EGAL SOURCE LEGEND - txcourts.gov

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION TO THE 2013 EDITION ..ii-1. LEGAL SOURCE LEGEND ..ii-2. CHAPTER 1 OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK. A. HISTORY AND GENERAL DUTIES OF THE COUNTY CLERK .. I-1. B. THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK .. I-1. 1. Oath and Affirmation of Office .. I-1. 2. Surety Bond Requirements .. I-2. 3. Errors and Omissions Insurance and I-3. 4. Continuing Education I-4. 5. Authentication by Seal .. I-4. a. Seals for County-Level Courts .. I-5. b. Separate Seal for the County Commissioners Court .. I-5.

2 C. Seal for the County Clerk's Acts as County Recorder .. I-6. C. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CLERKS .. I-6. CHAPTER 2 RECORDING AND FILING OF INSTRUMENTS. A. DOCUMENTS THAT ARE RECORDABLE INSTRUMENTS .. II-1. B. COUNTY CLERK'S DUTY AS COUNTY RECORDER .. II-1. 1. Determining Whether the Instrument Will Be Accepted for Filing .. II-1. a. General II-1. b. Real Property Documents .. II-2. c. Specifications for Paper Documents to Be Filed .. II-3. 2. Filing the Instrument .. II-3. 3. Recording the Instrument .. II-4.

3 4. Indexing the II-5. C. ELECTRONIC FILING OF REAL PROPERTY RECORDS .. II-6. D. TYPES OF INSTRUMENTS FILED IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE .. II-7. 1. Deed Records .. II-7. 2. Deeds of Trust .. II-8. 3. Liens and Abstracts .. II-8. a. Liens in General .. II-8. b. Liens - Specific Direction to County Clerk .. II-9. c. Abstracts of Judgment .. II-13. 4. Miscellaneous Records .. II-14. a. Official Bonds .. II-14. b. Occupational Bonds .. II-14. c. Plats .. II-15. d. Military Discharge II-17. e. Lis Pendens.

4 II-17. f. Writ of II-18. g. Earmarks, Brands, Tattoos and Electronic Devices .. II-18. h. Estrays .. II-19. i. Other Animal Records .. II-19. j. Assumed Name Certificates .. II-19. COUNTY CLERK MANUAL. 2013 Edition i-1. k. Condominium Records .. II-20. l. County Surveyor's Records .. II-20. m. Unknown or Abandoned Cemeteries .. II-20. n. Others .. II-20. E. CERTIFIED COPIES .. II-21. F. FRAUDULENT RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS .. II-21. G. COUNTY CLERK'S RECORDING FEES .. II-23. 1. Real and Personal Property.

5 II-23. 2. Federal Liens Recording Fee .. II-24. 3. Oath Administration Fee .. II-24. 4. Bond Approval Fee .. II-24. 5. Brand Registration Fee .. II-24. 6. Plat Application Fee .. II-24. 7. Assumed Name Certificate Fee .. II-25. 8. Mental Health Background Check II-25. 9. Certified or Non-certified Papers II-25. 10. Records Management and Preservation Fee and Records Archive Fee .. II-25. 11. Courthouse Security Fee .. II-27. 12. Returned Check Fee .. II-27. 13. Other Fee Provisions .. II-27. a. Reasonable II-27.

6 B. Ex officio services .. II-27. c. Fees must be paid .. II-28. d. Penalty for Clerk's failure to collect a fee .. II-28. e. No charge for certain II-28. f. Free access to records .. II-28. g. Payment by credit .. II-28. CHAPTER 3 SUPPORTING THE CRIMINAL COURTS. A. INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL COURTS .. III-1. B. THE CLERK'S ROLE IN A CRIMINAL CASE .. III-1. C. FILING A CRIMINAL CASE .. III-1. 1. Introduction .. III-1. 2. Initial Filing Procedures .. III-2. 3. Subsequent Filing Procedures .. III-3. D. FILING AND DISPOSING OF EXHIBITS.

7 III-3. E. ISSUING PROCESSES .. III-5. 1. Capias .. III-5. 2. Alias III-5. 3. Capias Pro Fine .. III-5. 4. Bill of Costs .. III-5. 5. Subpoena .. III-6. 6. Subpoena Duces Tecum .. III-6. 7. Witness Expense Payments .. III-6. 8. Commitments .. III-7. F. DOCKETS .. III-7. 1. Judge's Docket .. III-7. 2. Criminal File Docket .. III-8. 3. Case Jacket .. III-8. 4. Fingerprint on Docket Sheet, Judgment or Probation Order .. III-9. 5. Notice of Criminal Court Docket Settings .. III-9. COUNTY CLERK MANUAL. 2013 Edition i-2.

8 G. INDEX TO THE CRIMINAL MINUTES .. III-9. H. PREPARATION AND RECORDING OF MINUTES .. III-10. 1. Preparation of Minutes .. III-10. 2. Recording of Minutes .. III-10. I. COLLECTION OF FINES, FEES AND COURT COSTS .. III-10. J. CURRENT FEES AND COURT COSTS .. III-11. K. INDIGENT DEFENDANTS AND DEFENDANTS WHO REFUSE TO PAY .. III-11. L. BONDS .. III-12. 1. Personal or Surety Bond .. III-13. 2. Cash Bond .. III-13. 3. Payment by Surety when Posting Bond .. III-14. M. BOND FORFEITURE .. III-14. 1. Release of Surety.

9 III-15. N. APPEALS FROM LOWER COURTS .. III-15. O. WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS .. III-15. 1. Introduction .. III-15. 2. Pre-Conviction Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus .. III-16. P. APPEALS OF CRIMINAL CASES .. III-17. 1. Jurisdiction .. III-17. 2. Perfecting Appeal in a Criminal Case .. III-17. a. Notice of Appeal .. III-17. b. Certification of Defendant's Right of Appeal .. III-17. c. Clerk's III-17. d. Effect of Appeal .. III-18. 3. The Appellate Record .. III-18. a. The Clerk's Record (formerly called the "transcript").

10 III-18. b. The Clerk's Responsibility .. III-19. c. Indigent Criminal Defendants .. III-19. 4. Criminal Appellate Process and Timelines .. III-19. 5. Format of the Clerk's Record .. III-20. Q. EXPUNCTION OF CRIMINAL RECORDS .. III-20. 1. Right to Expunction .. III-20. R. ORDER OF NONDISCLOSURE .. III-21. CHAPTER 4 SUPPORTING THE CIVIL COURTS. A. INTRODUCTION TO THE CIVIL COURTS ..IV-1. B. COSTS ON APPEAL TO COUNTY COURT ..IV-2. C. 1. Fees Generally ..IV-2. 2. Fees Collected in Some Cases, Depending on the Governing Body of the County.