Fort Bend County has many offering and resources for their residents, including Fort Bend County lawyer, Adam Capetillo. Let us share some facts about the cities in Fort Bend County, its county government, and its court system.
Cities in Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County is located in the Houston metropolitan area of southeast Texas. There are twelve cities located entirely within the county. Sugar Land is the largest city by population, and Richmond is the county seat. Arcola, Beasley, Fulshear, Kendleton, Meadows Place, Needville, Orchard, Rosenberg, Simonton, and Weston Lakes are also located within the county borders.
Five cities are located partially within Fort Bend County, including Houston, Katy, Missouri City, Pearland, and Stafford.
Fort Bend County Government
The Commissioner’s Court is the primary legislative and policy-making body in Fort Bend County. In addition, it controls county land usage, oversees environmental issues, and has the authority to appoint or remove department heads. The Commissioner’s Court is composed of a county judge and four commissioners. The county judge is elected county-wide and serves as the county’s chief executive officer. The commissioners are elected by district to four-year terms.
The current Commissioner’s Court (as of the publishing of this article) includes KP George (County Judge), Vincent Morales (Precinct 1), Grady Prestage (Precinct 2), Andy Meyers (Precinct 3), and Ken DeMerchant (Precinct 4).
Additional elected officials include:
• Constables,
• Justices of the peace,
• The Fort Bend County Attorney,
• The Fort Bend County Clerk,
• The Fort Bend District Attorney,
• The Fort Bend District Court,
• The Fort Bend County Sheriff,
• The Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector, and
• The Fort Bend County Treasurer.
Fort Bend County Court System
The court system is composed of district courts, county courts, and justice of peace courts. The district courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction. They are jurisdiction over all criminal cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, and civil matters where the damages are $200 or more.
There are eight district courthouses in Fort Bend County:
- 240th District Court,
- 268th District Court,
- 328th District Court,
- 387th District Court,
- 400th District Court,
- 434th District Court,
- 458th District Court,
- and 505th District Court.
The county courts rule over misdemeanor criminal cases, civil actions, juvenile matters, probate cases, guardianships, and civil mental health cases. They have concurrent jurisdiction over many cases with the district courts. There are six county courts of law. As of October 2022, current Fort Bend county court judges include
- Honorable Christoper G. Morales,
- Honorable Jeffery A. McMeans,
- Honorable Juli Mathew,
- Honorable Toni Wallace,
- Honorable Teana Watson,
- and Honorable Sherman Hatton Jr.
The justice of the peace courts is the lower courts that have jurisdiction over Class C misdemeanor criminal cases and minor civil matters. In addition, a justice of the peace may issue search and arrest warrants.
There are also municipal and federal district courts located in Fort Bend County. Municipal courts have jurisdiction over violations of city ordinances and within the city limits have concurrent jurisdiction with the justice of the peace court over Class C misdemeanor criminal cases where the punishment upon conviction is by small fine only. Federal district courts have jurisdiction over federal cases.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas has jurisdiction in Fort Bend County. Appeals for the Southern District of Texas go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
Your Fort Bend County Personal Injury and Criminal Defense Lawyer Adam Capetillo
Adam Capetillo is a native who was born, raised, and still resides in Fort Bend County, Texas. His lifelong experience and familiarity this area assists his clients with the navigation of the county judicial system. He will evaluate your case and provide the best possible representation.
As a skilled personal injury and criminal defense lawyer in Fort Bend County, Adam Capetillo can effectively guide you through the legal system and process from start to finish. Call Capetillo Law Firm today for a free consultation.
