McLennan County District Courts

McLennan County District Courts Overview

District courts in Texas are general-jurisdiction trial courts. They hear felony criminal cases, civil cases above the lower-court caps, family and divorce matters, and juvenile cases when assigned. McLennan County has six numbered district courts: the 19th, 54th, 74th, 170th, 414th, and 474th. The 19th and 54th handle felony criminal cases. The 74th, 170th, 414th, and 474th handle civil and family matters in different mixes. The 474th is the designated juvenile court and the referring court for CPS de novo review.

The District Clerk supports all six courts as the custodian of pleadings, instruments, jury administration, and the case index.

The District Clerk's office at mclennan.gov/357 spells out office hours, accessibility, Spanish services, and the contact lines for civil and criminal divisions.

List of McLennan County District Courts

The six district courts share the courthouse on Washington Avenue. The county lists each court on its District Judges page with a link to that court's own page. The table below sums up the main jurisdiction for each numbered court, plus the address and phone where the county has published it.

The page at mclennan.gov/419 lists all six district courts and links to each one.

The 19th District Court is one of the two felony-handling courts.

The 19th District Court page at mclennan.gov/420 covers felony and general jurisdiction, jury trial rules, etiquette, presentence investigation notes, and judge contact.

The 54th District Court is the felony-only court with a distinct docket structure.

The 54th page at mclennan.gov/427 details settings, pretrial and status docket rules, and the court docket link. The court calls pretrial dockets for the third upcoming week at 9:30 a.m. and status dockets for the second upcoming week.

The 74th District Court handles a large share of complex civil and family matters.

The 74th page at mclennan.gov/439 covers civil and family jurisdiction, jury, standing orders, etiquette, and contact information.

The 170th District Court also handles civil and family matters.

The 170th page at mclennan.gov/459 covers civil and family jurisdiction, the online docket notice, standing orders, and case settings.

District Court vs. County Court vs. Justice Court

Texas splits trial work across three court levels. District courts handle the heaviest matters. County Courts at Law handle misdemeanors and county civil cases. Justice of the Peace courts handle small claims, evictions, and fine-only traffic and Class C offenses. Knowing which court hears a case is half of any McLennan County court records search.

How a Case Moves Through the McLennan County System

A typical case path follows a clear chain. Felony cases start with arrest and a magistrate appearance, then move to grand jury, district court, plea or trial, and judgment. Civil cases start with the petition, run through pretrial and discovery, then settle or go to trial. Family cases follow the standing order from the day of filing. Appeals usually go to the Tenth Court of Appeals in Waco, and from there to the Texas Supreme Court for civil or the Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters.

Case flow: Magistrate › Grand Jury / Petition › District Court › Court of Appeals (Tenth, Waco) › Texas Supreme Court or Court of Criminal Appeals.

Civil, Family, and Criminal Divisions

Each numbered court can hear multiple case types, but practice tends to group them. The 19th and 54th carry the felony docket, with the 54th hearing only felony criminal cases. The 74th, 170th, 414th, and 474th cover civil and family, with random assignment of family matters between them. The 474th carries the juvenile and CPS de novo workload on top of civil and family.

Standing Orders apply to divorces and suits affecting the parent-child relationship filed after May 5, 2008, except attorney general and CPS cases. The standing order tells the parties what they cannot do with property, children, and conduct while the case is pending.

Judicial Circuit and District

McLennan County's six district courts share the Waco courthouse and serve the county. Appellate jurisdiction sits with the Tenth Court of Appeals in Waco, which hears civil and criminal appeals from district and county courts in the area. Death-penalty appeals go directly to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Civil appeals can move on to the Texas Supreme Court.

Magistrate and Lower Courts

Below the district courts sit the County Courts at Law and the Justice of the Peace courts. County Courts at Law 1, 2, and 3 use rooms 210, 210A, and 207 in the courthouse. The five Justice of the Peace precincts cover Waco, West, McGregor, and the surrounding county. JP courts handle fine-only criminal, traffic, small claims, evictions, debt up to $20,000, magistrate work, and inquests.

For court file access and case index help, see the District Clerk page. For misdemeanor and probate clerk work, see the County Clerk page. For traffic and Class C matters, see traffic court records.

Courtroom Etiquette and Practice Notes

Most McLennan County district courts post etiquette rules on their court pages. Common rules prohibit shorts, tank tops, hats and caps for men, and bare feet. Several courts also bar children under 7 or unattended children. The 54th District Court runs a careful pretrial and status docket: pretrial docket call for the third upcoming week is at 9:30 a.m., and attorneys for in-jail defendants must appear either by Zoom or in court. The status docket for the second upcoming week follows pretrial, and all assigned attorneys must be present.

Pro se litigants can use the Texas Law Help and the Texas State Law Library self-help portals. The District Clerk publishes Pro Se Litigants PDFs and local rule links on some court pages. The Indigent Defense Coordinator office handles court-appointed counsel for criminal cases at 254-759-7540.

Related McLennan County Resources

For docket sheets and how to read them, see court dockets. For the broader records framework, see court records. For felony criminal context, see arrest records. For divorce and family records, see marriage and divorce records.