Tex. Gov't Code § 54.977 · Subchapter Q. CRIMINAL LAW MAGISTRATES IN TRAVIS COUNTY
ORDER OF REFERRAL.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) To refer one or more cases or matters to a magistrate, a judge must issue an order of referral specifying the magistrate's duties.
(b) An order of referral may:
(1) limit the powers of the magistrate and direct the magistrate to report only specific issues, do particular acts, or receive and report on evidence only;
(2) set the time and place for the hearing;
(3) prescribe a closing date for the hearing;
(4) provide a date for filing the magistrate's findings;
(5) designate proceedings for more than one case over which the magistrate shall preside;
(6) direct the magistrate to call the court's docket; and
(7) set forth general powers and limitations of authority of the magistrate applicable to any case referred.
(c) A judge may issue a general order of referral authorizing the magistrate to act on certain types of matters without requiring an order for each referral. Items that may be in the general order of referral include:
(1) waivers of extradition;
(2) search warrants;
(3) bench warrants;
(4) grand jury subpoenas;
(5) subpoenas and orders requiring the production of medical records, including records relating to mental health and substance abuse treatment; and
(6) records and other matters relating to the grand jury.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 849, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 26, 1991.
Amended by:
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 864 (H.B. 3856), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.54.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 ced0607262602aadf02201c584718eb93b33d8cf39d09b383b1316a92a224649
- 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.