Johnson County Court Records

Texas law describes Johnson County court records as a combination of judicial and court case records. Judicial records refer to a document created or kept for a court or judicial agency during routine business operations that has nothing to do with the agency's decision-making role, regardless of how that role is related to a particular court case. Court case records, case files, court documents, docket sheets, trial dates, or any other material pertaining to a particular court case that is in print or electronic form.

Generally, court records are maintained by the county court clerks. In Johnson County, these custodians maintain court records to keep track of every case's judicial proceedings. Court records also provide historical background on each case a company or individual has been involved in, which helps put any current legal proceedings into perspective.

Johnson County court records contain trial exhibits, docket data, pleas, orders, indictments, motions, requests for testimony, and court papers submitted by the parties involved.

Are Court Records Public in Johnson County?

Yes. However, unlike other states in the U.S., court agencies and judicial records are not subject to the Texas Public Information Act nor the federal Freedom of Information Act. Access to court records is governed by Rule 12 of the Texas Rules of Judicial Administration. The rule stipulates that most court records are public and available to interested members of the public. However, Section 12.5 of the rule exempts the following information from being made public:

• Drafts and Judicial Work Product: Any document pertaining to the adjudicative decision-making process used by court officers.
• Home Address and Family Information: Any document that includes a person's social security number, home or personal phone number, address, or family members.
• Information about Personnel: Any employment record would represent an obviously unjustified invasion of someone's privacy.
• Internal Discussions Regarding Court or Judicial Management Issues: Any document pertaining to discussions held within a court or judicial agency or between judges or their officers.

The Texas Rule of Civil Procedure also dictates that the following information in Johnson County court records is private and should be redacted or completely exempt:

• A government-issued personal identity number such as a driver's license number, passport number, social security number, or tax identification number;
• A credit card number, bank account number, or other account number related to finances; and

Johnson County Court Records Search

A person can obtain John County court records through the following ways:

• In-person at the county clerk's office.
• By emailing or calling the county clerk's office to request records.
• Online using the Johnson County Court Records inquiry system.
• Texas law libraries.
• Government Research databases

Johnson County Court Records Search by Name

A Johnson County court records search by name can be done at the county court clerk's office. To begin a search, interested persons must visit the county clerk's office. At the office, requestors can ask staff to guide them in searching indexed records in the court's records room. Requestors will be given a form to fill out by court clerk staff, which needs to be filled out with the name of the person or business listed on the record of interest. Also, a person can find physical indexes of court records made publicly available in the records room.

Johnson County Court Records can also be searched remotely by name using the Johnson County Court Records Inquiry database. Records can be searched using:

• The name of an individual involved in the legal dispute.
• The name of any attorney involved in the lawsuit

A search can also be done using a case number, and the search results can be filtered using the date the records were filed and case status(open, closed, pending). A search by name on the Johnson County Court Records inquiry database will reveal the following information.

• Party information-the name of the plaintiff, defendant, and lead attorney
• Events and hearing dates
• Financial information- fees and unpaid dues
• Case status

Johnson County Courts

The Johnson County court system consists of six courts: two "courts at law," three district courts, and municipal courts in each city. The main courts house different departments, such as the probate, family, and civil courts. The courts of law and the district court have jurisdiction over certain criminal and civil cases.

District Courts

District Judge 18th District Court
Guinn Justice Center
204 S Buffalo Ave, Suite 304
Cleburne, Texas 76033

249th District Court
Guinn Justice Center
204 S Buffalo Ave Cleburne,
Texas 76033

413th District Court
Guinn Justice Center
204 S Buffalo Ave
Cleburne, Texas 76033

Courts at law

Johnson County Court at Law 1
Guinn Justice Center Cleburne
204 S. Buffalo Ave. TX 76033
Phone: (817) 556-6353
Fax: (817) 556-6399

Johnson County Court at Law No 2
Guinn Justice Center
204 S. Buffalo,
Suite 409 Cleburne,
TX 76033
Court Fax: (817) 556-6190

Johnson County Superior Court Case Search

Since there isn't a designated superior court in Johnson County, it isn't possible to search for cases in its superior court. However, there are two counties, "courts at law," which have the highest courts in the county. The county court has concurrent jurisdiction over civil disputes involving moderately sized amounts in dispute and exclusive jurisdiction over "Class A" and "Class B" misdemeanors, which are crimes that may result in jail time. The Johnson County Law Courts at Law have appellate authority over cases appealed from municipal courts and justice of the peace courts.

