Lipscomb County Jail Criminal Court Process

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Lipscomb County

Criminal Court Process for Lipscomb County Texas

Lipscomb County fills the northeast corner of the Texas Panhandle against the Oklahoma line, and its county seat is the small town of Lipscomb; Booker, Follett, Darrouzett and Higgins are the other communities. Class C cases go to the county's single justice of the peace or to the Booker and Follett municipal courts, Class A and B misdemeanors go to the constitutional county court, and felonies go to the 31st District Court, a five-county district that also covers Gray, Hemphill, Roberts and Wheeler counties. The Lipscomb County Attorney prosecutes misdemeanors, and the 31st District Attorney, based in Pampa, prosecutes felonies. People arrested in the county are taken to the Lipscomb County Jail, run by the Sheriff in Lipscomb.

  • Lipscomb County Courthouse (County Judge, county court and 31st District Court sessions), 101 South Main, P.O. Box 69, Lipscomb, TX 79056; County Judge (806) 862-4131
  • Lipscomb County District and County Clerk (one office keeps both felony and misdemeanor files), P.O. Box 70, Lipscomb, TX 79056, (806) 862-3091
  • Lipscomb County Attorney (misdemeanors), (806) 658-4545
  • 31st District Attorney (felonies in Gray, Hemphill, Lipscomb, Roberts and Wheeler counties), Pampa, (806) 669-8035
  • Lipscomb County Jail (Lipscomb County Sheriff's Office), Lipscomb, TX 79056, (806) 862-2611

Which court hears your case. The lowest grade, a Class C misdemeanor, is punished by a fine and nothing more: think of a speeding ticket, public intoxication, a theft of less than $100 or an offensive-contact assault. Tickets issued by deputies or troopers are answered in the Justice of the Peace court in Lipscomb, which covers the entire county, while tickets written by city officers inside Booker or Follett go to that town's municipal court. Class A and B misdemeanors, including a first DWI, are filed in the Lipscomb County Court before the County Judge, because the county has no county court at law. Felonies begin with magistrate warnings and, once a grand jury indicts, go to the 31st District Court, whose judge rides circuit among the five counties of the district.

Where pretrial inmates are held. The Sheriff runs a small jail in the town of Lipscomb, and that is where people arrested on local charges stay until they make bond, are released by a judge or resolve the case. Because the jail is small, the Sheriff may move people to a larger jail elsewhere in the Panhandle when space or security requires it. The Sheriff's Office at (806) 862-2611 can confirm where a particular person is being held and on what charge.

Local courts in Lipscomb County (justice of the peace, municipal and county courts)

With only a few thousand residents, Lipscomb County gets by with one justice of the peace for the whole county and two small municipal courts. The JP is also the usual magistrate for anyone booked into the Lipscomb County Jail, reading the legal warnings and setting bail.

Justice of the Peace court

  • Lipscomb County Justice of the Peace (countywide precinct), P.O. Box 37, Lipscomb, TX 79056, (806) 862-3844

Municipal courts

  • Booker Municipal Court, P.O. Box M, Booker, TX 79005, (806) 658-4579
  • Follett Municipal Court, P.O. Box 216, Follett, TX 79034, (806) 653-2601

Darrouzett, Higgins and the town of Lipscomb send their traffic and Class C cases to the justice court.

County court

  • Lipscomb County Court (constitutional county court; Class A and B misdemeanors and appeals from the justice and municipal courts), Lipscomb County Courthouse, Lipscomb, TX 79056; records through the District and County Clerk at (806) 862-3091

Because the justice court and these small city courts do not keep a court reporter's record, a person who loses there can ask the county court for a completely new trial, provided the appeal is filed within 10 days.

↑ Back to the top of the Lipscomb County court guide

Misdemeanor (for example, theft, a first DWI, assault causing bodily injury, criminal trespass)

In a county this rural, misdemeanor arrests mostly come from traffic stops on State Highway 15 and U.S. 83, oil-field thefts, bar fights and domestic disturbances. Each starts with booking at the Lipscomb County Jail.

Seeing the magistrate

Texas requires the arrested person to be brought before a magistrate within 48 hours of arrest. In Lipscomb County this is normally the justice of the peace, who gives the article 15.17 warnings, explains the right to counsel and to stay silent, and sets bail. A person can be released after paying the full amount in cash, by hiring a licensed bail bondsman who posts a surety bond in exchange for a nonrefundable premium, or on a personal bond that relies on a signed promise to appear. A magistrate's emergency protective order often accompanies a family-violence arrest.

