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Wilson County Court Records Lookup

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Wilson County Courts, TX *

Wilson County Courts, TX

Wilson County is located in south-central Texas, within the metropolitan region of San Antonio, and is well-known for its agricultural communities and a substantial population of suburban development. The county seat is Floresville, and many legal proceedings, both civil and criminal in nature, will occur there. However, depending on the type of judicial or administrative case, some court offices may be located elsewhere in the county.

The courts in Wilson County deal with various types of cases. These include, but are not limited to, civil lawsuits between parties, criminal and misdemeanor offenses, cases related to family matters (divorce, child support, and child custody), probate of wills and estate matters, housing disputes and evictions, juvenile cases, and traffic tickets. If filing a case, one must ensure that they submit it to the correct court in Wilson County, or the legal process could become complicated and delayed.

Overview of the Wilson County Court System

The court system within Wilson County ranges from Justice of the Peace courts through the District Court. Floresville is the county seat, where a large part of the county's court proceedings are carried out. Most county business takes place at the primary courthouse in Floresville.

All felonies and all large civil cases are filed with the District Clerk in Floresville. The County Clerk handles probate cases, Constitutional County Court filings, civil cases, and vital records. The District Clerk handles all cases within the 81st District Court. While the state's judicial procedures are standard throughout Texas, Wilson County makes its own filing fees and procedures. All appeals are conducted in San Antonio.

Types of Courts in Wilson County, Texas

Types of Courts in Wilson County, Texas

There are several types of courts in Wilson County, Texas. Each of these courts has its own fixed jurisdiction, so filing in a court other than the one that handles the type of case may result in delays or rejection of the filing.

District Courts

The 81st and 218th District Courts share jurisdiction over Wilson County and four neighboring counties, handling the highest level of criminal and civil cases. Wilson County cases are heard locally at the District Clerk's office, while the courts' administrative center is at the Jourdanton courthouse.

Primary location: Wilson County Courthouse

Jurisdiction includes:

  • Felony criminal cases
  • Grand jury proceedings
  • Post-conviction matters, such as probation revocations
  • Divorce, child custody, and child support
  • Major civil disputes

Felony cases carry the most serious penalties, including lengthy prison sentences, so it is critical to retain experienced counsel as early as possible.

Constitutional County Court

The Constitutional County Court is also known as the County Court, and is where the County Judge has jurisdiction over matters of minor importance.

Primary location: Wilson County Courthouse Annex

Jurisdiction includes:

  • Uncontested probate and estate matters
  • Class A and B misdemeanors (concurrent with County Court at Law)

Uncontested probate hearings are normally done at the County Judge's office every Wednesday and can be deferred to the County Court at Law if they are contested or require a jury. All filings for both County Court levels are sent to the County Clerk.

County Court at Law

The County Court at Law possesses both the highest criminal jurisdiction and civil jurisdiction within Wilson County and receives all contested civil litigation and all County Court jury trials.

Primary location: Wilson County Courthouse

Jurisdiction includes:

  • Class A and B misdemeanor criminal cases
  • All civil lawsuits and contested civil matters
  • All jury trials at the county level
  • Guardianship hearings
  • Civil appeals from Justice of the Peace courts
  • Contested probate matters

All filings that are submitted through this court eventually wind up at the County Clerk's office, and parties should verify the scheduled date and time of their hearings before they attend before this Court.

Justice of the Peace Courts

There are four Justice of the Peace (JP) Court precincts within Wilson County. Precincts 1 and 4 are both located in Floresville, while Precinct 2 serves the Poth area and Precinct 3 serves La Vernia. Each JP Court precinct has its own elected judge, office hours, and filing procedures, so it is important to contact the correct precinct for one's area.

Jurisdiction includes:

  • Small claims cases up to $20,000
  • Eviction filings (forcible entry and detainer)
  • Class C misdemeanors
  • Traffic violations

It is unnecessary to be represented by an attorney in small claims court. Most traffic defendants may take a defensive driving course to have the citation dismissed before pleading. Call the JP Court indicated on the citation to check the eligibility for a course.

Municipal Courts

There are four municipal courts in different cities within Wilson County, including the Floresville Municipal Court, La Vernia Municipal Court, Poth Municipal Court, and Stockdale Municipal Court.

Jurisdiction includes:

  • Class C misdemeanors within the city limits
  • City ordinance violations
  • Deferred disposition and driving safety course requests

A class C misdemeanor only involves a fine, not jail time. Minor in possession, disorderly conduct, and traffic citations are frequent class C offenses. It is important to remember that an arrest warrant will be issued if one does not appear or if they don't pay a ticket, so if they ignore the ticket, then the problem gets compounded.

