Bexar County Courts at Law

What Bexar County Courts at Law Do

County Courts at Law are the middle tier of the Texas trial system. In Bexar County they handle a mix of cases. The biggest share is misdemeanors. Class A and Class B misdemeanors run here, things like DWI, assault with family violence, theft under a set amount, and criminal trespass. These are real cases, but they sit below felony level.

These courts also hear county-level civil matters. That can mean smaller money disputes and other statutory county-court business. And they take appeals from the courts below them, such as justice and municipal courts. So a case decided in a justice court can climb to a County Court at Law for a fresh look.

The County Clerk is the custodian for misdemeanor court records in Bexar County. So the court hears the case, and the County Clerk holds the file. That is the office to call for a copy. For the broader record picture, see Bexar County court records.

Bexar County Courts at Law List

The county posts a list of its County Courts at Law. Each row shows the court, the judge, and a phone. The official county-court page rows captured County Courts at Law 1 through 12. The table below reproduces those rows.

The Justice Portal hearing dropdown also lists County Courts at Law 13, 14, and 15. The official county-court page rows for 13 through 15 were not captured, so this page does not list judge names for those three courts. Confirm the current judges with the county before you rely on them. To find a hearing in any of these courts, see Bexar County court dockets.

County Court vs District Court

People mix up these two courts all the time. They sound similar, but they are not the same. The simplest split is felony versus misdemeanor. District courts take felonies. County Courts at Law take misdemeanors. The custodian follows the court.

For the felony and civil district side, see the Bexar County District Court page. The office that holds misdemeanor files is the Bexar County Clerk.

Bexar County Court Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is just a fancy word for what a court is allowed to hear. The County Courts at Law have a defined slice. On the criminal side, that is the misdemeanor docket. On the civil side, that is the county-level suit. They also act as an appeals stop for the courts below.

Here is the appeals piece in plain terms. A justice court or a municipal court sits below the County Court at Law. If someone loses there, the appeal can move up to a County Court at Law. That is different from a district court, where appeals climb straight to the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio.

Some misdemeanor cases tie back to an arrest. The arrest record and the case record are not the same thing. For arrest data, see Bexar County criminal records. For the precinct courts below this tier, see the Justice of the Peace page.

Cases Heard in Bexar County Courts at Law

The docket here is broad. It is not just one kind of case. Below are the common types you will see in a Bexar County Court at Law. The list is a guide, not a full rulebook.

• Class A misdemeanors - higher-level misdemeanors with bigger fines and possible jail time.
• Class B misdemeanors - mid-level misdemeanors such as some theft and DWI charges.
• County civil suits - money disputes and other statutory county-court matters.
• Lower-court appeals - appeals coming up from justice and municipal courts.

DWI and assault-family-violence cases are common on the misdemeanor side. The County Clerk's public search also points to a Misdemeanor Court Records Search and a DWI/Family Violence fugitive search. So the misdemeanor docket and these search tools line up.

Where Bexar County Court Records Live

The County Clerk holds misdemeanor court records in Bexar County. That is the key fact for this court tier. A felony points to the District Clerk. A misdemeanor points to the County Clerk. Knowing the split saves a wasted phone call.

You can find a case online first. The Justice Portal pulls county court cases into Smart Search. Search by name in Last, First Middle order, or by case number. The portal is free and needs no account. When you need a stamped copy, order a certified copy from the County Clerk.

The County Clerk also runs a free Official Records Search for land, marriage, and other recorded documents. That tool is separate from the misdemeanor case search. For the full set of records and how access works, see Bexar County public records.

Key Bexar County Court Terms

County court files use shorthand. A few terms come up again and again. The list below explains the ones that trip people up most when they read a misdemeanor file.

Misdemeanor

A criminal charge below felony level, split into Class A, B, and C by severity.

Disposition

How the case ended, such as dismissed, convicted, or deferred.

Deferred adjudication

A form of probation where a finding of guilt is held off if terms are met.

Capias

A writ that orders an arrest, often after a missed court date.

An arrest is not a conviction. A charge only means the state accused someone. Read the disposition line to see how a case really ended.

Bexar County Court Filing and Locations

County court business runs from the downtown court campus in San Antonio. The County Clerk handles eFiling for civil, criminal, bond forfeiture, and probate cases. Misdemeanor filings route through the County Clerk's criminal record functions. Confirm the right counter before you visit, since offices sit in more than one building.

Hours for county offices generally run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with closures on county holidays. Call ahead to confirm.

Appeals From Bexar County Courts at Law

Appeals from this court tier can move in two directions, depending on the case. A County Court at Law hears appeals coming up from justice and municipal courts. That makes it an appellate stop, not just a trial court.

When a party wants to challenge a County Court at Law ruling itself, the appeal generally goes to the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio. From there, the climb splits by case type. Civil matters can reach the Supreme Court of Texas. Criminal matters can reach the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

So the appeals web has layers. The justice court feeds the county court. The county court can feed the appeals court. The case flow on the Bexar County District Court page lays out the full climb.

Related Bexar County Court Pages

The County Courts at Law are one tier of the system. For misdemeanor file copies, see the County Clerk. For the felony and civil district side, see the District Court. To find a hearing, see court dockets. For the full record set, see court records. For the precinct courts below this tier, see the Justice of the Peace page.