How the case is handled

The Lipscomb County Attorney files the formal charge, called an information, in the county court. The County Judge holds arraignment and pretrial settings, and the large majority of cases are settled by agreement. If the defendant wants a trial, a jury of six decides, and the verdict must be unanimous. A person who faces possible jail time and cannot afford a lawyer may ask for court-appointed counsel under Lipscomb County's indigent defense plan; tell the magistrate, or call the District and County Clerk at (806) 862-3091.

Ranges for frequent charges

  • Theft: Class C when the value is under $100; Class B from $100 to $750, which means as many as 180 days and a fine reaching $2,000; Class A from $750 to $2,500, which means as long as a year and as much as $4,000.
  • Assault causing bodily injury: Class A. A family-violence finding can turn a later assault into a felony and triggers the federal ban on firearm possession.
  • Criminal trespass: generally a Class B offense, rising to Class A on a habitation or when the trespasser has a deadly weapon.
  • First DWI: Class B, with 72 hours to 180 days possible and a fine as high as $3,000; Class A if the alcohol concentration is 0.15 or above; a six-day minimum when there is an open container. The driver's license is also suspended in a separate administrative case, and a DWI education class, an ignition interlock and a state fine on conviction may follow. Community supervision is common for a first offense.

Dismissal, pretrial diversion and deferred adjudication are all possible. Deferred adjudication leaves the person without a conviction if supervision is completed and can open the door to an order of nondisclosure. Most Class A and B cases in Lipscomb take two to six months.

↑ Back to the top of the Lipscomb County court guide

Felony (for example, burglary, felony theft, drug possession or delivery, aggravated assault)

The 31st District Attorney prosecutes Lipscomb County felonies, and the 31st District Court hears them in Lipscomb on the weeks the judge is scheduled there. Because the district stretches from Pampa to the Oklahoma line, felony settings are spaced out more than in a single-county district.

  1. First appearance. The magistrate reviews a public safety report, a step required since the 2021 Damon Allen Act, and sets bond with prior arrests and convictions in mind. A defendant who cannot post it remains at the Lipscomb County Jail or a jail the Sheriff contracts with.
  2. Appointed lawyer. Felony defendants without money for a lawyer are assigned a private attorney by the 31st District Court under the indigent defense plan, with help from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. Make the request at magistration or through the District and County Clerk at (806) 862-3091.
  3. Grand jury. A Lipscomb County grand jury hears the evidence from the District Attorney and decides whether to indict. A defendant can waive indictment and be charged by information, usually as part of a plea bargain.
  4. Ninety days. If the State is not ready for trial within 90 days of a felony arrest, a jailed defendant is generally entitled to a personal bond or a reduced amount, except in violent-offense cases.
  5. Plea or jury trial. Most cases end in a plea agreement after arraignment. At trial, 12 jurors must reach a unanimous verdict, and the defendant may elect to have them decide punishment.

Punishment brackets

  • State jail felony: a term of 180 days up to 2 years inside a state jail facility; examples include theft of property worth $2,500 to $30,000 and possessing less than a gram of a Penalty Group 1 drug.
  • Third degree: 2 to 10 years. Second degree: 2 to 20 years, including burglary of a home and most aggravated assaults. First degree: 5 to 99 years or life. A fine of as much as $10,000 is possible at every felony level.
  • Drug cases depend on the penalty group and the weight, so they span the whole range from state jail felony to first degree.

The range climbs for repeat offenders under Texas enhancement laws. "3g" offenses require half the sentence, and at least two years, before parole eligibility; most other offenses reach eligibility at about a quarter of the sentence with good time. First-time felony defendants are frequently offered deferred adjudication. Count on six to eighteen months from arrest to the end of a Lipscomb County felony.

↑ Back to the top of the Lipscomb County court guide

Violent felony (for example, murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery)

Violent crime is rare in Lipscomb County, and a homicide or serious sexual assault usually brings in the Texas Rangers to help the Sheriff. The 31st District Attorney prosecutes the case in the 31st District Court. The Damon Allen Act bars personal bonds for violent charges, and Under a constitutional amendment Texas voters approved in 2025, judges in Lipscomb County can deny bail in some violent-crime cases.

  • Capital murder: the penalty is either death, when the District Attorney seeks it, or life in prison without parole.
  • Murder: first degree, so the jury or judge may set any term from 5 to 99 years, or life.
  • Sexual assault: second degree. Aggravated sexual assault: first degree, carrying a 25-year minimum in some cases with child victims.
  • Aggravated robbery: first degree, and because it is a "3g" offense, parole eligibility does not come until half the sentence has been served.

