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For 2026 appointments the Board of Judges certifies attorneys on January 2, 2026; proof of CLE hours and the Request for Appointments form were due to the court administrator by December 20, 2025, with a sworn statement of compliance with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission's 2025 reporting; attorney fee requests are due at sentencing; appointed counsel must make face-to-face contact with an incarcerated client within 14 days of appointment or before pre-trial; the district judges' office accepts felony-only requests for San Patricio and Aransas, felony, prison-felony and juvenile for Bee, and felony and juvenile for Live Oak and McMullen, with misdemeanor and (in Aransas and San Patricio) juvenile certifications going to the county courts at law; the enclosed request form lists the case types per county.
Applies to attorneys seeking or holding criminal appointments in the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts sitting in McMullen County (the courts serve Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen and San Patricio Counties). An annual circular; the 14-day client-contact and fees-at-sentencing directives are standing. Not registered on TOPICs; posted on the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts' own website (www.36-156-343districtcourts.org, served on the CIRA platform under www.co.zapata.tx.us/page/districtcourt.*, from which BenchPath's custody copy was fetched). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
To: Counsel accepting criminal appointments in the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts. Re: 2026 Felony Appointment Certification. Date: November 25, 2025. From: 36th, 156th, and 343rd District Judges (letterhead: Starr Boldrick Bauer, District Judge 36th Judicial District; Patrick L. Flanigan, District Judge 156th Judicial District; Janna K. Whatley, District Judge 343rd Judicial District — District Judges' Office, P.O. Box 700, Sinton, Texas 78387-0700; counties Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio). The Board of Judges will be certifying attorneys for 2026 appointments on January 2, 2026. You must have your proof of CLE hours and Request for Appointments (enclosed) to the Court Administrator's office by December 20, 2025 to be eligible for appointments beginning January 2023 [sic]. Additionally, you must swear or affirm that you have complied with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission reporting requirement for the year of 2025. *** Attorney fees requests are due at sentencing. AS A REMINDER YOU MUST MAKE FACE TO FACE CONTACT WITH YOUR INCARCERATED CLIENT WITHIN 14 DAYS OF THE APPOINTMENT OR PRIOR TO PRE-TRIAL!!! Please mail your CLE information and the enclosed Request for Appointments to the Board of Judges, P.O. Box 700, Sinton, Texas 78387, email to 36jury@gmail.com, or hand deliver it to any Court Administrator before December 20th. Additionally our office only accepts the following appointment/certification requests: San Patricio County – Felony only; Aransas County – Felony only; Bee County – Felony, Prison Felony and Juvenile only; Live Oak County – Felony and Juvenile only; Mc Mullen County – Felony and Juvenile only. District Court forms can be found on our web site: www.36-156-343districtcourts.org. For all misdemeanors in all counties and juvenile in Aransas and San Patricio County please submit your appointment/certification to the following: San Patricio County misdemeanor and juvenile – Judge Elizabeth Welborn and Judge Vicki Martino; Aransas County misdemeanor and juvenile – Judge Richard Bianchi; Bee County misdemeanor – Judge Harvey Hardwick; Live Oak County misdemeanor – Judge James Liska; McMullen County misdemeanor – Judge James Teal. cc: Juvenile Board Members. ENCLOSURE — REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENTS. I, do hereby solemnly swear or affirm by signing below that I have reviewed the qualifications as set by each respective District, County, and Juvenile Courts. I further solemnly swear that I am qualified to receive. Additionally, if I was on any criminal appointment list for 2026 I solemnly swear that I complied with the Indigent Defense Reporting Requirements by December 20, 2026 for each county in which I took appointments. I do hereby request appointment in the individual counties as follows: ARANSAS COUNTY — felony cases; appeal of felony cases. BEE COUNTY — felony cases; appeal of felony cases; prison cases; appeal of prison cases; juvenile cases (not involving determinate sentencing or certification); juvenile cases (involving determinate sentencing or certification); juvenile appeals. LIVE OAK COUNTY — felony cases; appeal of felony cases; juvenile cases (not involving determinate sentencing or certification); juvenile cases (involving determinate sentencing or certification); juvenile appeals. MCMULLEN COUNTY — felony cases; appeal of felony cases; juvenile cases (not involving determinate sentencing or certification); juvenile cases (involving determinate sentencing or certification); juvenile appeals. SAN PATRICIO COUNTY — felony cases; appeal of felony cases. I do / do not accept emails. Email address. Please attach your CLE hours to this form. Printed name; Signature.
To: Counsel accepting criminal appointments in the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts. Re: 2026 Felony Appointment Certification. Date: November 25, 2025. From: 36th, 156th, and 343rd District Judges (letterhead: Starr Boldrick Bauer, District Judge 36th Judicial District; Patrick L. Flanigan, District Judge 156th Judicial District; Janna K. Whatley, District Judge 343rd Judicial District — Dis
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-08 from BenchPath's own-site custody copy (two image-only pages read through the vision lane and transcribed; the memorandum's "beginning January 2023" is its own error, transcribed with [sic]; the letterhead still names Judge Flanigan for the 156th although the 2026 instruments name Boyd W. Bauer). McMullen County edition of a five-county instrument.
6 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in GIUSEPPINA MIRANDA's division.
4 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in HILARY CREARY's division.