Harris County Criminal Court Records
Understanding Harris County Criminal Court Records
Harris County, being the largest county in Texas, also hears the lion's share of criminal court cases in the state. The criminal division of the county courts, hears everything from capital murder cases, to lesser misdemeanor cases. While the most serous crimes, such as felonies, are primarily heard by the County District Courts, the County Criminal Court at Law hears misdemeanor cases.
Since all court case records in the state of Texas are considered public domain, it means that anyone can access these records upon request. You can either make the court record request online via the respective courthouse websites, or contact the Clerk of the Courts to assist you with record retrieval. However, there are some exceptions to accessing certain records. Public accessibility may not be available to records that are sealed, expunged, for minors, and those that are considered sensitive.
How to Run a Harris County Criminal Court Records Search
Accessing Harris County criminal court records can be done by visiting the respective county courthouse website, or by using various third party database resources. Since criminal convictions are determined in court by a judge or jury, a good place to research this information is directly from the source. You can lookup county court case records and documents directly from the District Court Clerk’s Office. Here’s how to go about it:
1). Visit the Website: Head over to the Harris County District Clerk’s website.
2). Search Portal: Look for the 'Criminal Records' section and access the online search portal.
3). Enter Information: Input the necessary details such as the name, birthdate, and case number if available.
4). Review Records: Browse through the search results to find the specific records you need.
What's Included in Criminal Court Records?
Criminal court records contain all the details of criminal court proceedings. They include details about the defendant, their name age and residence. They will also include their charges, criminal convictions, active warrants, and the sentencings if found guilty.
These court judgment will include the case outcomes and if that person will be fined, imprisoned, or receives probation or restitution order. These are all part of their public criminal court case that will come up in their public record abstract.
However, some information may potentially be redacted for privacy reasons. This is especially true in cases involving minors or sensitive matters. Additionally, if you need official documentation of another person's court case records, you will either need permission, or a court order from a judge or magistrate.
Types of Criminal Court Cases Heard in Harris County TX
There are two basic types of court cases heard by the criminal division of the judicial branch, misdemeanors and felonies. Of these two basic types of records, there are more misdemeanor cases heard in the county than felony cases.
Misdemeanor Court Cases: The misdemeanor court cases, heard by the Criminal Court By Law, include everything from reckless driving citations, to theft and assault. Here is a list of the top misdemeanor cases heard in this county:
1). Misdemeanor Traffic Violations: Including DUIs, driving with a suspended license, or reckless driving.
2). Theft: Involving petty theft, shoplifting, or theft under a certain value.
3). Assault: These range from simple assault to domestic violence cases that are non-felonies.
4). Drug Offenses: These primarily involve possession of controlled substances for personal use. Intent for distribution is usually a felony offense
5). Trespassing: These pertain to unlawful entry on private property. These do not usually relate to breaking an entry, which is a more serious crime.
6). Disorderly Conduct: This is usually when someone is charged with disturbing the peace in a public place.
7). Criminal Mischief: This includes vandalism and the willful damage or destruction of property.
Felony Court Cases: All felony court cases, heard by the District Court, include everything from aggravated assault to capital punishment trials.
1). Murder: This is the most serious felony charge that a person can face. This charge is the killing of another person with specific intent.
2). Robbery: These are theft charges that often include violent acts, or the threat of violence.
3). Burglary: These are serious theft charges that include breaking into private property, or an establishment in order to steal property.
4). Aggravated Assault: This is the use of a weapon or inflicting an injury onto someone else and causing serious harm or damage to that person. This can also include the use of a deadly weapon, which can bring additional charges to this crime.
5). Drug Trafficking: This is most often the distribution or illegal drugs and controlled substances. These felony charges usually indicate a level of distribution on a fairly large scale.
6). White Collar Crimes: These crimes are non-violent but include serious criminal charges of theft, fraud, identity theft, and a multitude of other financial crimes. The larger the monetary amount usually dictates the seriousness of this type of felony.
7). Arson: Intentional burning of private property where significant damage is done. This can be a home, a building, a vehicle, or other items that are of value.
How Do I Lookup Criminal Court Cases in Harris County?
You have a couple of options to lookup criminal court cases. You can either go directly to the courthouse website that tried the criminal case and request records from the clerk of the courts. Another option is to use a third-party public record website to locate the criminal court case records you are looking for. This second option can be a time-saver if you do not know what courthouse to start your search in. These resources allow you to search countywide or even statewide with a first and last name.
