Harris County
District Courts Video Conference Plea Hearings
Beginning Monday, April 27, 2020, District Courts will begin
holding Video Conference Plea Hearings for certain cases set for plea. These hearings will be conducted via Zoom Video
Conference. Parties to the hearings may
appear in person or remotely, except for the defendant who will appear via Zoom
from a designated location in the jail.
Until further notice, ONLY the following cases are eligible
for Virtual:
-
A
plea to time served, where the defendant is eligible for same day release;
and/or
-
A
plea to probation, where the defendant will be released the same day the plea
is taken.
The case must also be pending in one of these courts:
|
174th
|
178th
|
180th
|
|
182nd
|
183rd
|
184th
|
|
185th
|
208th
|
209th
|
|
228th
|
232nd
|
248th
|
|
262nd
338th
|
263rd
351st
|
337th
|
| |
|
|
(Please check www.justex.net for
updates to this list)
Defense attorneys are advised to notify the Court
Coordinator of any eligible cases. Cases
will be then referred and centrally docketed by the Virtual Plea Coordinator.
The Virtual Plea Coordinator will instruct the defense
attorneys to schedule a client interview with the Sheriff’s Office to discuss
the plea or to sign the plea paperwork. Please
refer to instructions posted here: HOW TO - REMOTE PLEA PROCESS
Once plea papers are completed, the defense attorney will
notify the Virtual Plea Coordinator, who will schedule or confirm the date and
time of the Virtual Plea hearing and notify all parties of the scheduled
plea. Notification will include the
court’s CLO, Clerk, ADA, and defense attorney.
The deputy district clerk will prepare the
judgment for signature by the judge.
The Virtual Plea Hearings will be held Monday through Thursday from 11:30-1:30.
In compliance with the emergency order mandated by the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals all proceedings will be accessible to the public via
Video Conference Plea Hearing - Live Stream
On the day of the hearing, the Virtual Plea
Coordinator and Judge will be responsible for initiating the ZOOM session and
maintaining control of the Virtual Plea hearing. The defendant will see and read the electronically
prepared plea papers and sign with a tablet computer provided by the bailiff at
the jail. The bailiff will secure the signature
and fingerprint for the judgment.
For probation pleas, the hearing will allow for a
Zoom “breakout room” for defendant and CLO to discuss the probation terms.
Questions regarding the hearings or related
processes may be directed to Tramesha Richard, at tramesha_richard@justex.net or
(832) 927-6617.
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Last Updated 11;45am April 27, 2020.