According to the Texas Office of Court Administration, there are 917 Municipal Courts in the state with a total of 1,500 judges. Municipal Courts generally have limited jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses and minor civil cases, but exact jurisdiction depends on the particular county. In towns without municipal courts, the county or precinct's Justice of the Peace usually handles matters that would otherwise be handled by a municipal court.
For a directory of trial courts in Texas, including municipal courts, and online court resources, visit the Texas Courts Guide related link.
According to the Texas Office of Court Administration, there are 822 Justice Courts in Texas, each with one Justice of the Peace. The number of Justice Courts varies county to county, and some counties do not have any Justice Courts. If there are multiple Justice Courts in a given county, they are generally numbered by Precinct. Within a precinct, there may be one or more Justices of the Peace. If there is more than one Justice of the Peace within a Precinct, each one is assigned a Place number. Thus, for example, in Bell County, there are four Justice Court Precincts, two of which have one Justice of the Peace Place each, and two of which have two Places each, so there are six Justice Courts total in the county.
For more information on Justice of the Peace courts in Texas, including a general description of jurisdiction, and a statewide directory of trial courts, visit the Texas Courts Guide related link.
Ten counties in Texas have established Statutory Probate Courts - Bexar, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Galveston, Harris, Hidalgo, Tarrant, and Travis. Some of these counties have more than one Probate Court; there are 18 Statutory Probate Courts total in Texas. That does not mean that only 18 courts in the state hear probate cases! In counties without Probate Courts, probate matters (such as wills, estates, and guardianships) may be heard in District Courts, County Constitutional Courts and/or County Courts at Law. In some counties, a County Court at Law may be referred to as a "County and Probate Court," but unless it is in one of the counties listed above, it is not officially a Probate Court. To find out more information about the Statutory Probate Courts in the counties named above, and for online court resources, visit the Texas Courts Guide related link.
No, probate courts are part of the state court system.
The probate courts in Georgia have an appellate jurisdiction. This means that these courts can receive appeals from the lower courts in the Georgian jurisdiction.
It is a convoluted systems with two different approaches both Civil and Criminal. Perhaps that is why corporations like ENRON loved the system. It might be the best state for an attorney to practice in if they are worth their salt.
There are a number of trial courts in the Texas court system. The primary trial courts are District Courts, County Courts, Justice Courts, and Municipal Courts. The jurisdiction of each type of court varies from county to county. District Courts are the courts of general jurisdiction in the Texas court system, and they may hear any civil or criminal case. Generally, District Courts hear cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts, such as felony crimes, civil cases for large sums of money, contested probate cases, and family cases, such as divorce. Every county has at least one District Court, and some have several. Some smaller counties share District Courts. County Courts may be of three different kinds - County Courts at Law, Constitutional County Courts, and Statutory Probate Courts. County Courts at Law hear misdemeanor criminal cases and civil cases for under $100,000. Constitutional County Courts are also known as County Commissioners' Courts, and may have limited judicial functions in counties that also have County Courts at Law. Statutory Probate Courts, in the counties where they exist, have jurisdiction over most probate matters. Justice Courts and Municipal Courts have limited jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses and minor civil cases, depending on the county. For more information on the Texas court system, and to see which courts exist in a particular county and how to find out more information about a county's courts, visit the Texas Courts Guide related link.
Limited or special jurisdiction
Probate Courts
Probate courts have jurisdiction over a wide variety of matters. You can see a list at the link provided below.
Generally, yes. Probate courts are open to the public in most cases.
According to the Texas Office of Court Administration, there are 455 state District Courts in Texas. (This does not include Federal District Courts, which are part of a separate court system.) Some larger counties have more than one District Court, and some smaller counties share a District Court. All Texas counties are served by at least one District Court. District Courts are the courts of general jurisdiction in the Texas court system, and they may hear any civil or criminal case. Generally, District Courts hear cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts, such as felony crimes, civil cases for large sums of money, contested probate cases, and family cases, such as divorce. These districts are not organized geographically, so the only way to know which district represents a particular county (or counties), is to have a directory. Visit the Texas Courts Guide related link for a directory of Texas Courts by county, as well as online court resources.
Presidents Day is a Federal holiday. The courts will be closed.
Probate Office, Royal Courts of Justice [Ulster], Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 3JF