MUNICIPAL COURTS DEPARTMENT

The Municipal Courts main building is located at 1400 Lubbock

• Press Release 2/29/2008 - Round-Up Clears Thousands of Municipal Court Warrants
• Effective 1/1/08 - Court costs will increase by $7.00 (excludes parking and pedestrian cases).
• Attention Attorneys and Bonding Companies - 2:30 PM Scare Facias dockets have begun!
• Effective 12/3/07 - Bond amount will equal current amount due.

JUDICIAL
The Municipal Courts Judicial Department represents the City of Houston's judicial branch of government. It provides a forum for individuals charged with violations of State law and/or City ordinances. The City of Houston's Municipal Courts system is the largest of its kind in the State of Texas and one of the largest in the country. The fundamental purpose of the courts is to ensure the timely and efficient delivery and administration of justice.

The duties of the judiciary include the adjudication of cases, the setting of fines, not otherwise set by state law or city ordinance, the provision of magistrate services for law enforcement agencies, and coordinating the administrative operations of the court. The jurisdiction of the courts extends to misdemeanor cases where the maximum punishment is by fine only.

Courts are in session from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays. Jail dockets are held at various times on the weekends. Key operational areas are open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. On a daily basis, the Municipal Courts serve approximately 8,000 citizens who appear in person, handle 3,000 telephone inquiries, and respond to 1,800 by mail.

ADMINISTRATION
The Administration Department performs the administrative support activities for the efficient operation of the City of Houston's judicial branch of government. The Administration Department's stated purpose is to accurately, expeditiously, and courteously perform the ministerial duties required in the due process adjudication of both misdemeanor violations and the State law, as well as local ordinances filed in the City's Municipal Courts.

In the City of Houston, the Director and Chief Clerk of the Municipal Courts is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Mayor. By statute, the Municipal Court keeps minutes of court proceedings, issues processes and performs other duties such as:

• Providing clerical/administrative support for the Judiciary,
• Providing official records of all case transactions, as well as fines and fees collected, for each term of court, and
• Depositing fines and fees collected in the City treasury.

The Municipal Courts Administration Department is also responsible for:

• TEA certified instruction for Juveniles cited for Alcohol/Tobacco violations.

Municipal Court clerks keep a record of all fines, fees, court costs, and restitution collected by the Court and also oversee the records retention requirements for Municipal Court records. Monthly court statistics are reported to the State Office of Court Administration. Municipal Court clerks are authorized by Texas statute to administer the oath to a person swearing to a complaint before the Municipal Court or any matter pertaining to a duty of the Court and to issue a subpoena, if requested. Other Municipal Court clerk duties provided by Texas statute include:

• Keeping a record of each case involving a moving violation on highways.
• Reporting the conviction or forfeiture of bail to the DPS.
• Forwarding the Court records to the appellate court when a defendant appeals.
• Docketing bond forfeiture cases on the civil docket.
• Sending a copy of any emergency protection order to an absent victim of family violence.
• Notifying various agencies (especially state agencies) of specific Court dates.

The central location for the Municipal Courts Administration Department is 1400 Lubbock and the hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday - Saturday. There are also several satellite Annex Court locations, which can be located on the Municipal Court main website.