Bell County
Bell County is situated along the Balcones Escarpment in east central Texas. Belton, which is the county's third-largest city, also serves as its county seat. Bell County has a population of 393,193 and was named after Peter Hansborough Bell, Texas' third governor.
Several trial courts comprise Bell County's court structure, including district courts, constitutional county courts, county courts at law, justice courts, and municipal courts. The District Courts in Bell County are general jurisdiction courts that handle all civil and criminal cases, including felonies, lesser offenses, certain misdemeanors, divorces, juvenile delinquency, land title disputes, and civil claims above $200. They also hear civil cases relating to probate issues, workers' compensation, eminent domain, protection orders, injunctive relief cases, and tax matters. Bell County District Courts are subdivided as follows:
- The 27th Judicial District Court
- The 146th Judicial District Court
- The 169th Judicial District Court
- The 264th Judicial District Court
- The 426th Judicial District Court
- The 478th Judicial District Court
The Constitutional County Court has limited jurisdiction over civil and criminal lawsuits. It hears criminal cases, including fine-based misdemeanors of up to $500 or one-year jail sentences. Typical civil cases within this court's jurisdiction include claims for amounts in controversy between $200 and $10,000. In addition, it also exercises original jurisdiction over probate cases, excluding contested probate suits, and oversees the county government's administrative duties. Three Bell County Courts at Law, or Statutory County Courts, which typically have their jurisdictions specified by legislation, are categorized based on case type as follows:
- County Court at Law 1: Handles civil, probate, and mental health matters
- County Court at Law 2
- County Court at Law 3: Hears juvenile suits, adult misdemeanors, and specialty cases
The County Courts' civil cases include claims between $500 and $100,000 and workers compensation cases. The Justice of the Peace Courts oversee cases relating to criminal misdemeanors solely punishable by fines, civil claims below $10,000, and small claims, while the twelve Municipal Courts in Bell County have exclusive original jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations. These municipal courts also handle certain civil actions and misdemeanors committed within the boundaries of their respective municipalities.
Bell County court records contain details of cases heard in the county's courts. These records, which typically consist of writs, minutes of proceedings, notices, orders, and judgments, constitute a vital foundation for justice delivery. They are organized and maintained in various filing formats and made available to the public upon request. Typical court records examples in Bell County include:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Probate records
- Juvenile records
The Bell County District Court Clerk's Office manages and maintains court records. You can access case information, court dockets, and other legal records online via the county's public portal. A written record request using the Copy Request Form can also be made in person at the specific courthouse where your case was filed or by mail. While regular record copies attract a $1 fee, and certified copies include an extra $5 for the certificate and seal, non-certified digital copies are $1 per the first 10 pages and 10 cents for each extra page. In addition, you can also access specific court records, including criminal, civil, and probate records online on the Bell County Clerk's website.
