Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association

COVID-19 Court Updates

CJC – Judicial DirectoryNEW! Court Appearance Policies

DisasterAssistance.gov

FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED IN ALL COURTHOUSES   

Courthouse and Jury Trial COVID-19 Safety Measures

Order of the Harris County Local Administrative Judge Concerning Additional Health and Safety Protocols, effective 8/12/2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TEXAS COURTS:
Texas Judicial Branch – Court Closures
–  Brazoria County: District – County
–  Chambers County: 253rd District Court
–  Fort Bend County: District – County
–  Galveston County: District – County
–  Harris County: District – County – JP
–  Hays County: Districts – County
–  Houston Municipal Courts – HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS DEPARTMENT WILL RESUME COURT OPERATIONS THURSDAY APRIL 1, 2021 AT ALL LOCATIONS, including ALL JURY AND JUDGE TRIALS, JURY DUTY, ARRAIGNMENTS AND PARKING ADJUDICATION HEARINGS. (3/5/21)
–  Montgomery County: District – County
–  FEDERAL – U.S. Southern District of Texas

If you are feeling sick or need help with a reset or have some other issue in court, HCCLA is here to help. We have members of the bar who are particularly vulnerable to this virus. Do not risk your personal safety or health. Contact the court to advise of your situation. While some courts will allow for off-docket resets, others may not. Contact one of HCCLA’s Judicial Ambassadors for the court where you need additional assistance.

Jury Service in Texas:
In the 22nd emergency order dated August 6, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court extended until October 1 the limits on jury proceedings in previous pandemic-related orders. In pertinent part the latest order specifies that the Office of Court Administration, in coordination with the regional presiding judges and local administrative judges, should assist trial courts in conducting a limited number of jury proceedings before October 1, whether in-person or remote proceedings involving grand and petit jurors, and no later than August 28 must outline recommendations to the Texas Supreme Court regarding jury proceedings.

INMATE VISITATION:

HCJ: The Harris County Jail will suspend all inmate visitation until further notice, effective Saturday, March 14, 2020. Attorney-client interviews and other essential visits will not be affected. Inmates housed at the Joint Processing Center (JPC) will have the option to do video visitations.  INMATE LOOKUP

Set up Jail Calls and Video Visitation: To designate your phone number as an attorney line, fill out the Attorney Do Not Record Request form and email it to Deputy Bilderback at Damon.Bilderback@Sheriff.hctx.net (see also: Recording of Inmate Calls). Video Visitation can be done for clients housed at JPC and 701 San Jacinto. See instructions here:  Attorney Video Visitation Summary.

Beginning Monday, March 16: The jail facilities (JPC, 701, and 1200) will begin screening everyone’s temperature at the front door using a touchless thermometer. If your temperature is over 100 degrees, you will be turned away. Per Ed Gonzalez, the JPC will refuse to book anyone accused of a non-violent misdemeanor (except DWI or if there’s a special reason the person is an immediate threat to safety). Effective immediately: The HCSO Warrants Division will only be confirming outstanding warrants for 1) felonies and 2) misdemeanors involving violence against a person.

Fort Bend: Visitation Temporarily Closed. On March 13, 2020, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards has suspended visitation in county jails.  This suspension is in effect until terminated by the Office of the Governor or until the March 13, 2020 disaster declaration is lifted or expires. We apologize for any inconvenience.  Securus Technologies has agreed to reduce their remote visit fee to $3 per 25 minute visit.  For more information on remote visits, please visit www.videovisitanywhere.com.  If you have further questions regarding visitation, you can contact 281-341-4744, between the hours of 8a to 6:30pm.  Thank you.

Montgomery County:  see Update as of 3/19/20

TDCJ: In accordance with Governor Abbott’s declaration, effective March 13, 2020, the TDCJ will be temporarily suspending visitation at all our facilities (statewide) until further notice. While we understand the value and significance of the visitation process at our facilities, we also understand the importance of providing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all involved. For continued updates, please refer to our agency website (https://www.tdcj.texas.gov).

FDC: The Federal Detention Center has suspended ALL inmate visitation, including legal visitation, to support public health and safety efforts of curtailing COVID-19 spread.  The FDC understands criminal cases are ongoing and defendants still have a need to participate in legal activities.  Therefore, we are putting in place a process by which defense attorneys can request an exception and have a legal visit with his/her client.  We ask that counsel reach out to the Consolidated Legal Center staff via Juliana Reese-Colson (j2reese@bop.gov) or Gerald Rawls (grawls@bop.gov) with their requests.  This facility will work diligently to facilitate necessary legal visits and to have as little interruption to an inmate’s ability to engage in legal activity as possible. If approved for an in-person visit, the attorney will need to undergo screening using the same procedures as staff. More information regarding this announcement and the agency’s operations in light of this matter can be found at https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/20200313_covid-19.jsp

Joe Corley Detention Center:  You can schedule an unmonitored telephone call with a defendant held at the Joe Corley Detention Center.  Send your request to Ms. Geraldine Lovett (glovett@geogroups.com) along with a copy of your 1) TDL and 2) bar card, and the 3) name, 4) federal or alien number of the client, and 5) the time and date of the call. At the designated time, you must call the facility.  You will be provided the number to call in the email message that responds to your request.

U.S. SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS:

Both Galveston and Harris Counties will be under a shelter-in-place order effective Tuesday, March 24, at 11:59 p.m. The courts are exempt, and we will continue to do our job. But to the extent we can, we will minimize the need to require our employees, the lawyers, or the litigants from deviating from the shelter-in-place orders. Those steps will likely include deferring any non-essential in-court appearances or having them occur by telephone conference, Skype, or similar technology. The clerks’ office will have a much reduced staff, enough to keep up with processing the mail and with intake needs. Docketing and most other tasks will be handled remotely.

UPDATES:

Please visit the Court’s web site regularly for the most current information about changes in operations as we all contribute to slowing the spread of COVID-19: https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/

U.S. EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS:

UPDATES: 

ALR HEARINGS
STATE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS (SOAH):

SOAH COVID-19 Information

Houston Office 
Main: 346.272.5343
Fax:    346.272.7200

Technical Issues (Oct 2020)
If you are having trouble faxing to SOAH Houston:
Fax to SOAH Austin 512-475-4994 and give them notice to forward to SOAH Houston.

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Contact Us

Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
P.O. Box 924523
Houston, TX 77292-4523
(713) 227-2404