Tex. Gov't Code § 27.004 · Subchapter A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
RECORDS AND OTHER PROPERTY.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) Each justice shall arrange and safely keep all dockets, books, and papers transmitted to the justice by the justice's predecessors in office, and all papers filed in a case in justice court, subject to the public access requirements prescribed by Rule 12, Rules of Judicial Administration.
(a-1) If a person vacates the office of justice of the peace, the person shall transfer all court records, documents, property, and unfinished business to the person's successor on the date the successor takes office. After the transfer, the business of the office must be completed as if the successor had begun the business.
(b) A person who has possession of dockets, books, or papers belonging to the office of any justice of the peace shall deliver them to the justice on demand. If the person refuses to deliver them, on a motion supported by an affidavit, the person may be attached and imprisoned by the order of the county judge until the person makes delivery. The county judge may issue the order in termtime or vacation. The person against whom the motion is made must be given three days' notice of the motion before the person may be attached.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 711 (S.B. 436), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.27.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 9322c85093893dff7cf97e639ac70bc69e88ed5fdca51971c59e1eeaea1a0fb3
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.