Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 4.14 – Jurisdiction of Municipal Court
(a) A municipal court, including a municipal court of record, shall have exclusive original jurisdiction within the territorial limits of the municipality in all criminal cases that:
(1) arise under the ordinances of the municipality; and
(2) are punishable by a fine not to exceed:
(A) $2,000 in all cases arising under municipal ordinances that govern fire safety, zoning, or public health and sanitation, other than the dumping of refuse;
(B) $4,000 in cases arising under municipal ordinances that govern the dumping of refuse; or
(C) $500 in all other cases arising under a municipal ordinance.
(b) The municipal court shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the justice court of a precinct in which the municipality is located in all criminal cases arising under state law that:
(1) arise within the territorial limits of the municipality and are punishable by fine only, as defined in Subsection (c) of this article; or
(2) arise under Chapter 106, Alcoholic Beverage Code, and do not include confinement as an authorized sanction.
Terms Used In Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 4.14
- Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Justice: when applied to a magistrate, means justice of the peace. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Population: means the population shown by the most recent federal decennial census. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
(c) In this article, an offense which is punishable by “fine only” is defined as an offense that is punishable by fine and such sanctions, if any, as authorized by statute not consisting of confinement in jail or imprisonment.
(d) The fact that a conviction in a municipal court has as a consequence the imposition of a penalty or sanction by an agency or entity other than the court, such as a denial, suspension, or revocation of a privilege, does not affect the original jurisdiction of the municipal court.
(e) The municipal court has jurisdiction in the forfeiture and final judgment of all bail bonds and personal bonds taken in criminal cases of which the court has jurisdiction.
(f) A municipality with a population of 1.19 million or more and another municipality contiguous to that municipality may enter into an agreement providing concurrent jurisdiction for the municipal courts of either jurisdiction for all criminal cases arising from offenses under state law that are:
(1) committed on the boundary of those municipalities or in one or both of the following areas:
(A) within 200 yards of that boundary; or
(B) within 2.25 miles of that boundary on a segment of highway in the state highway system that traverses a major water supply reservoir; and
(2) punishable by fine only.
(g) A municipality may enter into an agreement with a contiguous municipality or a municipality with boundaries that are within one-half mile of the municipality seeking to enter into the agreement to establish concurrent jurisdiction of the municipal courts in the municipalities and provide original jurisdiction to a municipal court in which a case is brought as if the municipal court were located in the municipality in which the case arose, for:
(1) all cases in which either municipality has jurisdiction under Subsection (a) or (b); and
(2) cases that arise under § 821.022, Health and Safety Code.