Henderson County
Henderson County was established on April 27, 1846, the year after Texas gained statehood. It was named after James Pinckney Henderson who was secretary of state, first attorney general, and first governor of the Republic of Texas. The county's population is 82,150, its landmass measuring 948 square miles, and its county seat is the City of Athens.
The 392nd District Court in Henderson County handles criminal, family law, and civil matters. The 173rd District Court handles legal proceedings involving jury trials, tax docket hearings, criminal, and civil cases while the 3rd District Court maintains court dockets containing schedules of upcoming hearings, trials, and legal proceedings. The District Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of these courts.
County Courts at Law ( 1 & 2) hear contract disputes, personal injury claims, child custody, juvenile, criminal (misdemeanor), and probate matters in Henderson County. Its Justice of the Peace Precinct Courts are in five different locations and handle a number of legal matters involving Class C misdemeanors (traffic violation and minor theft), small claims, and debts collection.
Henderson County's Constitutional County Court is a trial court of first instance for Class A and B misdemeanor cases. Its Municipal Courts hear certain criminal cases within their jurisdictions. Some of the municipal courts in Henderson County include those in Athens, Chandler, and Seven Points. They hear municipal ordinance, state law (truancy and public intoxication), and traffic (running red traffic light) violation cases.
Members of the public can freely access Henderson court records from the Henderson County judicial record search website. The County Clerk is the custodian of court records in the county, ensuring the creation and maintenance of court-related documents follow stipulated protocols. You may mail your request for court records by submitting a written request to the Office of the County Clerk. Note that the County Clerk no longer offers the purchase of court records in bulk data format. In addition, you may visit the courthouse in Athens to retrieve court records at:
100 East Tyler
Courthouse Room 101
Athens, TX 75751
Access to the following court records are open to the public in Henderson County:
- Civil records
- Family records
- Probate records
- Criminal records
