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Joint standing order of the 145th and 420th District Courts for felony cases under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 39.14: the District Attorney's Office is authorized to disclose to defense counsel criminal history record information (Government Code § 411.084(a)(2)) and medical records or protected health information in its file (a court order for 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e)(1)(i)), each usable only for the case in which it is disclosed; presentence investigation reports are confidential, may be read at least 48 hours before sentencing, counsel may keep one copy and may not give the defendant a copy; community supervision department case records may be released to the State and to counsel for the person who is the subject of a motion to revoke or adjudicate; no disclosure prohibited by controlling law is authorized; violations may be punished by contempt, sanctions or referral. Effective on signature by both judges.
Texas > Tenth Administrative Judicial Region > Nacogdoches County > the 145th and 420th Judicial District Courts. Applies prospectively to all felony criminal cases pending on or filed after September 4, 2026 in either court, subject to any case-specific order.
IN THE 145TH AND 420TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURTS NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TEXAS JOINT STANDING ORDER FOR DISCOVERY, DISCLOSURE, AND PROTECTION OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION; PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION; PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORTS; AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT CASE RECORDS IN FELONY CRIMINAL CASES The 145th and 420th Judicial District Courts of Nacogdoches County, Texas, enter this Joint Standing Order to facilitate the lawful exchange, disclosure, use, and protection of discoverable information in felony criminal cases under Article 39.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and other applicable law. This Order applies to felony criminal cases filed in either Court and remains subject to any case-specific order entered by the presiding judge. IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the following provisions govern the categories of information described below: I. CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION To comply with Article 39.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the Courts authorize the Nacogdoches County District Attorney's Office to disclose to the attorney of record for a defendant in a felony case criminal history record information concerning the defendant or any potential witness when that information is contained in the District Attorney's case file and is discoverable or otherwise required to be disclosed by law. Disclosure pursuant to this Order is authorized by Texas Government Code § 411.084(a)(2), which permits disclosure to the extent directed by court order. An attorney receiving criminal history record information under this Order shall comply with Chapter 411 of the Texas Government Code, Article 39.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and all other applicable federal and state restrictions governing the use, safeguarding, disclosure, and dissemination of such information. The information may be used only for purposes of representing the defendant in the criminal case in which it is disclosed and may not be disclosed to an unauthorized person. Nothing in this Order requires the Nacogdoches County District Attorney's Office to conduct any additional investigation or inquiry concerning criminal history record information unless further ordered by the Court or otherwise required by law. II. PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION AND MEDICAL RECORDS To comply with Article 39.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and applicable federal privacy regulations, including 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164, the Courts authorize the Nacogdoches County District Attorney's Office to disclose to the attorney of record for a defendant in a felony case medical records and protected health information contained in the District Attorney's case file when the information relates to the case and is discoverable or otherwise required to be disclosed by law. This Order is intended to constitute a court order authorizing disclosure for purposes of 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e)(1)(i), subject to the limitations stated herein. Any person receiving medical records or protected health information under this Order shall comply with HIPAA and its implementing regulations, the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, Chapter 181 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, Article 39.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and all other applicable law concerning the use, safeguarding, disclosure, and dissemination of protected health information. Protected health information disclosed under this Order shall be used solely for the prosecution or defense of the criminal case in which it is disclosed and shall not be further disclosed except as permitted by law or further order of the Court. Nothing in this Order requires the Nacogdoches County District Attorney's Office to conduct any additional investigation or inquiry concerning protected health information unless further ordered by the Court or otherwise required by law. III. PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORTS Presentence investigation reports and postsentence reports are confidential and are not public records except as provided by law. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 42A.256. Unless the defendant waives the statutory period, the judge shall permit the defendant or the defendant's attorney to read the presentence investigation report at least 48 hours before sentencing, as required by Article 42A.255 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The attorney for the State shall also be permitted access as provided by Article 42A.255(c). Counsel for the State and counsel for the defendant may print or retain one copy of the presentence investigation report for their respective case files, subject to this Order. Defense counsel shall review the report with the defendant in a timely manner but shall not provide the defendant, or any other unauthorized person, with a paper or electronic copy of the report. Each attorney receiving a presentence investigation report shall safeguard it from unauthorized access and shall comply with Articles 39.14, 42A.255, and 42A.256 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and any other applicable confidentiality requirement. The conclusion of the criminal proceeding does not terminate the obligations imposed by this Order upon the defendant, counsel, or any other person granted access to the report. IV. NACOGDOCHES COUNTY COMMUNITY SUPERVISION AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT CASE RECORDS The Nacogdoches County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (the "Department") supervises persons placed on community supervision by the 145th and 420th Judicial District Courts and maintains case records as required by 37 Texas Administrative Code § 163.67(a). Under § 163.67(b), those case records are confidential and may be released only under circumstances authorized by law or as directed by the Court. The Courts direct that case records maintained and produced by the Department may be released to the Nacogdoches County District Attorney's Office for the investigation and prosecution of motions to revoke community supervision and motions to adjudicate guilt, and to the attorney representing the person who is the subject of such a motion. The Department may release the records electronically through a reasonably secure method. An attorney receiving Department case records under this Order shall comply with Article 39.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and all other applicable law governing the use and dissemination of confidential information. The attorney shall reasonably safeguard the records and shall not disclose them to an unauthorized person. V. GENERAL PROVISIONS This Order does not authorize disclosure of information that is prohibited from disclosure by controlling federal or state law, nor does it supersede a more restrictive statute, rule, privilege, or case-specific protective order. A party may apply to the Court for additional protection, clarification, or authorization when the nature of particular information so requires. A violation of this Order may subject the violator to contempt proceedings, sanctions authorized by law, referral to appropriate disciplinary authorities, or any other remedy within the Court's authority. This Joint Standing Order takes effect upon signature by both judges and remains in effect until amended, superseded, or rescinded. It applies prospectively to all felony criminal cases pending on or filed after its effective date, except to the extent a presiding judge orders otherwise in a particular case. SIGNED AND ENTERED on the date of the last signature below. [signature] JEFFERSON B. DAVIS Judge, 145th Judicial District Court Date: September 4, 2026 [signature] JOHN MALCOLM BALES Judge, 420th Judicial District Court Date: September 4, 2026 [File stamp: FILED, NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TEXAS, 2026 SEP 15 AM 10:23, [signature], district clerk]
IN THE 145TH AND 420TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURTS NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TEXAS JOINT STANDING ORDER FOR DISCOVERY, DISCLOSURE, AND PROTECTION OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION; PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION; PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORTS; AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT CASE RECORDS IN FELONY CRIMINAL CASES The 145th and 420th Judicial District Courts of Nacogdoches Count
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-19 (AJR-10 Tenth Region build) from BenchPath custody sources/registered/3136.pdf (application/pdf, 838727 bytes, sha256 070b4c47be66a94bd756e5f1443deacaa408f423b3185c54c356629f0e3276ef; 3 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. Three-page image-only PDF typed from the rendered pages; the handwritten dates were read under magnification (both September 4, 2026). The file stamp overlaps the caption. The instrument names both sitting district judges.
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.