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Southlake, Texas Courts Legal Info - Judges
Most municipal judges must be lawyers with two to five years experience in the practice of law or in the judiciary. Only a handful of municipal judges are elected. The vast majority are appointed by the governing body of the city (such as Southlake) that they serve. The mayor of a general law city in Texas serves as municipal judge unless the city council provides for the election or appointment of another person.
Municipal judges preside over the presentation and trial of minor criminal cases. If there is no jury, the judge must first determine the facets and then apply the law to the facts to determine whether the defendant is guilty. If the jury is impanelled, the judge, as previously stated, often instructs the jury as to the law.
Because of the tremendous volume of cases a Southlake municipal judge hears, he or she is an important representative of the Texas judicial system. Far more people come into contact with the municipal court than with any other Texas court.
In addition to the usual function of presiding over legal cases, municipal judges have other responsibilities as magistrates. All Texas judges are magistrates, but the bulk of the magistrate's functions fall upon justices of the peace, magistrates appointed by district courts, and the municipal court judges that Southlake lawyers see often. Magistrates conduct arraignments, set bail, and issue search and arrest warrants, including those too serious to be tried by lawyers and attorneys in municipal court. The judge also has the power to issue writs, subpoenas and other orders to require that require necessary legal evidence to be produced.
Municipal judges preside over the presentation and trial of minor criminal cases. If there is no jury, the judge must first determine the facets and then apply the law to the facts to determine whether the defendant is guilty. If the jury is impanelled, the judge, as previously stated, often instructs the jury as to the law.
Because of the tremendous volume of cases a Southlake municipal judge hears, he or she is an important representative of the Texas judicial system. Far more people come into contact with the municipal court than with any other Texas court.
In addition to the usual function of presiding over legal cases, municipal judges have other responsibilities as magistrates. All Texas judges are magistrates, but the bulk of the magistrate's functions fall upon justices of the peace, magistrates appointed by district courts, and the municipal court judges that Southlake lawyers see often. Magistrates conduct arraignments, set bail, and issue search and arrest warrants, including those too serious to be tried by lawyers and attorneys in municipal court. The judge also has the power to issue writs, subpoenas and other orders to require that require necessary legal evidence to be produced.
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