NOTICE TO ANYONE WHO HAS A PENDING MATTER IN THE 232ND DISTRICT COURT OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS THROUGH THE END OF MARCH:
THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY OTHER COURTS – I DON’T WANT TO CAUSE CONFUSION
I understand that certain court business can only be conducted in a
designated courthouse, so I will make myself available for anyone who
believes it is necessary to make a court appearance, but I would urge
everyone who does not absolutely need to make an appearance to call in
and reschedule. For matters that are not legally required to occur in a
courthouse but that must be dealt with immediately, email me and copy
all parties or 3-way call with all parties present. Most documents can
be filed or signed electronically by all parties. If there are problems
with electronic filing, fax or email might be appropriate.
For
lawyers who have clients in custody who believe that their cases might
be resolved in a way that releases their clients from the Harris County
Jail (whether this means release from custody or moving them out of the
jail to a probation facility or to TDCJ or elsewhere), please contact
the prosecutor on that case to confirm and have the case docketed only
if you believe it is safe to do so. Since the Harris County Jail is a
designated courthouse, if it is possible to accomplish this type of
disposition without having the inmate transported to the CJC, that would
be ideal. This is a fluid situation and I will update as I learn
about whatever technological capabilities develop for remote appearances
of this type. Otherwise, contact the court to see what accommodations
are available.
Again, I urge everyone to call and reschedule their
cases in the 232nd District Court unless you believe it is absolutely
necessary to be docketed. Many items can be dealt with remotely via
email or conference call.
As I have said over and over, if anyone
believes that their health or safety would be compromised by trying to
get to court, stay home and make some attempt to contact the court to
reschedule as soon as practical. Any lawyer on any case can always
request an off docket reset or to waive a client’s appearance,
regardless of health or safety concerns.