Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County was established in 1837 and named after a blockhouse located at the Brazos River's bend. Currently, it is home to an estimated population of 900,000 people, and Sugar Land is the largest city entirely within its borders. The county covers a total area of 885 square miles.
Fort Bend County is served by eight district courts, six courts at law, municipal courts, and six justice of the peace courts. Fort Bend County District Courts preside over a wide variety of legal matters, including felonies, divorces, misdemeanors, election contests, escheats, slanders, and defamation. Furthermore, they have exclusive jurisdiction in civil cases where the amount in dispute exceeds $200,000, and they also share jurisdiction with statutory county courts in cases involving amounts between $500 and $200,000.
The jurisdiction of each Court at Law in Fort Bend County varies depending on the statute under which it was established. Typically, they hear civil, criminal, or appellate cases from the Justice of the Peace or Municipal Courts. The Justice of the Peace Courts have original jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal cases that are punishable only by fine. Also, these courts hear civil cases in which the amount in dispute does not exceed $200.
Fort Bend County Municipal Courts hold hearings on violations of municipal ordinances, orders, and airport board rules. Furthermore, municipal judges can act as magistrates by conducting preliminary hearings, remanding the accused, setting bail, and issuing arrest warrants for persons charged with misdemeanors.
The Probate Court of Forsyth County is responsible for issuing marriage and firearm licenses, birth and death certificates, and processing passport applications. This court has exclusive jurisdiction in the administration of estates, probate of wills, and appointment of guardians or conservators for incapacitated persons and minors.
The Office of the District Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining and securing public court records in Fort Bend County. The public has electronic access to all the county's public court records. For instance, the District Court Clerk provides remote access to civil, family, and criminal historical records from 1821 to 1980.
In addition, interested parties can view recent public court records through the Case Search portal. The following records are available for public inspection:
- Civil records (county and district)
- Divorce records
- Wills and probate
- Felony records
- Misdemeanor records
- Misdemeanor bond records
