El Paso County Courts at Law Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICAL

When the clerk’s office is closed, an application for immediate or temporary relief generally may not be presented to a judge until it has been filed and assigned to a court; emergencies are excepted.

Except in emergencies, when the clerk’s office is not open for business, no application for immediate or temporary relief shall be presented to a judge until it has been filed and assigned to a court as is provided in these rules.

INFO

Upon receiving a vexatious litigant’s petition for permission to file, the clerk must immediately deliver it to the local administrative judge.

2. The clerk of the court, upon receipt of a petition for permission to file by a vexatious litigant, shall immediately deliver the petition to the local administrative judge.

CRITICAL

Notwithstanding, requests for jury trial shall be made at least 30 days before the scheduled bench trial.

Notwithstanding, requests for jury trial shall be made at least 30 days before the scheduled bench trial.

CRITICAL

A qualifying written objection must be filed as soon as reasonably possible.

(C) Any party who has an objection to the date, time, or manner of the non-jury matter, which cannot be resolved by conference with other parties and the court coordinator, shall as soon as is reasonably possible file a written objection, stating the grounds therein, for the court’s discretionary resolution.

CRITICAL

The notice of stay must be filed promptly.

If a case is required to be stayed pursuant to any law, such as protection under the bankruptcy laws, suggestion of death, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or abatement, the party must promptly file a notice of stay describing in detail the grounds for the stay.

CRITICAL

A party must file an objection to the associate judge hearing a trial on the merits or presiding at a jury trial no later than the 10th day after receiving notice that the associate judge will hear the trial.

Pursuant to 201.005 of the Texas Family Code, a party must file an objection to an associate judge hearing a trial on the merits or presiding at a jury trial not later than the 10th day after the date the party receives notice that the associate judge will hear the trial.

CRITICAL

Deadline

2 working days

A serious incident report must be filed within two working days after learning of the incident.

Serious incident reports shall be filed within two (2) working days of learning of the incident.

CRITICAL

The written notice must be filed once the grounds for the stay are discharged or concluded.

Once the grounds for stay are discharged or concluded, the party who filed the initial notice of stay must file a notice in writing to the affected courts.

CRITICAL

A party must request a bench-trial or jury-trial setting at least 90 days before dismissal.

At least ninety days before dismissal a party shall request a bench trial or a jury trial setting.

CRITICAL

Statements of paternity and affidavits of status must be filed by the full adversary hearing.

Statements of paternity and affidavits of status shall be brought to the pretrial and filed by the full adversary hearing.

CRITICAL

The Ad Litem report must be filed three days before the hearing.

Shall file an Ad Litem report three (3) days before hearing

CRITICAL

An emergency placement within El Paso County may occur without a hearing; the caseworker must file a written report within two working days of learning of the incident and provide it to all parties and the associate court the working day thereafter.

Emergency placements within El Paso County only may be done without hearing. Caseworker shall file a written report within two (2) working days of learning of the incident and provide to all parties and the associate court the working day thereafter.

CRITICAL

In every misdemeanor case filed in El Paso County, a standard discovery order will be filed and entered at arraignment.

In every misdemeanor case filed in El Paso County, a standard discovery order will be filed and entered at the time of arraignment.

WARNING

An election of punishment may be submitted any time before jury selection begins, unless a court discovery order provides otherwise.

Unless otherwise provided by a court’s discovery order, an election of punishment may be submitted any time prior to the commencement of jury selection.