McLennan County
McLennan County was established in 1850 when the Texas Legislature separated it from Milam County. Known for its contributions during both World Wars and the site of the first sustained flight, the county is inhabited by 268,000 residents spread across 1,060 square miles.
There are six District Courts within the McLennan County trial court system. These courts have original jurisdiction over legal matters not assigned to another trial court, including felonies, divorce, land title disputes, civil lawsuits for amounts exceeding $200, and election contest cases.
The three County Courts at Law handle class A and B misdemeanors, probate matters, juvenile cases, and mental health cases. They also have appellate jurisdiction over cases appealed from the Justice of the Peace Courts and Municipal Courts. The Justice of the Peace Courts address class C misdemeanors punishable by fine only, evictions, truancy, and civil cases up to $10,000.
Within city limits, the McLennan Municipal Courts deal with class C misdemeanors, traffic violations, and zoning and public health ordinance violations punishable by fines up to $2,000. These courts also issue fines of up to $4,000 for refuse dumping violations and have limited civil jurisdiction in matters involving the ownership of dangerous dogs.
McLennan County public court records refer to the documents submitted by defendants, court officials, plaintiffs, or attorneys in relation to the legal proceedings of a case. Depending on where the case was initiated, these records are maintained by either the District Clerk or County Clerk. To promote transparency, these records are provided to the general public digitally or in paper form.
McLennan County residents can publicly access court records in the following case types:
- Criminal case
- Civil case
- Probate case
- Misdemeanor case
- Guardianship case
The Office of the County Clerk provides access to official documents of cases initiated in the County Courts while also offering a court index search for accessing only court records index information. On the other hand, the District Clerk's Office facilitates a free case index search and access to case docket sheets for both criminal and civil cases from 2001 to the present.
