Located on the Edwards Plateau in Texas, Tom Green County was formed in 1874 and named after a Confederate general, Thomas Green. With a population of about 120,000 and a land area of 1,522 square miles, its largest city and county seat is San Angelo.
Courts in Tom Green County
Tom Green County has four District Courts: 51st, 119th, 340th, and 391st District Courts. The District Courts are the principal courts in the county, and they have general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. However, they typically hear cases beyond the jurisdiction of other county courts. They have original jurisdiction over felonies, civil cases, cases involving land titles, marriage dissolution cases, and election contest cases.
There are two Tom Green County Courts at Law, which hear guardianship, probate, and civil cases. They also hear appeals from Justice of the Peace courts and municipal courts.
There are four Tom Green County Justice of the Peace precincts in the county. These courts handle traffic offenses, preliminary felony hearings, misdemeanors, and civil cases with claims under $20,000.
Lastly, the San Angelo Municipal Court is the only municipal court in Tom Green County. it hears minor misdemeanor cases, municipal ordinance violations, and traffic offenses within the city.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Tom Green County
In Tom Green County, public court records consist of warrants, court filings, writs, court proceedings, and judgments of the county's courts. The Tom Green County District Clerk maintains all public court records from the District Courts, while the Tom Green County Clerk maintains those of the Justice and County at Law Courts. Each municipal court is responsible for its public court records.
Members of the public can visit any of the county's courts to view or request nonconfidential court records. They can also search for Tom Green County public court records from the Tom Green Records Inquiries Portal. They can search for civil, criminal, probate, and domestic relations cases from the county.
Types of Public Court Records in Tom Green County
The right of the public in Tom Green County to access certain court records is enshrined in the Texas Constitution and helps to assure the public of the fairness of the judicial system. Tom Green County makes the following types of court records available to the public unless sealed by a court:
- Criminal Court Records: such as warrants, court proceedings, and judgments for criminal cases
- Family Court Records: includes divorce decrees, emancipation, maintenance orders, and custody judgments
- Civil Court Records: such as professional malpractices, employment disputes, product liabilities, libel, trade secrets, automobile negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, slander, and business torts
- Probate Court Records: such as documentation of wills, estates, and trusts
Confidential Court Records in Tom Green County
In Tom Green County, some court documents are sealed to protect confidential information, maintain privacy, or further the interests of justice. These records are either sealed by court orders or sealed by default under Texas law. Confidential court records are not available to the public, unlike public court records. Only those with authorization or court orders may review them. Typically, parts or all of the following are usually excluded from public access in Texas:
- Identifying information about jurors
- Adoption records
- Most juvenile records
- Grand jury proceedings and records
- Medical and mental health records
- Expunged or sealed records
- Personally identifiable information such as Social Security number and driver’s license number
- Certain records of victims of domestic or sexual violence.
Juvenile Delinquency in Tom Green, TX
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Tom Green 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 356 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Tom Green County. Of that total, 77% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 275 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Tom Green County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Tom Green County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 13,916 |
| Dependency | 0 |
| Status | 2,936 |
Government of Tom Green County, TX
| County Seat: | San Angelo |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Dillon's Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1874 |
| Total Square Miles: | 1,541 |
| 2019 Population: | 118,019 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.01 |
| County Contact: | 112 W Beauregard Ave
County Courthouse San Angelo , TX 76903-5835 http://www.co.tom-green.tx.us/ |
Tom Green County, TX Courts
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Tom Green County District Court
Address: 112 W Beauregard, San Angelo, TX 76903
Phone: 325-659-6582