Jeff Davis County District Court, Texas Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Civil cases

Public access to pleadings, orders, and documents in the specified DFPS suits is restricted.

1. Public access to pleadings, orders, and documents filed in suits brought by DFPS pursuant to Chapters 261, 262, and 264 of the Texas Family Code is restricted.

Civil cases

The District Clerk must prevent access to these court records by anyone outside the listed authorized persons unless the Court specifically authorizes and orders access.

3. The District Clerk shall prohibit and prevent access to court records in these cases to anyone other than DFPS, the parties, their attorneys, the child's attorney ad litem, and the guardian ad litem, unless specifically authorized and so ordered by this Court.

Civil cases

DFPS affidavits, court reports, and other covered documents must be maintained as confidential; specified persons may access them, and others may request access using Exhibit A.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that access to affidavits, court reports, and other documents filed in a suit brought by DFPS pursuant to Chapters 261, 262, and 264 of the Texas Family Code are CONFIDENTIAL and shall be maintained by the District Clerk of Jeff Davis County as such. The Clerk of the Court shall allow access to these pleadings, orders, and documents to the court, an associate judge, DFPS employees, employees of a Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) acting as an authorized agent of DFPS, a party, a party's attorney, any attorney ad litem or guardian ad litem for the child, and the Office of the Attorney General. Any other person or entity requesting access to a confidential case file subject to this standing order may submit a request to the Court using the form attached as Exhibit "A".