How to Access Wilson County Court Records

How to Access Wilson County Court Records

This section provides all of the available methods of retrieving court records from Wilson County.

Online Access

The Wilson County Clerk has a public records search that can be accessed from the Official Records Search. This website provides real property records, official public records, assumed name certificates, and various other County Clerk filings with image coverage back to 1913. Misdemeanor criminal records requests from the County Clerk require either an in-person or a written request. District court records and case calendars can be found on the official District Courts site.

Alternative Online Options

If a person has the name of the party they seek or if they have a case number for a Wilson County case, searching by the county search engine may do the trick. CourtCaseFinder does multiple county court searches for court records throughout the State of Texas. Residents can use this site if they are looking for a party that has multiple Wilson County cases and also lives in adjacent counties, or if a person does not have a significant amount of information, such as a full name and case number.

In-Person Requests

To access county court, probate, vital records, and property recording records, citizens will need to visit the County Clerk. District court cases can be obtained by visiting the District Clerk. One should bring a copy of the full legal name of all of the parties, the approximate year that the records were filed, and the case number (if available). Records currently in the active system are processed on the day that one requests them.

Archived Records

Inactive records that are stored elsewhere outside the court system are retrieved upon request; some can take several business days. It is advisable to call the District Clerk or C ounty Clerk's office prior to going in person in order to check on the retrieval time and verify that a written request is needed before arrival. Historical records for Wilson County are kept at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), with the microfilm records for Wilson County being as follows: County Court Civil Minutes, District Court Civil Minutes, Divorce Minutes dated from 1893, and Deed of Trust dated from 1877.

For Attorneys and Legal Professionals

Attorneys filing cases with the 81st District Court must file through eFile Texas. Local rules of practice, Wilson County family law standing orders, and selected civil and criminal forms for the 81st and 218th District Courts, as well as for the County Court at Law, are available through the local county website.

All scheduling requests must be made through the court coordinator for the County Court at Law. The court staff and personnel are not to discuss their client's case with the client directly; any communication will be done through counsel or as prescribed for proper court procedure.

How to File a Case in Wilson County

How to File a Case in Wilson County

This section goes through each step of filing a case in Wilson County.

Step 1: Choose the Correct Court

Felony cases must be filed with the District Clerk. Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases and contested civil matters are filed with the County Clerk's office for the County Court at Law. Uncontested probate and estate matters and Class A and B misdemeanors should be filed with the County Clerk of the County Court. If one wishes to bring a small claims or eviction suit, they must file it with the Justice of the Peace Court, which corresponds to the county in which they live. Any ordinance violations in Floresville should be filed with the Municipal Court. When unsure about which court to use, reach out to the main courthouse.

Step 2: Complete Required Forms

The Texas Judicial Branch has official Texas court forms available on its website, as does TexasLawHelp. Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 provides downloadable forms for small claims, evictions, and debt claim cases directly from the county's website. Filers can also ask for forms directly from the court clerks. Residents may call the court to verify that they have downloaded the correct form. Outdated forms and forms that do not contain all of the required information cause the majority of filing rejections.

Step 3: File the Case

All criminal, civil, and probate filings, whether for the District Court, Constitutional County Court, or the County Court at Law, must be filed through eFile Texas. Self-represented litigants are not required to e-file documents with the District Court, but can if they want to. Attorneys are required to do so unless the circumstances would qualify for an exemption. Individual documents should be uploaded to the system as separate lead documents.

Step 4: Pay Filing Fees

Filing a case can involve some costs, such as filing, citation, and service fees. The total costs involved vary depending on the court one files the case in and the type of case being filed. Litigants will need to check with the local court clerk or visit the Texas Judicial Branch Filing Fees & Court Costs webpage for details on their fees before filing the case. If one can't afford to pay the court fees, they can apply for a waiver, which they will need to wait for the court's approval if they are eligible.

Step 5: Serve the Other Party

Once a lawsuit is filed, Texas law requires notice of the filing to be given to all parties involved in the suit. Service can be accomplished through the Sheriff's Department of Wilson County or a private process server. After the other party has been properly served, the plaintiff must submit their proof of service to the clerk's office where the case was filed.

Step 6: Monitor the Case

District court dockets for Wilson County are located on the site's dockets section. County Court at Law criminal dockets can be found on the Wilson County website. For information about a Justice of the Peace court case, residents must contact the individual precinct. If one utilizes the court's online scheduling form to request a hearing, be sure to wait for an email confirmation from the court coordinator.

Wilson County Courthouse Directory

Wilson County courthouse

Houses the 81st and 218th District Courts, County Court at Law, and the County Court.

