Harrison County is located on the eastern border of Texas and has a total land area of 900 square miles. Its county seat is the City of Marshall. According to the US Census Bureau, Harrison County has over 68,000 residents.

Courts in Harrison County

The 71st District Court in Texas serves as the apex trial court in Harrison County. Criminal and civil cases beyond the jurisdiction of other lower courts are resolved at the District Court. At the trial court, residents file civil lawsuits involving divorce, property liens, land disputes, tax disputes, and termination of parental rights. The District Court judge typically presides over all felony proceedings and some misdemeanor trials.

Harrison County has a Constitutional County Court and a County Court at Law. The Constitutional County Court handles severe misdemeanor trials, while the County Court at Law presides over misdemeanors that do not include imprisonment. General civil disputes resolved at the Constitutional County Court have a financial limit between $200 and $10,000. On the other hand, residents can approach the County Court at Law to settle financial disputes of up to $100,000. Both courts in Harrison County share jurisdiction over probate matters, juvenile cases, and family law issues (divorce and child custody). They may also share jurisdiction in matters related to mental health commitments and administrative appeals.

The 4 Justice of Peace Courts in Harrison County are responsible for handling limited civil and criminal cases. Small claims issues that do not exceed $200 financial disagreements are resolved at the Harrison County Justice Courts. These courts also preside over most fine-only misdemeanor trials. Civil cases handled at the Justice Courts are usually landlord-tenant eviction cases and foreclosure controversies. Harrison County has 3 Municipal Courts tasked with handling all ordinance violation proceedings and dog-related injury issues.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Harrison County

Public court records maintained by designated court clerks in Harrison County often include the following information:

• Calendars and Dockets
• Case Filings such as motions, briefs, and petitions
• Witness Reports
• Discovery Requests
• Settlement Agreements
• Exhibits
• Transcripts
• Affidavits of Witnesses
• Court Judgements

The District Clerk is the record custodian of court records created at the 71st District Court. On the other hand, the Harrison County Clerk maintains court documents created at the Constitutional County Court and County Court at Law. Members of the public can use the Court Records Inquiry portal to find public court documents online. They may also obtain court documents by visiting the court clerks in person.

Types of Public Court Records in Harrison County

Requesters can obtain the following case files from court clerks in Harrison County court:

• Family records
• Probate records
• Traffic court records
• Civil records
• Criminal court records

Confidential Court Records in Harrison County

In Harrison County, court clerks typically decline access to confidential court records that may violate the Texas Public Information Act. Generally, to avoid identity thefts, the following personal identification details are not included in public court records:

• Driver's license numbers
• Social Security numbers
• Passport numbers
• Birth certificate details
• Taxpayer identification numbers
• Medical insurance identification numbers
• Credit card numbers
• Bank account details
• Personal addresses and phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Biometric data (e.g., fingerprints, facial recognition data)

Other confidential court records include:

• Domestic violence records
• Grand jury proceedings
• Attorney-client communications
• Adoption records
• Child custody and protection records
• Records involving national security or classified information

Juvenile Delinquency in Harrison, TX

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

In 2017, a total of 178 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Harrison County. Of that total, 89% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 158 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Harrison County, TX

https://texas.gov/

County Seat:	Marshall
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1839
Total Square Miles:	916
2019 Population:	66,661
Persons/Square Mile:	0.01
County Contact:	200 W Houston St County Courthouse Marshall , TX 75670-4053 http://harrisoncountytexas.org/

Harrison County, TX Courts