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The Harris County District Court are trial courts of general jurisdiction in Harris County, the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. They serve approximately 4.9 million residents who live and work across the county’s 1,778 square miles.
Texas has a total of 488 district courts, and 61 of those are located in Harris County. These 61 courts include 24 Civil District Courts, 23 Criminal District Courts, 11 Family District Courts, and three Juvenile District Courts. The Harris County District courthouses are located in Houston, which is the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the U.S.
The Harris County District Court Clerk is the Hon. Marilyn Burgess. The District Court Clerk plays an important role as recorder and custodian of official court records. The Clerk’s Office collects trial evidence, preserves historical documents, summons jurors, oversees passport applications, and maintains a mailroom. The Office of the District Courts Clerk is located at 201 Caroline, Suite 420, Houston TX 77002, and can be reached by calling (832) 927-5800.
The Harris County Civil District Courts
Harris County has 24 Civil District Courts. These courts hear matters involving civil actions. The civil division handles cases relating to malpractice, breach of contract, damages, personal injury, and multidistrict litigation. These courts also operate as ancillary courts, which primarily serve to hear applications for temporary restraining orders.
The Harris County District Courts Civil Trial Division states that its vision is to be “committed to equal access and justice for all.” Their mission statement describes the division as “an independent judiciary and equal branch of Government, dedicated to serving our community through the fair, timely, and efficient resolution of civil cases.”
The Civil District Courts are all located in the Harris County Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002.
Each of the 24 Civil District Courts has a Presiding Judge. The Civil District Courthouse is also home to the Multi-District Litigation (MDL) judges, the Hon. Mark Davidson and the Hon. Sylvia Mathews. The Clerk for the MDL Judges is Cassie Combs, who can be reached by calling (832) 927-2700 or emailing cassie.combs@hcdistrictclerk.com.
The Civil District Courthouse is also home to two Tax Master Judges, the Hon. Sharon McCally and the Hon. Elizabeth Lockett. The Hon. Sharon McCally’s Court Clerk is Rachel Fowler, who can be reached by emailing rachel.fowler@hcdistrictclerk.com. The Hon. Elizabeth Lockett’s Court Clerk is Danielle Gutierrez, who can be reached by emailing danielle.gutierrez@hcdistrictclerk.com.
The Harris County Criminal District Courts
Harris County has 23 Criminal District Courts. The Harris County Criminal District Courts have original jurisdiction in all felony criminal cases. The Criminal District Courts Trial Division makes provisions for the appointment of Associate Judges.
The Judges of the Criminal courthouses may refer matters such as a bond forfeiture, pretrial motion, appeal of an administrative Driver’s license revocation hearing, a negotiated plea of guilt or no contest before the court, setting, adjusting, or revoking bond, a writ of habeas corpus, an examining trial the issuance of search warrants, and any other matter the judge considers necessary and proper.
The Harris County Criminal Justice Center is located at 1201 Franklin, Houston, Texas 77002.
The three busiest Harris County Criminal District Courts are the 174th Criminal District Court, the 180th Criminal District Court, and the 208th Criminal District Court.
The Presiding Judge for the 174th Criminal District Court is the Hon. Hazel B. Jones. The Clerk of the 174th Criminal District Court is Nerissa Shankle. You can reach the 174th Criminal District Court by calling (832) 927-4200 or faxing (832) 927-4218.
The Presiding Judge for the 180th Criminal District Court is the Hon. DaSean Jones. The Clerk of the 180th Criminal District Court is Laresha Hall. You can reach the 180th Criminal District Court in Harris County by calling (832) 927-4125 or faxing (832) 927-4121.
The Presiding Judge for the 208th Criminal District Court is the Hon. Beverly D. Armstrong. The Clerk of the 208th Criminal District Court is Lucy Garzal. You can reach the Harris County 208th Criminal District Court by calling (832) 927-3950.
The Harris County Family District Courts
The Family Law District courts hear and decide matters relating to family and children. These courts handle cases including divorce, legal separation, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, protective orders, and the emancipation of minors.
There are 11 Harris County Family District Courts located at the Harris County Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002.
The three Harris County Family District Courts with the highest caseloads are the 257th Family District Court, the 310th Family District Court, and the 311th Family District Court.
The Presiding Judge for the 257th Family District Court is the Hon. Sandra Peake. The Associate Judge is the Hon. Angelina Gooden. The Clerks for the 257th Family District Court are Patricia Montgomery and Koren Montalvo. You can reach the 257th Family District Court in Harris County by calling (832) 927-4560.
The Presiding Judge for the 310th Family District Court is the Hon. Sonya L. Heath. The Clerk for the 310th Family District Court is Sherise Dickerson and the Assistant Clerk is Kashondra Thomas. You can reach the 310th Family District Court by calling (713) 274-1310 or faxing (713) 274-1325.
The Presiding Judge for the 311th Family District Court is the Hon. Germaine J. Tanner. The Clerk for the 311th Family District Court is Sherise Dickerson and the Assistant Clerk is Kashondra Thomas. You can reach the 310th Family District Court by calling (713) 274-4580 or faxing (713) 274-4598.
The Harris County District Juvenile Courts
The Juvenile Courts hear and decide matters relating to juvenile delinquency, dependency, and juvenile traffic matters.
The Harris County Juvenile Justice Center is located at 1200 Congress, Houston, TX 77002.
There are three Juvenile District Courts in Harris County: the 313th, the 314th, and the 315th.
The Presiding Judge for the 313th Juvenile District Court is the Hon. Natalia Cokinos Oakes. You can reach the 313th Juvenile District Court by calling (832) 927-8450.
The Presiding Judge for 314th Juvenile District Courthouse is the Hon. Michelle Moore. You can reach the 314th Juvenile District Court by calling (832) 927-8470.
The Presiding Judge for the 315th Juvenile District Court is the Hon. Leah Shapiro. You can reach the 315th Juvenile District Court by calling (832) 927-8480.
The Harris County District Speciality Courts
There are three specialty courts in the Harris County District Court that hear and decide a wide range of matters and issues.
The Success Through Addiction Recovery (STAR) Adult Drug Court bridges the gap between the criminal justice system and therapeutic drug addiction recovery systems. The STAR Adult Drug Court’s mission is “[t]o build the community's confidence in the criminal justice system through a more effective judicial and public intervention based on changed perceptions of addiction. The drug court will seek to more efficiently utilize all available resources to save money and to save lives.”
The Harris County Veterans’ Court Program (VC) was established with the “mission to increase access to mental health and addictions treatment for those veterans with felony and misdemeanor offenses by diverting veterans directly into VA treatment, reducing jail time, costs, and criminal recidivism while improving mental health recovery and successful re-entry into the community.” The Veterans’ Court is located at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, 1201 Franklin, 20th Floor, Houston Texas 77002, and can be reached by calling (832) 927-4331.
The Harris County Felony Mental Health Court (FMHC) was established “to ensure public safety and minimize recidivism while diverting defendants that suffer from mental illnesses from incarceration and facilitating linkage to appropriate treatment and community resources.” Judge Jan Krocker, the Presiding Judge of the 184th District Court, served as the Founding Judge of the FMHC. The Felony Mental Health Court in Harris County is located at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center and can be reached by calling (832) 927-4350.