Texas Judicial System

Consists of :• Courts• Judges• Law enforcement agencies• Serves the purposes of:• Supporting a system for the trial and punishment

of criminals• Providing a system to arbitrate legal disputes• Deciding the meaning and enforcement of state

laws

Texas’s Judicial System

Has Authority over:

• Texas Civil Law

• Texas Criminal Law

As well as the right to oversee

• Legality of laws passed by Legislative branch and Executive branch of Texas government

Texas civil law

Civil Law pertains to legal disputes between:• Private citizens

• Businesses• Governments

Most civil cases concern disputes about:• Money

• Property• Insurance claims

• Child custody and support

Criminal Law: Laws that describe what people can and

cannot do. It deals with crime and the legal punishment of criminal offenses.

===============================

Types of offenses

*A felony is "very serious" crime.

*A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act.

Felony

• Felons can receive punishments which range in severity from probation, imprisonment, and

execution.

Punishments Can Include:

•Loss of voting rights

•Exclusion from certain jobs

Restricted from:

•Obtaining certain licenses

•Purchase/possession of firearms

•Running for public office

Misdemeanors

• Misdemeanors are less severe than felonies.

• In general, misdemeanors are crimes with a maximum punishment of 12 months or less of incarceration, typically in a local jail.

Misdemeanors

• Often punished with probation, community service or part-time imprisonment, served on the weekends.

• Misdemeanors never result in the loss of civil rights, but may result in loss of privileges, such as professional licenses, public offices, or public employment

The Jury System

Grand Jury: Decides whether a trial is warranted

• Consists of 12 citizens called jurors • At least 9 out of 12 jurors must agree on

whether decision of trial

Jury bills

• When there is enough evidence for a trial, the “charge” is called “true bill”

• When there is not enough evidence for a trial,

the “charge” against a person is called “no bill” and dropped

Petit Jury: Decides verdict.

Verdict must be unanimous: guilty or not guilty.

Depending on case, either the judge or jury decides sentence.

Texas Trial Courts

Trial Courts

District Courts

County Courts

Municipal and Justice of the Peace Courts

District Courts: Most Texas District courts try BOTH criminal and civil cases

County Courts: Texas Constitution requires each of the 254 counties in Texas to have at least one county court

County courts try Civil cases between $500.00 and $5,000.00 and criminal misdemeanor cases with fine over $2,000.00

Municipal Courts: Located in larger cities.Violations of city ordinances and Misdemeanor cases with maximum fines below $2,000.00

Justice of the Peace

• Located in small towns and rural areas• Try Civil cases• Minor criminal cases• Issue search warrants• Perform marriages• Set bail costs• Determine cause of death• Can send cases to higher court

Appeals Courts• Fourteen Courts of Appeals

• Listen to Civil and criminal cases appealed from District or County courts.

• Each Court of Appeals has at least three justices, including a presiding chief justice.

• The specific number of justices on each court is established by the Legislature.

• Judges on the Texas Courts of Appeals serve six-year terms

Justice for Juveniles

Texas Department of Juvenile Corrections oversees juvenile trials, facilities, boot camps, courts, and

rehabilitation for offenders up to the age of 18