A person charged with one of these offenses usually stays in custody, either at the Lipscomb County Jail or in a larger jail by arrangement, until trial unless a high bail is posted. Capital cases require specially qualified defense counsel, and rural Panhandle counties typically rely on the Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases. Victims have constitutional rights under article I, section 30, including notice of hearings and the chance to speak at sentencing. Expect a year at the least, and often up to three, before a violent felony from Lipscomb County is finished.

↑ Back to the top of the Lipscomb County court guide

Juveniles (under 17) arrested in Lipscomb County

Children who were 10 to 16 years old at the time of an alleged offense are handled in juvenile court. Anyone 17 or older at the time of the offense is charged as an adult in Lipscomb County.

The intake process

A juvenile probation officer serving Lipscomb County, typically through a juvenile probation department shared with neighboring Panhandle counties, screens each referral. The officer may release the child to a parent, handle the matter informally or send the case to the prosecutor. The County Attorney or the 31st District Attorney, depending on the local arrangement, decides whether to file a petition in the juvenile court the county's juvenile board has designated, often the county court or the 31st District Court.

Where children are detained

Lipscomb County has no juvenile detention center of its own. A child who must be held is typically placed under contract in a regional juvenile detention center elsewhere in the Panhandle, such as one in the Amarillo area. A detention hearing must take place within two working days, and the court reviews detention periodically after that.

What can happen

  • Deferred prosecution or a supervisory caution for a first, low-level case.
  • Juvenile probation with requirements like counseling, curfew, school attendance, community service and restitution, sometimes in an out-of-home placement.
  • Commitment to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), or, for the gravest offenses, a determinate sentence whose remainder may be served in adult prison.
  • Certification as an adult, generally available at 14 or older for capital and first-degree felonies (and certain aggravated drug felonies) and at 15 or older for other felonies.

The court appoints a lawyer for any child whose family cannot pay. Lipscomb County juvenile files are confidential, and most may be sealed once the young person qualifies.

↑ Back to the top of the Lipscomb County court guide

Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Lipscomb County

Under federal law, Lipscomb County belongs to the Amarillo Division of the Northern District of Texas. A federal case from Booker or Lipscomb is heard in Amarillo, roughly two and a half hours to the southwest.

  • Amarillo Division clerk's office, Room 133, 205 SE 5th Ave., Amarillo 79101-1559, (806) 468-3800
  • U.S. Attorney's branch office in Amarillo, Amarillo National Plaza Two, Suite 300, 500 S. Taylor St., Amarillo 79101-2446, (806) 324-2356
  • Federal defense: the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Texas keeps an Amarillo office; if it has a conflict, the court appoints a private lawyer from its Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel

Why a case might be federal

Few Lipscomb County cases go federal. The usual examples are drug trafficking on routes that cross the Oklahoma border, firearms offenses by people with felony records, theft of oil-field equipment that crosses state lines, and crimes involving federal farm or crop-insurance programs.

The federal process

In Amarillo, a federal magistrate judge holds the first appearance, who reviews the charges and arranges counsel. Commercial bail does not exist in federal court, so bail agents play no role. When prosecutors ask that someone be held, the detention hearing usually takes place within three court days, and the magistrate judge decides under the Bail Reform Act whether to release the person on conditions that U.S. Pretrial Services supervises or to order detention. A grand jury indictment is required within 30 days of an arrest on a complaint, and the Speedy Trial Act calls for trial within 70 days, a deadline that is often extended. Federal juries are 12 people and must be unanimous, though guilty pleas end most cases.

Sentence and appeal

The court's probation office writes a presentence investigation, and the district judge consults the advisory Guidelines and applies any mandatory minimum term. Federal inmates are not paroled; they serve close to 85 percent of the sentence in Bureau of Prisons custody and then a term of supervised release. Any appeal is taken to the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator lets families search for a federal prisoner by name or register number. A federal defendant who is waiting for trial in a county jail under a Marshals Service agreement can also appear on that county's jail roster. Juvenile defendants are rarely prosecuted federally.

↑ Back to the top of the Lipscomb County court guide

The information here describes criminal cases in Lipscomb County in general terms and is not legal advice. Court schedules, phone numbers and jail policies change. Anyone facing a Lipscomb County charge should get a defense lawyer's advice; someone who cannot afford counsel can ask for an appointed lawyer at magistration or by calling the District and County Clerk at (806) 862-3091.