The court of law is situated in two different locations in Johnson County. Persons interested in performing a court case search can visit any location to request a record. The clerk's offices will guide visitors on how to make a request in writing. If interested, they can also search case records on public access computer terminals by going to the courthouse where the case was filed.

An additional resource for searching cases in Johnson County Court is the Internet. The Johnson County Online Services website provides access to a number of digital tools that the court offers. People can utilize the court case records database to search for online case records and scheduled hearing dates, as well as criminal cases, citations, and civil cases.

The Texas judicial authority has also teamed up with a third-party site that provides a free membership plan that enables users to look for records from several courts and counties. It consists of district, county, and probate court civil proceedings.

Johnson County District Court Records

The district courts of Johnson County have original jurisdiction over all criminal cases that are classified as felonies, divorces, cases involving land titles, cases involving election contests, civil matters involving $200 or more in damages, and any other matter for which jurisdiction is not assigned to another trial court.

Due to its large population, Johnson County has three district courts. The Guinn Justice Center in Cleburne, Texas, is home to the three District Courts. The 18th and 249th district courts serve Johnson and Somervell Counties, respectively. The 413th District Court serves only Johnson County.

Johnson County district court records can be obtained from the office of the county district court clerk. The District Clerk is in charge of keeping records in a way that makes them easily accessible to the public, preserves them for long-term preservation in archives, and disposes of them in compliance with the law. Using a case number or the name of the individual on the record, anyone can use the terminals at any district county courthouse to look up court records. Additionally, requests for records can be made in person, over the phone, or via mail using the court records request form.

Guinn Justice Center
204 South Buffalo Avenue
Cleburne, Texas 76033
Phone: (817) 556-6839
Fax: (817) 556-6120
email:JCDC@johnsoncountytx.org

Johnson County Criminal Records

As per Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, Johnson county criminal records are public records records and must be made available to interested members of the public for copying and inspection.This especially applies to conviction history records.

Individuals can request johnson county criminal records from the Texas Department of Public safety. Inquirers can also request to review their criminal records online utilizing the Criminal History Conviction Name Search or by scheduling a time to visit any Department of Public Safety FAST facility to complete a fingerprint-based search. The only way to obtain the criminal conviction history of another person is to perform a name-based Search.

A Name-based search can be performed by utilizing an individual's first and last name. The search will disclose all Johnson county arrests, charges, and case outcomes for those arrested for a class B misdemeanor or more.

The fee for a name-based record check is $10.00, and the fee for a fingerprint-based record check is $15.00.

Johnson County Criminal Court Case Lookup

The following are routes to perform a Johnson County criminal court case lookup:

• Online using the county and district court records inquiry database
• By visiting the clerk of the county court to request a record
• Using public access terminals at the office of the county court clerk
• Searching court dockets at any court in the county

Get Johnson County Civil Court Records

The Johnson County Courts at Law have appellate authority over civil cases originally handled in justice courts and are responsible for handling all notable civil cases. Civil cases involving funds in controversy that surpass $250,000 but do not exceed $250,000 are under the jurisdiction of the County Courts at Law.

To get Johnson County civil court records, those interested can go to the civil courthouse where a case was filed. To ensure accessibility, the requester is advised to contact the courthouse in advance. At the courthouse record room, people can view and copy records. They can also reach out to the county court clerk, who will guide them on how to make a court records request by writing.

Alternatively, individuals can use the court inquiry database to look up civil court records by performing a simple search using the name of a person on the record or the case number. However, certified copies of these records are not available online.

Other online retrieval options for Johnson County civil court records include:

• The Civil Case Calendar, which can be used to find details about upcoming civil hearings

Johnson County Family Court Records

Cases pertaining to family matters, including lawsuits seeking a divorce, adoptions, and lawsuits impacting the parent-child relationship, fall under the special legislative authority of the County Courts At Law of Johnson County. The family court division of the courts at law in Johnson handles cases of this nature. Persons can request Johnson County family court records from the county court clerk's office at any courthouse house in the county. Persons can also make inquiries about the availability of certain records by contacting the family court coordinator at any of the county courts. The county court coordinator can be reached by phone or by fax.

Johnson County Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage and divorce records are recorded and maintained at the local Office of Vital Statistics, a division of the county clerk's office. Certified copies of marriage licenses, divorce decrees, and other types of marriage and divorce records can only be obtained at the Johnson County clerk's office as long as the records were originally filed there.

