This section gives Tarrant County county courts at law jurisdiction over listed civil and criminal matters, sets the county court at law judge’s salary floor, and assigns clerk and reporter duties for certain cases.
Sec. 25.2222. TARRANT COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) A county court at law in Tarrant County has jurisdiction over all causes and proceedings, civil and criminal, original and appellate, prescribed by law for county courts. Notwithstanding any other provision, a county court at law in Tarrant County has jurisdiction on any appeal from a municipal court of record in Tarrant County that is not an appeal of a criminal law case or proceeding. (b) A county court at law has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in: (1) civil cases in which the matter in controversy exceeds $500 and does not exceed $200,000, excluding mandatory damages and penalties, attorney's fees, interest, and costs; (2) nonjury family law cases and proceedings; (3) final rulings and decisions of the division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance regarding workers' compensation claims, regardless of the amount in controversy; (4) eminent domain proceedings, both statutory and inverse, regardless of the amount in controversy; (5) suits to decide the issue of title to real or personal property; (6) suits to recover damages for slander or defamation of character; (7) suits for the enforcement of a lien on real property; (8) suits for the forfeiture of a corporate charter; (9) suits for the trial of the right to property valued at $200 or more that has been levied on under a writ of execution, sequestration, or attachment; and (10) suits for the recovery of real property. (c) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. (d) Repealed by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 746, Sec. 70, eff. Oct. 1, 1991. (e) Repealed by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 746, Sec. 70, eff. Oct. 1, 1991. (f) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid an annual salary in an amount that is not less than $1,000 less than the total annual salary, including supplements and salary increases, paid any district judge in the county. (g) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. (h) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. (i) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. (j) The county clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law except that the district clerk serves as clerk of the court for family law cases and proceedings. The district clerk may establish a separate docket for family law cases and proceedings filed originally in the district courts of Tarrant County. (k) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. (l) The official court reporter for the County Court at Law No. 2 of Tarrant County and the official court reporter for the County Court at Law No. 3 of Tarrant County are each entitled to the same fees and salaries and shall perform the duties and take the oath of office as provided by law for district court reporters. (m) Practice and procedure, appeals, and writs of error in a county court at law are as prescribed by law for county courts, except that: (1) practice and procedure, rules of evidence, and all other matters pertaining to the conduct of trials and hearings in a county court at law involving family law cases and proceedings are governed by the laws and rules pertaining to district courts; and (2) practice and procedure, rules of evidence, and all other matters pertaining to the conduct of trials and hearings in the County Court at Law No. 3 of Tarrant County involving eminent domain cases and cases enumerated in Section 25.2222(b) are governed by the laws and rules pertaining to district courts. (n) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3, Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 148, Sec. 4.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 2, Sec. 8.20(b), eff. Aug. 28, 1989; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 934, Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 1989; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 1, Sec. 15.23, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 22, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 746, Sec. 55, 70, eff. Oct. 1, 1991; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 265 (H.B. 7), Sec. 6.005, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3 (H.B. 79), Sec. 4.40(a), eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3 (H.B. 79), Sec. 4.40(b), eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 3 (H.B. 79), Sec. 4.50(a)(84), eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1182 (S.B. 1139), Sec. 3.06, eff. September 1, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1183 (H.B. 3642), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.