CRIMINAL MATTERS

 

Plea/Non-Issue Dockets

Plea and Non-Issue dockets are held on designated days.  Please reference the Court’s Calendar on the County Clerks website to determine which days are currently scheduled. Criminal cases must be electronically reset via e-file. A blank reset form for criminal cases may be downloaded from the Court’s website under the Documents and Forms tab.  The reset must be dated and signed by both the Attorney and Defendant (or with permission of the Defendant) and e-filed (with electronic notice to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, NOT the Court) no later than 5:00 p.m. the day of the hearing/docket, but no earlier than seven (7) days prior to docket call. Failure to submit a reset timely may subject the Defendant to a bond forfeiture or a failure to appear. Regina Green, the Court Coordinator will have fourteen (14) days from the docket date to return a fully executed reset to all parties by email. The electronic reset ensures compliance with all Texas Supreme Court Emergency Orders and reduces the number of people within the courthouse. Criminal resets will NOT be accepted in the courtroom or by email. The Court requires all business be conducted remotely, if possible. If you are unable to conduct business remotely, please contact the Court Coordinator for accommodations.  Pro Se defendants may file their reset in person with the County Clerk’s Office.

If you intend to plea your client to the alleged charges, you must submit all electronic plea paperwork to the Court by 2:00 p.m., two (2) business days prior to the day of your scheduled plea. Failure to submit the paperwork will result in your hearing being rescheduled.  All pleas will be conducted remotely via Zoom; however, you and your client will need to appear in person in the attorney-client meeting room attached to the courtroom.  You and your client will connect to the Zoom hearing using the Court’s equipment.  Once the plea is completed, the Court’s bailiff will take the defendant’s thumb print on the Judgment and Sentence.  All other participants MAY connect remotely.

 

The Court has adopted the following procedure for electronic pleas:

  1. ADA and Defense Counsel arrange a workflow process on getting signature/time credit/court cost for the plea agreement;
  2. The plea agreement is emailed by the ADA to the Court Coordinator in PDF format by 2:00 p.m., two (2) business days prior to the day of your scheduled plea;
  3. At the scheduled plea, the Judge will swear the Defendant to the plea paperwork;
  4. Signature dates on the plea paperwork will reflect the date of the plea, not the date counsel may have it executed; and
  5. All paperwork must be legible or the plea will be rescheduled.  Please keep in mind that each time paperwork is scanned the document is degraded, resulting in illegible paperwork that is not suitable for filing.

 

Jury Trial Dockets

Jury trials are scheduled on designated days.  Pre-trial conferences will be held on all cases set for trial, at least seven (7) days prior to the trial date.  All parties will appear for the Pre-Trial Conference via Zoom.  All motions filed in the cause will be heard at the Pre-Trial Conference, and all pleas must be completed on or before the Pre-Trial Conference date.  Plea paperwork must be completed in accordance with the procedure stated in the above Pleas/Non-Issue Dockets section.

 

MAG and MRP Dockets

MAG and MRP dockets are scheduled by Judge Christopher G. Morales on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  MAG and MRP dockets will be held in-person, unless otherwise noted by the Court.

 

Jail Docket

The Jail Arraignment Docket is heard by Associate Judge Lewis White at the Fort Bend County Jail courtroom on Wednesdays at 8:30 A.M. The deadline for attorneys to schedule an inmate on the docket is, without exception, at 4:00 PM on the Monday preceding Wednesday's docket. To schedule a hearing, please contact his Court Coordinator, Eralyn Fisher.

 

Court Appointed Attorneys

In accordance with the County Courts at Law’s recent policy changes regarding attorney fee vouchers, all attorneys will electronically submit their fee vouchers utilizing this Fee Voucher Link.