Government Code § 25.2072

Sec. 25.2072. SAN PATRICIO COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in San Patricio County has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court except that a county court at law does not have jurisdiction of: (1) felony criminal matters; and (2) civil cases in which the matter in controversy exceeds the maximum amount provided by Section 25.0003. (b) Repealed by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 746, Sec. 70, eff. Oct. 1, 1991. (c) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(81), eff. January 1, 2012. (d) The judge of a county court at law is entitled to receive travel and necessary office expenses, including administrative and clerical assistance. (e) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(81), eff. January 1, 2012. (f) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(81), eff. January 1, 2012. (g) The judge of a county court at law shall appoint an official shorthand reporter for the court. The reporter must have the qualifications required by law for official shorthand reporters. The reporter shall be a sworn officer of the court and shall hold office at the pleasure of the court. The reporter must take the oath required of official court reporters. The official court reporter of a county court at law is entitled to a salary set by the commissioners court. The salary shall be paid out of the county treasury in equal monthly installments. (g-1) The county clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law except in family law cases. In family law cases, including juvenile and child welfare cases, the district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law. The district clerk shall establish a separate family law docket for each county court at law. (g-2) The commissioners court shall provide the deputy clerks, bailiffs, and other personnel necessary to operate the county courts at law. (h) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(81), eff. January 1, 2012. (i) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(81), eff. January 1, 2012. (j) The judge of a county court and the judge of a county court at law may transfer cases to and from the dockets of their respective courts in matters within their jurisdiction in order that the business may be distributed between them. However, a case may not be transferred from one court to another without the consent of the judge of the court to which it is transferred, unless it is within the jurisdiction of the court to which it is transferred. (k) In all cases transferred to a county court at law and in all cases transferred to the county court by order of the judge of the other court, all processes, writs, bonds, recognizances, or other obligations issued or made in the cases shall be returned to and filed in the court to which the transfer is made. All bonds executed and recognizances entered into in those cases shall bind the parties for their appearance or to fulfill the obligations on the bonds or recognizances at the terms of court to which the cases are transferred as are fixed by law. All processes issued or returned before transfer of the cases as well as all bonds and recognizances taken in the case are valid and binding as though originally issued out of the court to which the transfer is made. (l) The county judge and the judge of a county court at law may freely exchange benches and the courtroom with each other in matters within their jurisdiction, so that if one is ill, disqualified, or otherwise absent, the other may hold court for him without the necessity of transferring the case involved. However, the judge of one court may not assume the bench of the other court without the consent of the judge of the other court set forth by order recorded in the minutes of the other court. Either judge may hear all or any part of a case pending in the county court or a county court at law, but only in matters within his jurisdiction, and may rule and enter orders on and continue, determine, or render judgment on all or any part of the case without the necessity of transferring it to his own docket. Each judgment and order shall be entered in the minutes of the court in which the case is pending. The provisions for the exchange of benches by and between the judges are in addition to the provisions in this section for the selection and appointment of a special judge of a court at law. (m) The judge of the county court and the judges of the county courts at law may agree on a plan governing the filing, numbering, and docketing of cases within the concurrent jurisdiction of their courts and the assignment of those cases for trial. The plan may provide for the centralized institution and filing of all such cases with one court, clerk, or coordinator designated by the plan and for the systemized assignment of those cases to the courts participating in the plan, and the provisions of the plan for the centralized filing and assignment of cases shall control notwithstanding any other provisions of this section. If the judges of the county court and the county courts at law are unable to agree on a filing, docketing, and assignment of cases plan, a board of judges composed of the district judges and the county court at law judges for San Patricio County shall design a plan for the courts. (n) The county clerk shall establish a separate docket for the court created by this section from among pending matters filed originally in the County Court of San Patricio County and shall transfer those matters to the docket of the court created by this section. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 659, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 746, Sec. 52, 70, eff. Oct. 1, 1991. Amended by: Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3 (H.B. 79), Sec. 4.50(a)(81), eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 934 (H.B. 3774), Sec. 2.09(b), eff. January 1, 2023.