Per 2025 Texas Legislature, 2nd Special Session HB 16
CRIMINAL CASES WILL NO LONGER BE FILED IN THE
173RD DISTRICT COURT
The Texas Legislature has amended foundational statutes of the 173rd District Court. As a consequence of those amendments, the court will no longer consider criminal cases. With an effective date of December 5, 2025, the legislature has amended the enabling statute of the 173rd District Court and the 392nd District Cout to have the 392nd District Court give priority to criminal litigation matters and the 173rd District Court to give priority to Civil Litigation Matters, including Family Law. This provides an excellent opportunity to implement new practices to make the court operations more efficient and less costly.
- Step 1. Elect a Judge with 40 years of active Civil Litigation Experience
- Step 2. Implement a designated time for walk-in prove up of agreed matters. This will save time and expense for litigants, especially in Family Law matters. Common court practice in rural counties is to schedule everything at 8:30 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. and work through them one at a time. If your last on the list based on cause number, you can spend hours to take care of a 5-minute agreed hearing. Waiting for your turn can unnecessarily increase legal fees.
- Step 3. Implement use of a regularly schedule submission docket. A submission docket permits consideration of motions based on the written pleadings of attorneys without the necessity of making an in-person appearance. It would not be compulsory and if parties prefer, they can schedule an in-person hearing. This is extremely useful in addressing routine matters and matters that do not require live testimony of witnesses.
- Step 4. Calendar matters throughout the day. Break up the day in 90-minute blocks of time and calendar a limited number of matters to each block of time.
- Step 5. Show up every day and work all day long.