Transcription of TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 COUNTY CLERK MANUAL 2020 Edition i-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE 2020 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-3 3. Errors and Omissions Insurance and Indemnification .. I-3 4. Continuing Education Requirements .. I-4 5. Authentication by Seal .. I-5 a. Seals for County-Level Courts .. I-5 b. Separate Seal for the County Commissioners Court .. I-6 c. Seal for the County Clerk s Acts as County Recorder .. I-6 C. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CLERKS.
2 I-7 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 Provisions .. II-1 b. Real Property Documents .. II-2 c. Specifications for Paper Documents to Be Filed .. II-3 2. Filing the Instrument .. II-4 3. Recording the Instrument .. II-5 4. Indexing the II-6 C. ELECTRONIC FILING OF REAL PROPERTY RECORDS .. II-7 D. TYPES OF INSTRUMENTS FILED IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE .. II-8 1. Deed Records .. II-8 2. Deeds of Trust .. II-9 3. Liens and Abstracts.
3 II-9 a. Liens in General .. II-9 b. Liens - Specific Direction to County Clerk .. II-10 c. Abstracts of Judgment .. II-14 4. Miscellaneous Records .. II-15 a. Official Bonds .. II-15 b. Occupational Bonds .. II-16 c. Plats .. II-16 d. Military Discharge II-18 e. Lis Pendens .. II-19 f. Writ of Attachment .. II-19 g. Earmarks, Brands, Tattoos and Electronic Devices .. II-20 h. Estrays .. II-20 i. Other Animal Records .. II-21 j. Assumed Name Certificates .. II-21 COUNTY CLERK MANUAL 2020 Edition i-2 k. Condominium Records .. II-21 l. County Surveyor's Records .. II-22 m. Unknown or Abandoned Cemeteries .. II-22 n. Others .. II-22 E.
4 CERTIFIED COPIES .. II-22 F. FRAUDULENT RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS .. II-23 G. COUNTY CLERK'S RECORDING FEES .. II-25 1. Real and Personal Property .. II-25 2. Federal Liens Recording Fee .. II-26 3. Oath Administration Fee .. II-26 4. Bond Approval Fee .. II-26 5. Brand Registration Fee .. II-27 6. Plat Application Fee .. II-27 7. Assumed Name Certificate Fee .. II-27 8. Mental Health Background Check II-27 9. Certified or Non-certified Papers Copy Fee .. II-27 10. Records Management and Preservation Fee and Records Archive Fee .. II-28 11. Courthouse Security Fee .. II-29 12. Returned Check Fee .. II-29 13. Other Fee Provisions .. II-30 a. Reasonable fee.
5 II-30 b. Ex officio services .. II-30 c. Fees must be paid .. II-30 d. Penalty for Clerk s failure to collect a fee .. II-30 e. No charge for certain filings .. II-30 f. Free access to records .. II-30 g. Payment by credit .. II-31 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. E-Filing and Initial Filing Procedures in Criminal Cases .. III-2 a. Statewide Rules Governing Electronic Filings in Criminal Cases .. III-2 b. Non-Conforming Documents .. III-3 c. Electronic Filing .. III-3 d. Timely Filing.
6 III-3 e. Filings with Sensitive Data .. III-4 f. Additional Initial Filing Proceedings .. III-4 3. Subsequent Filing Procedures .. III-5 D. FILING AND DISPOSING OF EXHIBITS .. III-6 E. ISSUING PROCESSES .. III-7 1. Capias .. III-7 2. Alias Capias .. III-8 3. Capias Pro Fine .. III-8 4. Bill of Costs .. III-8 COUNTY CLERK MANUAL 2020 Edition i-3 5. Subpoena .. III-8 6. Subpoena Duces Tecum .. III-9 7. Witness Expense Payments .. III-9 8. Commitments .. III-9 F. DOCKETS .. III-10 1. Judge's Docket .. III-10 2. Criminal File Docket .. III-11 3. Case Jacket .. III-11 4. Fingerprint on Docket Sheet, Judgment, or Probation Order .. III-12 5. Notice of Criminal Court Docket Settings.
7 III-12 G. INDEX TO THE CRIMINAL MINUTES .. III-12 H. PREPARATION AND RECORDING OF MINUTES .. III-13 1. Preparation of Minutes .. III-13 2. Recording of Minutes .. III-13 I. COLLECTION OF FINES, FEES, AND COURT COSTS .. III-13 J. CURRENT FEES AND COURT COSTS .. III-14 K. INDIGENT DEFENDANTS AND DEFENDANTS WHO REFUSE TO PAY .. III-14 L. BONDS .. III-15 1. Personal or Surety Bond .. III-15 2. Cash Bond .. III-16 3. Payment by Surety when Posting Bond .. III-16 M. BOND FORFEITURE .. III-16 1. Release of Surety .. III-17 N. APPEALS FROM LOWER COURTS .. III-17 O. WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS .. III-18 1. Introduction .. III-18 2. Pre-Conviction Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus.
8 III-18 P. APPEALS OF CRIMINAL CASES .. III-20 1. Jurisdiction .. III-20 2. Perfecting Appeal in a Criminal Case .. III-20 a. Notice of Appeal .. III-20 b. Certification of Defendant's Right of Appeal .. III-20 c. Clerk's Responsibility .. III-20 d. Effect of Appeal .. III-20 3. The Appellate Record .. III-20 a. The Clerk's Record (formerly called the "transcript") .. III-21 b. The Clerk's Responsibility .. III-22 c. Indigent Criminal Defendants .. III-22 4. Criminal Appellate Process and Timelines .. III-22 5. Format of the Clerk's Record .. III-23 Q. EXPUNCTION OF CRIMINAL RECORDS .. III-24 1. Right to Expunction .. III-24 R. ORDER OF NONDISCLOSURE.
9 III-24 CHAPTER 4 SUPPORTING THE CIVIL COURTS A. INTRODUCTION TO THE CIVIL COURTS .. IV-1 B. COSTS ON APPEAL TO COUNTY COURT .. IV-2 C. FEES .. IV-3 COUNTY CLERK MANUAL 2020 Edition i-4 1. Fees Generally .. IV-3 2. Fees Collected in Some Cases, Depending on the Governing Body of the County .. IV-9 3. Electronic Filing Fee .. IV-10 4. Additional Filing Fee for Basic Civil Legal Services for Indigents .. IV-10 5. Family Protection Fee .. IV-10 6. Jury Fees .. IV-10 7. Fee for Support of the Judiciary .. IV-11 8. Court Reporter Fee .. IV-11 9. Expungement Suit Reimbursement Fee .. IV-11 10. Fees for Administration of Registry Funds .. IV-11 11. Interpreter Fee.
10 IV-11 12. Supplemental Court-Initiated Guardianship Fee .. IV-11 13. Judicial and Court Personnel Training Fee .. IV-12 14. How Fees and Costs May be Paid .. IV-12 15. When Payment of Costs Not Required .. IV-12 16. Uncollectible Fees .. IV-13 D. FILING A CIVIL CASE .. IV-13 1. Initial Filing Procedures .. IV-13 2. E-Filing: Filing and Service .. IV-15 3. E-Filing: Method of Service .. IV-16 E. SERVICE OF PROCESS MAIL COSTS AND FEES .. IV-16 1. Assessment of Cost of Postage for Service of Process by Mail .. IV-16 F. FOREIGN JUDGMENTS .. IV-16 1. Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (Enforcement of Judgments of Other States).. IV-16 2. Uniform Foreign Money-Judgment Recognition Act (Enforcement of Judgments of Other Countries).
