Portland Municipal Court

Portland Municipal Court cases in San Patricio County, Portland, TX

Portland Municipal Court in Portland, Texas is a municipal court of limited jurisdiction. It handles Class C misdemeanor offenses punishable by fine only, including most traffic violations, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and violations of city ordinances (such as code, health and safety, animal control, and parking). The court conducts arraignments, accepts pleas, assesses fines, and issues warrants and summonses; it also performs magistrate functions such as initial magistration and bail setting for higher-level offenses. It does not hear family law, felonies, or civil lawsuits for damages, but may hear limited civil matters authorized by Texas law, such as dangerous-dog cases or other ordinance-related proceedings within city limits.

Portland Municipal Court Contact and Location Information

Services and Case Types Handled in Portland Municipal Court

Portland Municipal Court serves the public by adjudicating fine-only criminal and ordinance cases. Services include:
- Case filings and processing: traffic and parking citations, city code and animal-control violations, juvenile/minor alcohol/tobacco offenses, and other Class C misdemeanors; accepts complaints, motions, and compliance requests (deferred disposition, driving safety course, community service).
- Court hearings: arraignments, pretrials, compliance/show‑cause, trial by judge or jury, and warrant/ability‑to‑pay hearings.
- Magistrate functions: magistration and bail setting, issuance of arrest/search warrants, and emergency protective orders after qualifying arrests.
- Jury services: juror qualification and summons, panel management, voir dire, and juror compensation.
- Case management and public access: payment processing and plans, warrant resolution, records and scheduling information, and forms.