Webb County District Court Records

Webb County District Courts Overview

Texas runs a layered trial-court system. District courts handle the broadest set of cases at the trial level, including felonies and major civil and family cases. Webb County has four district courts: the 49th, the 111th, the 341st, and the 406th. They share the Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini Justice Center at 1110 Victoria Street in Laredo, with each court holding its own suite, coordinators, and docket. The District Clerk holds the case files.

The 49th was the first district court of Webb County and still carries the broadest jurisdiction, including civil, criminal, and tax suits. The 111th came next. The 341st was created in August 1983, and the 406th began operations in January 2001 with a focus on domestic violence and family-law matters that became broader over time.

List of Webb County District Courts

The table below covers the four Webb County district courts plus the county courts at law that handle related civil, family, and probate work. The phone numbers and judges come from the official county court pages.

The image below shows the 49th District Court contact page.

See the 49th District Court contact page for address and ex parte rules.

The page also covers the court's Zapata County address and an ex parte communication notice.

Webb County District Court Judges

Each Webb County district court has its own bench. The 111th District Court's Hon. Monica Z. Notzon implemented a new case-management system in her first term and was selected Administrative Judge for the district courts after one year on the bench. She also piloted a Mental Health Court and supported a Pro Se Divorce docket with fellow judges. The 111th District Court page lays out her policies. The image below shows that page.

See the 111th District Court page for the judge's biography and decorum policy.

The court conducts pending matters in person unless otherwise ordered, with separate criminal and civil court coordinators for case questions.

The 111th's full judicial biography sits on its About the Judge page. The image below shows that page.

Read the biography of Judge Monica Z. Notzon on the 111th District Court page.

County Court at Law I's Hon. Alvino "Ben" Morales has his own biography on the court's official page, and the image below shows it.

See the County Court at Law I judge page for the judge's bio.

The court coordinates civil, family, criminal, probate, and juvenile dockets, with named coordinators on its public page.

District Court vs. County Court vs. Justice Court

People often confuse the three Webb County trial-court levels. District courts hold the broadest jurisdiction, including felonies and major civil cases. County courts at law sit one level down and cover civil, family, probate, and some criminal matters. Justice of the peace courts handle small claims, evictions, traffic, and Class C misdemeanors. The table below shows the difference.

How a Case Moves Through the Webb County System

A case can start at the JP level or higher, depending on the charge and the dollar value. From there it moves up the system if a party appeals or if the matter requires a higher court's review. The flow below covers the most common path.

Case flow: Justice Court › County Court at Law › District Court › Texas Court of Appeals › Texas Supreme Court or Court of Criminal Appeals

Appeals from Webb County trial courts go through the Texas intermediate appellate system. Final civil authority sits with the Texas Supreme Court, and final criminal authority sits with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Civil, Family, and Criminal Divisions

Webb County district courts split their work across civil, family, and criminal dockets. The 406th District Court focuses on family-law matters, including divorce, adoption, change of name, termination of parental rights, dependent and neglected child cases, and protective orders. The 49th covers the broadest mix, the 111th and 341st both handle civil and criminal cases, and the 406th brings strong family-law experience. The image below shows the 406th overview.

See the 406th District Court overview for its civil, family, and criminal functions.

The court also publishes a forms page that covers criminal pleas, deferred adjudication, civil jury trial dates, family standing orders, and local rules.

The 406th forms page is a useful resource for self-represented litigants and attorneys. The image below shows it.

Visit the 406th District Court forms page for plea forms, family standing orders, and local rules.

The 406th main page is a bilingual home for the court, with hybrid-hearing notes and parking detail.

See the 406th District Court page for the bilingual home and hearing rules.

The 406th lists bilingual staff and interpreter availability at hearings, plus parking detail for the Justice Center.

County Court at Law and Justice Courts

Below the district level, the two county courts at law and the justice of the peace courts carry the rest of the local docket. County Court at Law I has long handled civil and family cases, with a strong divorce and paternity caseload, and it lists a probate coordinator that ties it to estate work. County Court at Law II hears civil and family matters and runs a DWI Court Program and a Juvenile Drug Court Program.

The justice courts split by precinct and place. JP 1-1 and JP 1-2 sit in the Justice Center on Victoria Street; JP 2-1 and JP 2-2 sit at 901 South Milmo, Laredo; JP 3 sits in Bruni with a mailing address in Oilton; and JP 4 sits at 8501 San Dario in Laredo. Justice court jurisdiction was increased to $20,000 as of September 2020.

Related Webb County Resources

For case files, see Webb County court records. For schedules, see court dockets. The District Clerk is the office that holds the case files; see the District Clerk and the County Clerk pages for request steps and fees.