Interested persons can gain access to marriage and divorce records held by this office either through a mail request or by visiting the office in person.to request mail. Inquirers may download the marriage and divorce record request form, complete it, and mail it to the county clerk's office for processing. The following details, when filled out completely, should be included on the application for a Certified Copy of marriage and divorce records:

• The complete names of the two candidates
• The year of marriage or the divorce filing date

Requests can be mailed to the offices in Burleson and Cleburne. A return address and a cashier's check or money order are required when sending mail requests.

In-person requests can be made by visiting the county clerks in Burleson or Cleburne. When making a request in person, individuals must come along with a valid government ID to the county clerk's office. the office locations and mailing address of the Vital Statistics office are as follows:

Burleson Sub-Courthouse
247 Elk Dr.
Burleson, TX 76028
(817) 202-2968 Option 2

Historic Courthouse
2 N. Main
P.O. Box 1986
Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 202-4000 Ext. 2532

Mailing Address:
Johnson County Clerk-Vitals
P.O. Box 1986
Cleburne, TX 76033

Both locations provide public access terminals where users can complete online applications for marriage and divorce records. The Texas Vital Statistics Office also allows people to request uncertified copies of marriage and divorce records in person, by mail, or online. However, it is best practice to request records from the Johnson County Clerk's office.

Johnson County Birth and Death Records

Johnson County birth and death records are vital records that can be obtained at the county clerk's office. They are confidential and only available to eligible applicants. Birth records are not available to the public until 75 years after the date of birth, and death records are not available to the public until 25 years after the date of death.

The following people are qualified to request a birth or death record from the Johnson County Clerk:

• Law enforcement or government agencies;
• Registrant or an Immediate Family Member by blood, marriage, or adoption;
• Guardian or Legal Representative;
• Individuals who can show a direct and concrete interest in the record for statutory responsibilities;

Request can only be made in person at the vital statistics department of the county clerk's office or through mail to the same office. To make a walk-in request, persons can visit the clerk's office. And must come along with

• A completed Birth or Death Record Application
• A legitimate, genuine government-issued photo ID
• payment for the record

Johnson County Probate Court Records

Probate and Guardianship cases are concerned with preserving the wishes, rights, and duties of the deceased when an individual is unable to manage their property and/or assets due to a mental or physical disease, being a minor, or passing away. Probate records are available via the county clerk's office's court section, which handles probate cases. Individuals can request probate records in person or by mail from the county clerk's office. Public Information Requests of Johnson County Probate Court Records can be submitted and sent by email to ccresearch@johnsoncountytx.org to copy or research probate court records.

Individuals can call (817) 556-6323 to find out if a record is available or to find out information about the status of an ongoing guardianship or probate case.

Johnson County Property Records

Johnson Property Records, which include the following but are not limited to: Official Public Records Affidavits, Assignments, Deeds, Liens, Releases, Abstract or Release of judgment liens, State Tax Liens, Federal Tax Liens, Uniform Commercial Code, Notice of Trustee Sales, Bond Approvals, and Plats, are available at the Cleburne Office in the Historic Courthouse. Real Property Records are available online via the Johnson County website, via mail, or in person.

The Johnson County clerk's office allows visitors to request property records from staff. It also has Public Access Terminals for searching and purchasing copies of Johnson County Public Records. The Johnson County Official Records Portal allows users to search the County Clerk's Real Property Records remotely. While staff members can answer phone inquiries about online searching, they are not authorized to conduct online searches on the user's behalf.

If someone wants copies via mail, they must mail their request to one of the offices' mailing addresses and include a business check, money order, or cashier's check for the full cost of the copies, plus any certifications they may need.

Johnson County Court Records Online

Third-party sites have proven useful options for accessing Johnson County court records online. Sites such as texascourtrecords.us are valuable resources for public record searches. Independent companies that gather public records from different sources, such as courthouses, and then offer them to the general public own third-party websites.

Third-party sites offer remote access to court records from anywhere worldwide, making them convenient. The information from these sites is also comprehensive because it is pooled from several sources. Third-party repositories are useful for research purposes, data collection, and viewing court records from different jurisdictions in one place.

Most third-party sites function as paid services, where users pay a one-time payment or monthly subscription fee. Free-to-use third-party sites are also an option for finding court records for free from some of these sites; however, information on these free third-party sites is more limited.