered file; verbatim, source typos kept, stamps/signatures bracketed; the earlier abstract replaced by the full instrument; confidence high. benchpath-tx-corpus0920-p12-2026-09-21]