Jourdanton

Address: 1405 Campbell Avenue, Jourdanton, TX 78026

81st and 218th District Courts: (830) 769-3750

Couty Court at Law: (830) 393-7303, Option 1

County Court: (830) 393-7303

Municipal Courts

Handle Class C misdemeanors and city ordinance violations that occur within each city's limits, including traffic citations and minor offenses that are only punishable by fine issuance.

Floresville Municipal Court

Address: 1120 D Street Floresville, TX 78114

Phone: (830) 393-4232

Website: Floresville Municipal Court

La Vernia Municipal Court

Address: 102 E. Chihuahua, La Vernia, TX 78121

Phone: (830) 779-4541

Website: La Vernia Municipal Court

Poth Municipal Court

Address: 200 N Carroll Street, Poth, TX 78147

Phone: (830) 484-2521

Website: Poth Municipal Court

Stockdale Municipal Court

Address: 700 W. Main Street Stockdale, TX 78160

Phone: (830) 996-3128

Website: Stockdale Municipal Court

Justice of the Peace Courts

Both Precinct 1 and Precinct 4 are located on the same street address, but these are two distinct offices, and use two separate box numbers and phone numbers.

JP Precinct 1

Address: 800 10th Street, Box 8, Floresville, TX 78114

Phone: (830) 393-5112

Website: JP Precinct 1

JP Precinct 2

Address: 121 Dilworth Plaza, Poth, TX 78147

Phone: (830) 484-2356

Website: JP Precinct 2

JP Precinct 3

Address: 402 Bluebonnet (FM 775), La Vernia, TX 78121

Phone: (830) 779-2285

Website: JP Precinct 3

JP Precinct 4

Address: 800 10th Street, Box 6, Floresville, TX 78114

Phone: (830) 393-4052

Website: JP Precinct 4

Legal Help and Self-Help Resources

Legal issues are always stressful and difficult to handle for anyone with no legal background. Fortunately, in Wilson County, there are a bunch of nonprofit organizations available that offer free or reduced-cost resources to help litigants navigate various types of legal issues.

Free Legal Assistance

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) and Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) are organizations that offer free legal services to eligible citizens in Wilson County. The organizations offer services for various civil matters such as housing, family law, consumer, and many other issues. Lone Star Legal Aid Military and Veterans Unit serves Wilson County, which provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income veterans, their dependents, and surviving spouses.

Local Legal Support

Self-represented parties, such as veterans, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families, can all benefit from the assistance provided through legal clinics. Organizations such as Texas Law Help serve to educate participants about the legal system, the user's rights, and information regarding what resources may be available. Legal clinics can provide the assistance of a lawyer on matters including custody, divorce, landlord/tenant, protective orders, benefits, and other civil legal matters at little or no cost. Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is the designated legal protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities in Texas. They assist disabled citizens in understanding and exercising their rights under the law.

FAQs

What is the difference between the Wilson County Clerk and the District Clerk?

The County Clerk records all proceedings in the Constitutional County Court, which holds probates, civil suits below $20,000, recordings of real property, marriage licenses, birth/death certificates, and all misdemeanor criminal cases. The District Clerk files all proceedings of the 81st District Court, which holds all felonies, family suits, and larger civil suits. They are two separate offices/locations and exist in two separate buildings.

How can I locate a felony record in Wilson County?

For felony cases, the individual's cases can be found in the public docket by looking up under the 81st & 218th District Courts. For criminal cases that are not in the public docket, residents will need to go to the District Clerk's office. The full legal name and date of birth are required to be able to look up cases that are not listed in the public docket. If the criminal cases are sealed, they cannot be obtained.

Where do I file an eviction in Wilson County?

Citizens should file their eviction petition in the Justice of the Peace Court in and for the precinct where the rental property is located. If citizens are unsure which precinct the property is located in, they can call the main courthouse. Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 has an eviction petition form available online via the county's website. Each of the JP Courts has its own separate filing fee, so citizens should find out how much it will cost prior to submitting the petition.

Can I search Wilson County court records from another county or state?

Yes, residents can obtain Wilson County court records online through several websites. The official records search portal is located on the County Clerk's page, and it is a free website accessible on the internet. District Court dockets can be searched online at 81-218.txcourts. If one is conducting a multiple-county search of Texas court records, then they can try CourtCaseFinder. It allows searches of multiple Texas counties without searching each one at a time.

How do I obtain certified birth or death certificates in Wilson County?

Birth and death certificates from Wilson County may be certified and ordered from the Wilson County Clerk's office either in person, via mail with the completed notarized application, or via the Internet using the county website. All record seekers must comply with the county's application guidelines and submit with the application the appropriate proof of identification.

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