Is Commissioners' Court the judicial and executive body of a county in Texas?

Answer 1

Whether a Commissioner's Court has judicial duties in addition to its executive duties depends on the particular county. Each county in Texas has a Commissioner's Court that serves as the executive body of the county. The Commissioner's Court is headed by a County Judge, who is the chief executive of a county.

Additionally, in counties without County Courts at Law, Commissioners' Courts (also known as Constitutional County Courts) have far-reaching judicial duties, including original jurisdiction in civil actions between $200 and $10,000, some misdemeanors, probate matters, and juvenile matters, and appeals from Justice and Municipal courts. In counties with one or more County Court at Law, the Commissioner's Court may retain some judicial jurisdiction, but in practicality, the bulk of its judicial duties are transferred to the County Courts at Law.

Within a county there are also often District Courts, Justice Courts, and Municipal Courts, each with their own judicial jurisdiction. For a directory of Texas Courts organized by county, see the Texas Courts Guide related link. For a description of how jurisdiction is broken down between different courts in a particular county, see the Texas Trial Court Jurisdiction By County related link.