Brazoria County, one of the original counties in the Republic of Texas, was the first capital of the State. Brazoria County covers an area of about 1,609 square miles and has an estimated population of approximately 380,000 residents. Brazoria County is located in the Gulf Coast region of Texas, southwest of Houston, and has its county seat in Angleton City.

Courts in Brazoria County

The judicial system in Brazoria County is comprised District, Constitutional, County, Justice, and Municipal Courts handling different types of legal matters. The 5 District Courts in Brazoria County adjudicate criminal and civil lawsuits, including felonies, misdemeanors, property damages, and name changes. The court also presides over family law matters, such as divorce and child custody, and juvenile cases, including juvenile delinquencies and children in need of supervision cases.

The Constitutional Courts handle civil disputes for cases below $10,000. They also preside over criminal cases punishable by fines of less than $500 or jail sentences of one year or less. The courts have original jurisdiction over probate matters such as wills, estates, guardianships, and trusts. The County Courts at Law are courts of general jurisdiction presiding over misdemeanor and civil disputes up to $200,000. The court also handles juvenile, probate, and family law cases from the Justice and Municipal Courts.

The Justice of Peace Court in Brazoria presides over criminal and civil cases, including preliminary hearings, traffic misdemeanors, landlord/tenant disputes, and small claims. The Municipal Courts deal with city ordinance violations, traffic violations, and other misdemeanor offenses within city limits.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Brazoria County

The District Clerk is the record custodian for Brazoria County court records. The Office provides online access to public court records using the Court Records Inquiry tool. Record seekers may also visit the courthouses to access the records or mail written requests to obtain copies of public records. Municipal Court records are available at the courthouses where the lawsuit was heard.

Types of Public Court Records in Brazoria County

Public court records grant citizens insights into the legal proceedings in Brazoria County. Publicly available court records in Brazoria include:

• Civil Court Records: Personal injury, defamation, copyright infringement, insurance claims, and contract disputes
• Criminal Court Records: Felonies and misdemeanor records, including arsons, aggravated assaults, shoplifting, and vandalism
• Family Court Records: Legal separation, annulments, divorce, child and spousal support, and child custody records
• Probate Records: Wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorship   records
• Traffic Records: Driving under the influence, illegal parking, reckless driving, seat belt violations, and driving without insurance

Confidential Court Records in Brazoria County

Confidential court records are court documents and papers inaccessible to the public. Confidential court records are sealed to prevent an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Confidential court records in Brazoria County include:

• Adoption records
• Juvenile Court records
• Drug and alcohol treatment records
• Trade secrets and business proprietary records
• Grand jury proceedings

Similarly, public court records contain personal confidential information. Personal identifiers are information used to identify an individual. Personal identifiers are redacted from public court records to protect the safety of the individual named on the court document. Personal data excluded from public court records include:

• Social Security numbers
• Medical records
• Financial account information
• Vehicle plate numbers
• Passport numbers

Juvenile Delinquency in Brazoria, TX

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Brazoria County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Texas often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 981 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Brazoria County. Of that total, 99% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 976 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Brazoria County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Brazoria County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Brazoria County, TX

https://texas.gov/

County Seat:	Angleton
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1836
Total Square Miles:	1,609
2019 Population:	362,457
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	111 E Locust St County Courthouse Angleton , TX 77515-4642 http://www.brazoria-county.com

Brazoria County, TX Courts