Brazoria County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

County: Brazoria County, TX

The population of Brazoria County, Texas is 374,600. Its county seat is Angleton located only 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The legal needs of this growing population are serviced by a network of several courts that handle specific legal matters. Brazoria County's judicial system consists of District Courts, Constitutional County Courts, County Courts at Law, Statutory Probate Courts, Justice Courts, and Municipal Courts. These courts handle various judicial matters within the county effectively.

Located in the county seat of Angleton, the District Courts have general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases within Brazoria County but typically focus on cases above the authority of other courts. The Constitutional County Courts have original jurisdiction over all probate cases but share jurisdiction with Justice Courts over civil cases when the contested amount is between $200 and $10000. The County Courts at Law also double as the County Criminal Courts as they handle misdemeanors that do not have imprisonment as a penalty, civil cases of more than $500 and less than $100000, and some probate matters such as guardianships and estate-sharing. The Justice Courts nicknamed the “Justice of the Peace” focus on traffic misdemeanors, small claims, foreclosures, and other general civil claims. The Municipal Courts have jurisdiction that involves some misdemeanors, municipal ordinance violations, felony preliminary hearings, and some cases related to forfeitures and final judgments of bail bonds or personal bonds.

The annual crime rate per 100,000 people in Brazoria County is about 1,600 crimes. This comes to a total of about 6,500 crimes per year. The caseload that the courts deal with each year totals about 7,000 cases. These cases range from criminal to civil and family matters. Public court records are readily available and accessible using the search records icon of the Brazoria County Clerk online platform. However, juvenile cases and sensitive family matters are considered closed court records and can only be accessed by obtaining a special court order or permission.

In conclusion, the legal system in Brazoria County is interconnected in a network that effectively serves its growing population. The court system handles several cases ranging from criminal to civil cases, with family and probate matters. Public court records are also available to both attorneys and individuals alike. The County Clerk ensures that such records are updated and accessible to the public. The courts work in sync to create a legal system that is both reliable and effective.