Criminal Court Process for Lipscomb County Texas

Lipscomb County Texas Criminal Court System – Definitions

It might be helpful to define some words that will be used on this site, when explaining the Texas Court System and how it works. The definitions on this site are for general information and not legal advice. It is always preferred to follow information given by your attorney or local authorities.

If you scroll down below this content, and the listing of the courts in Lipscomb County, you will find a simple flowchart diagram and a video that will help you visualize the stages of the Criminal Court Process.

Arrest is when Texas, Lipscomb County or local police take a person into custody and start the legal process. The arrested person may or may not be immediately jailed. 

In less serious crimes, the person may only be given a citation ordering that they appear in municipal or Lipscomb County court on a certain date. In cases involving more serious crimes, the person is usually placed in the county jail until an arraignment, or a judge decides the next step.

Booking is when the Lipscomb County sheriff or local police gather information such as the detainee’s name, address and why the person is being arrested. Booking also includes fingerprinting, criminal history, investigation and verification of identity. Bail for lower-level crimes may be set right after booking so the arrested has the opportunity to “bail or bond out” before being detained.

The prosecution, sometimes called “the government” or “the people” or “the state” is the side that press the charges and seeks punishment for the offense. These are attorneys that work for the state of Texas, Lipscomb County or a city or town. The prosecuting attorney for Lipscomb County or the district works in the prosecutor’s office.  A U.S. Attorney prosecutes federal cases.  

Jurisdiction is an important term in the court system that means whether a court has the obligation or duty or right to handle a case.  For example, if you run a red light in your town or city, a municipal court would likely have jurisdiction over your case, but the next town or city over would not have jurisdiction over your case.  If you attempted to flee from police when they attempted to stop you after you ran the red light, it becomes a more serious crime, and the municipal court might not have jurisdiction so you might be assigned to a higher-level court that has jurisdiction over the more serious crime.  Jurisdiction varies from state to state and sometimes county to county.

Arraignment in Texas comes after charges are formally filed, usually by indictment for a felony. The trial court reads the charge and the defendant enters a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. It is a separate step from the first appearance before a magistrate, where rights are explained, bail is set and a request for an appointed lawyer can be made.

An arraignment is not a trial, and the defendant is entitled to a trial within a reasonable amount of time after the arraignment.

Bail is money paid that is held by the Lipscomb County or municipal court to make sure that the arrested does not flee the area before their trial. In Texas, bail and its conditions are set by a magistrate soon after arrest, at the hearing often called magistration. When the case is over, cash posted as bail is refunded on the court’s order to the person named on the receipt, less any fee the law allows.

If a person does not pay bail, they stay in custody until their trial.  Bail can be denied if the court feels that the arrested would be a danger to others if released. Sometimes the court decides that there is a good chance that the arrested will show up for trial and not flee so they are released on their own promise, or recognizance without having to pay bail.

A bond proceeding is the determination of how much bail is to be paid. In Texas it usually happens at the first appearance before a magistrate, soon after arrest, well before any arraignment. A defendant may have a lawyer at a bond proceeding, and a defendant facing a request to deny bail under Proposition 3 has the right to one at that hearing. Jailers, police and prosecutors can’t set bail. In Texas a magistrate does, usually within 48 hours of arrest, and that magistrate may be a justice of the peace, a municipal judge, an appointed magistrate or a county or district judge. Texas doesn’t use one bail schedule for the whole state; each county’s judges adopt their own. Before setting bail, the magistrate reviews a Public Safety Report on the person’s criminal history (the Damon Allen Act, Senate Bill 6, 2021). Since September 2025, Senate Bill 9 sends some felony bail decisions to a judge rather than an appointed magistrate, and since November 2025 Proposition 3 lets a judge deny bail outright for certain violent and sexual felonies after a hearing.

It is always important to have family involvement after being arrested.  Not only can they make calls and communicate on your behalf (not all bond companies will accept collect calls), but family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court, not only for the defendant’s own good, but because they may have signed bond paperwork and responsible to pay if the defendant does not show in court. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.  

(There have been phone scams to where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information.  A bondsman will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)

A judicial public bond or personal recognizance bond is a bond where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the money if the defendant does not show up to court. If the defendant does not show, the full amount will be due and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible to pay the court.  Sometimes the court decides that there is a good chance that the arrested will show up for trial and not flee so they are released on their own promise, or recognizance.  

