Ellis County Court at Law No. 3 in works

AUSTIN – Representative John Wray added language to Senate Bill 891 which would create a third County Court at Law in Ellis County.

The amended bill passed the House and the Senate and now heads to Governor Abbott’s desk for a signature before becoming State law.

In Ellis County, the effect of SB 891 will be the creation of County Court at Law No. 3 of Ellis County.

The new court will have jurisdiction equivalent to Ellis County’s two other County Courts at Law, including civil and criminal matters, family law cases and proceedings, both original and appellate.

“After hearing from the citizens and members of the judiciary in Ellis County, it was apparent that the caseload was far too great for only two courts,

“Our county judiciary and their staff have been carrying the load for us, and it’s time to provide them some relief,

“We took this information to the Office of Court Administration, and their data confirmed what we were hearing - that Ellis County had grown to a size that required a larger judicial presence than we currently have,” said Wray.

The citizens of Ellis County have the duty of electing the initial presiding judge of County Court at Law No. 3 of Ellis County during the general election in Nov., 2020.

The court will begin its jurisdiction on Jan. 1 of 2021.

SB 891 functioned as an omnibus courts bill, making a number of administrative changes to the judicial branch of our state government, and the creation of over a dozen new statutory courts.

The bill makes adjustments to district boundaries, adds or removes jurisdictions, and outlines the manner in which the judiciary for new courts will be placed across the state.

State Representative John Wray is serving his third term representing House District 10, including Ellis County.