Created in 1837, Fannin County is located in northeastern Texas. As of the 2020 census, it has 35,662 residents, and its county seat is Bonham. Its land area is 891 square miles, and its water bodies cover 8 square miles.
Courts in Fannin County
The court system in Fannin County includes district, constitutional, courts of law, justice, and municipal courts. The Fannin County 336th District Court is the highest court in the county, and it handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of other county courts. It hears criminal, probate, civil, and domestic relations cases.
The Fannin County Constitutional Court hears some misdemeanors, juvenile cases, and probate matters. It can also hear small claims civil cases under $10,000.
The Fannin County Court at Law hears probate, guardianship, and civil matters. It shares jurisdiction with the Justice of the Peace Court.
There are three Fannin County Justice of the Peace precinct courts in the county. These courts handle traffic infractions, misdemeanors, and preliminary felony hearings.
Lastly, Fannin County municipal courts hear minor misdemeanor cases, municipal ordinance violations, and traffic offenses. The seven municipal courts in Fannin County are in Bonham, Ector, Honey Grove, Ladonia, Leonard, Trenton, and Savoy.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Fannin County
In Fannin County, public court records consist of warrants, court filings, writs, transcripts, orders, legal proceedings, and judgments of the county's courts. The Fannin County Clerk maintains all public court records from the Justice, Constitutional, and County at Law Courts, while the Fannin County District Court Clerk maintains those of the District Courts. Each municipal court is responsible for its public court records.
Anyone can search for Fannin County public court records from the county’s online portal. The portal allows anyone to search for criminal, civil, family, and probate cases. Alternatively, they can visit any of the county's courts to view or request public court records.
Types of Public Court Records in Fannin County
Access to public court records in Fannin County promotes confidence in the county’s judicial system. Fannin County makes the following types of court records available to the public unless sealed by court orders:
- Family Court Records: Family law matters, including annulments, emancipation, divorce decrees, child custody decrees, and maintenance orders
- Criminal Case Records: warrants, details about warrants, charges, court proceedings, and judgments for criminal cases
- Civil Case Records: court orders, settlement agreements, and court proceedings
- Probate Records: documentation of trusts, estates, codicils, guardianships, and wills
Confidential Court Records in Fannin County
In Fannin County, confidential court records are court records sealed by default under Texas law or by specific court orders. Court records are sealed for privacy or security reasons and are only accessible to authorized persons or by court orders. The following are usually excluded from public court records:
- Most juvenile delinquency records, except for serious felonies
- Adoption records
- Substance abuse treatment records
- Sexually transmitted disease (STD) test results and treatment records
- Personal identifying information such as social security number, driver’s license number, and plate numbers
- Medical and mental health records
The following are also concealed from public view in a Texas court record:
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license number
- Bank account details
- Tax returns
Juvenile Delinquency in Fannin, TX
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Fannin 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 54 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Fannin County. Of that total, 100% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 54 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Fannin County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Fannin County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 1,784 |
| Dependency | 0 |
| Status | 465 |
Government of Fannin County, TX
| County Seat: | Bonham |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Dillon's Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1837 |
| Total Square Miles: | 899 |
| 2019 Population: | 34,446 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.03 |
| County Contact: | 101 E Sam Rayburn Dr
County Courthouse Bonham , TX 75418-4347 http://www.co.fannin.tx.us |
Fannin County, TX Courts
-
Fannin County District Court
Address: 101 E Sam Rayburn Dr, Ste 201, Bonham, TX 75418
Phone: 903-583-7459