Cash bonds in Texas. Instead of using a bondsman, the defendant or someone on their behalf deposits the full bail amount with the court or the sheriff. The money is held until the case ends, then refunded on the court’s order to the person named on the receipt, less the administrative fee the law allows (Art. 17.02).

Surety Bond is when defendant pays a percentage of the bond amount (usually 10–15%) to a professional bondsman or bail bond company licensed under Texas law, or by the county’s bail bond board in counties that have one. The bondsman then signs the bond on behalf of the defendant. The defendant does not receive any of the money back. If the bondsman feels the defendant is a flight risk, they can refuse to give a bond or charge a higher fee. For example, a bondsman may determine a defendant is a flight risk if they are from a state other than Texas.

A Property Bond is a bond in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate.  Usually, the property must be in Lipscomb County, and it must be worth at least the amount of the bond.

An Unsecured Bond is when the defendant is released without paying bail upfront, but they must pay the full amount if they do not appear in court.

A Secured Bond is when the defendant pays a portion of the bail up front. If they show to court, they would get the money back and if they don’t show up to court, would have to pay the entire bail amount.

A criminal defense attorney (also called lawyer or counsel) is hired or retained to represent the arrested as early as possible after the arrest.

If there is a chance that the case might go to trial and the defendant cannot afford an attorney, the 6th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires that the court provide an attorney. This is called indigent representation and a public defender or assigned attorney would represent the defendant in all proceedings. Indigent representation is only available misdemeanor and felony cases that could result in jail time, juvenile cases and certain appeal cases. Class C misdemeanors do not qualify for indigent representation.  

Texas requires that the county pays for appointed counsel and expenses and each county may address indigent defense differently but must comply with the state commission’s guidelines.  If an accused cannot afford a lawyer, the court appoints one. A judge may later order the defendant to repay some or all of that cost if they are able to.  

For less serious cases or civil cases, pro bono volunteers give legal help free or at low cost. Many hold clinics on representing yourself or clearing (expunging) a record. Pro Bono Texas is a good place to start looking for one.

Many courts will provide forms and help for people who want to represent themselves, called pro se.

In Texas, a district court is the main state trial court for felonies. The name can also mean a U.S. federal district court, which hears federal cases; Texas has four federal judicial districts with offices around the state. It is important that you check the address of the court you are to appear in rather than to ask someone because that person might give you directions to the wrong “district” court. Being late to court can land you in custody as well.

Pretrial proceeding is the process where both sides (prosecution and defense) gather information, interview witnesses, request records, videos etc. Pretrial proceedings also include communications with the judge assigned to the case and these appearances are either in person or by on-line conferencing. Some pretrial proceedings may not require a defendant’s appearance, allowing an attorney to appear in their place. The information that is gathered is called discovery and both sides must share the information that they have gathered.  This information does not include conversations between the arrested and their attorney.

Most cases do not go to trial because both sides reach a plea deal, where both sides try to reach a reasonable punishment based on what was learned in the pretrial proceedings.  A plea deal can only happen if the accused person admits they are guilty in exchange for a lighter punishment.  The reason they must admit guilt is because it would not be fair to punish someone who claims they are not guilty.  There are times in plea bargaining when the prosecution agrees to give a lighter sentence in exchange for information leading to the arrest of more serious criminal related to the crime.  

Trial is where both sides share their information in front of a judge or a judge and jury. After listening to all the evidence, the judge or jury decides the verdict which is whether if the person is guilty or not guilty. If a court has only a judge hearing both sides, it is called a bench trial.  If a jury is selected, it is called a jury trial.  If the defendant is found non-guilty, they are released.  If they are found to be guilty, the next step is sentencing.

Sentencing is the punishment that the judge decides the person should get. This could be jail or prison time, fines, community service, probation, or a combination.

Appeal is asking for a higher court to hear the case again at an appellate court.  If the accused person thinks something went wrong at trial or has new information that was not available during the trial or that the sentence is too harsh, the defense attorney can ask for an appeal. It is not unusual for an appeal when there is a long jail sentence, but an appeal can be denied if the appellate court feels that the original trial or sentencing was fair.

Texas Felony vs Misdemeanor

In Texas, a misdemeanor is divided into Class A, Class B and Class C.

  • Class A is the most serious misdemeanor with penalties of up to 1 year in county jail and a fine of up to $4000.  Examples of a Class A misdemeanor in Texas include property theft valued between $750 and $2500, certain drug possession offenses and assault with bodily harm. 
  • Class B Misdemeanors can result in penalties of up to 180 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2000. Examples of a Class B misdemeanor include first offense DWI, possession of marijuana and criminal trespassing.
  • Class C misdemeanor is the least serious and results in a fine of up to $500 without jail time. Examples of Class C misdemeanor include disorderly conduct, simple assault without bodily injury and minor possession of alcohol.

