Harris County Seeks to Add Five More Local Civil District Courts

Proposal to Be Presented to Texas Lawmakers

Pictured is the Harris County Civil Courthouse located in downtown Houston.

Harris County will be making its case to Texas lawmakers to approve five more local civil district courts, where cases such as injury claims, housing disputes and child custody negotiations are settled.

The decision to ask the state for the additional courts was made with a 3-1 vote during Thursday’s Harris County Commissioners Court meeting — after a tense conversation about the cost and logistics of the potential new courts in Houston.

A group of county judges who came to the meeting to ask commissioners for new courts only had rough estimates of how much the courts would cost to operate, and they were uncertain about where the courtrooms would be built.

“In downtown, finding the space would be tough,” Milton Rahman, executive director of the county’s engineering department, told commissioners.

Under the Texas Constitution, only the state legislature can approve the creation of new district courts. Lawmakers must introduce and pass a bill, which then requires the governor’s signature. Once approved, county officials must allocate funding for courtrooms, staff and other resources.

Logistical Challenges

Much of Thursday’s conversation was taken up by hashing out logistics for the proposed courts — whether the city has space to squeeze them into current courthouses or if they would have to build new ones.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who voted against the item, said the discussion on the courts’ costs and location should have happened long before the proposal came to commissioners court.

“I did serve in the legislature for a little while, 28 years,” Ellis said. “And if somebody came into my office and a county voted for this, particularly the largest county in the state, and there were all these ifs, ands and maybes, it wouldn’t be very persuasive on my part.”

Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia shared the same sentiment.

“As this conversation went on, my support for this item got weaker,” he said. “I’m going to stay with it because of the point made on the economic impact. However, I hope you guys will take this as a learning lesson.”

Uncertainty Around Costs

It’s uncertain exactly how much each new civil court would cost the county, but Daniel Ramos with the Harris County Office of Management and Budget said each court may cost roughly $650,000, adding up to more than $3 million.

Although all commissioners agreed that the county is in need of the additional courts because of case backlogs and a growing population, Ellis warned that the county has to be more frugal moving forward.

“We will have to make some very tough and painful decisions,” he said. “We have a new administration in Washington. … We’re in uncertain times.”

Judge’s Perspective

But Judge Angela Graves-Harrington, who presides over the 246th District Court, said the courts may “pay for itself.”

“The more civil courts you have to get these cases to get their resolution more efficiently, fairly and faster, the more money that the county will have in tax revenues paid,” Graves-Harrington said.

Plan to Add New Courts

The county will be proposing to add the new civil courts over the next two years: three courts in 2026 and two in 2027.

The original proposal, however, asked for nine new courts. Left on the chopping block were two more civil courts, a family court and a juvenile court.

Need for Additional Courts

Graves-Harrington said the courts are much needed because of growing caseloads.

“We are working hard and moving cases expeditiously, but this county continues to grow and diversify,” she said. “Our cases are becoming much more complex, which is requiring us to spend a lot more time on each case. And so, by expanding the courts, you are actually expanding access to justice.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does Harris County need more civil courts?

A: Harris County needs more civil courts to address the growing caseload and to ensure that cases are resolved efficiently, fairly, and quickly.

Q: How many new courts is the county proposing to add?

A: The county is proposing to add five new civil courts over the next two years: three courts in 2026 and two courts in 2027.

Q: How much will each new court cost?

A: The exact cost of each new court is uncertain, but estimates suggest that each court may cost roughly $650,000, adding up to more than $3 million.

Q: Why did Commissioner Ellis vote against the proposal?

A: Commissioner Ellis voted against the proposal because he felt that the discussion on the courts’ costs and location should have happened long before the proposal came to commissioners court.

Q: What is the current caseload in Harris County courts?

A: Harris County courts handled more than 150,000 cases in 2023, which is more than double the amount filed in Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties, according to the Texas Office of Court Administration.