A felony crime in Texas is a more serious crime than a misdemeanor and can be punished with more significant fines and jail time of more than one year.  Examples of felony crimes are murder, rape, theft, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, kidnapping and identity theft.

In Texas, the elected District Clerk keeps the records for felony cases and the elected County Clerk (or County Court at Law clerk) keeps misdemeanor records; both accept filings, bonds, fees and fines and keep the court’s files.

A warrant is used to get someone to appear in court or to law enforcement.  There must be good reason to believe that the person is involved in a crime. The warrant gives authority to arrest the person and search for evidence for the investigation of the crime. 

A criminal summons is issued to request that a person appear in court at a particular time and date.  It does not involve an arrest.  A traffic ticket, summary citation or lesser misdemeanor could be considered a summons if you are given a court date.

A summary citation, commonly referred to as a ticket, is a criminal summons by a law enforcement officer either in person or via mail accusing the defendant of a minor offense, stating potential fine, listing the court having jurisdiction and instructions for addressing the issue. Defendants may or may not be required to appear in court or handle the matter by entering a plea via mail.

Fines are usually paid to the District Clerk or County Clerk, and payment methods can be found on the Lipscomb County District Clerk or County Clerk website. If you do not pay your fine on time, you can lose your driver’s license, have to pay additional fees or even have a warrant for your arrest.  It is important to read the instructions on the ticket issued by the police officer or court at the time of your arrest. For a parking ticket or summary citation, the fine amount and how to send payment should be on the ticket. 

Texas Criminal Court System - How it Works

Justice courts are located within precincts are the lower-level criminal courts that handle Class C misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct, public intoxication and minor possession of alcohol and traffic violations. The judges are magistrates. 

Municipal courts handle violations of municipal ordinances (city laws), traffic violations, parking violations and criminal misdemeanor offenses that occur within the city or towns police jurisdiction. They overlap with justice courts in handling Class C misdemeanors. These courts are for criminal misdemeanors and are only punishable by fine and there is no confinement.

When there is an appeal request from a judgement made in justice or municipal court, the case is heard in a county or district court as if the original trial in the lower court had not occurred.  This is called trial de novo.

Texas County Courts are the original and trial courts for the more serious Class A and B misdemeanor cases. Each Texas county has one constitutional county court, and many counties have added statutory County Courts at Law to share its caseload; in larger counties those courts hear most Class A and B misdemeanors.  County courts are not courts for felony cases.

District courts in Texas are trial courts that handle criminal felony cases from beginning to end.  

Every Texas county designates at least one court to sit as its juvenile court (Family Code 51.04). A child in juvenile court is someone who was 10 through 16 at the time of the alleged conduct; at 17, Texas treats a person as an adult in criminal cases. The juvenile cases are handled by judges assigned to only serve “juvenile court”.

Courts of Appeal handle appeals from the district and county courts.

Specialty courts or problem-solving courts are being adopted in many states as a way to handle cases that involve non-violent and first-time offender cases in a way to where the offender can retain a job or responsibilities while following specific orders of the court as returned court appearances, periodic evaluations or testing for substances. Texas offers a variety of specialty courts throughout the state including drug, veteran’s, re-entry and DWI courts.

Texas has two high courts. The Texas Supreme Court is the final word on civil and juvenile cases. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin is the highest court for criminal cases and automatically reviews every death sentence. Most criminal appeals reach it after one of the state’s intermediate courts of appeals has ruled.

FEDERAL COURT

Federal Court deals with crimes involving violations of United States laws.  Federal crimes include federal drug trafficking, federal tax evasion and fraud that crossed state lines and include crimes that occur on federal property as post offices or federal buildings.  

Cases involving crimes that involve the FBI or DEA or Immigration agencies are federal crimes. Terrorism is a federal crime. 

There are some differences in the Federal court system as compared to the Texas state court system. For example, the attorneys who work for the courts are called United States Attorneys and Federal judges are called District Court Judges (not to be confused by local state district courts).  

Federal Magistrate Judges hear the case early on, but they do not decide on the cases at a trial like the Federal District Court Judges. In a federal case, a grand jury is used for indictments.

There are four U.S. Federal Judicial Districts in Texas.

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Lipscomb County

Human-verified information Manually curated

Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.