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Tarrant County Criminal Courts: Where to Go and What to Expect
If you have been arrested for a felony or a non-traffic misdemeanor offense, your case will be heard in one of the 20 criminal courts in downtown Fort Worth. All of the Tarrant County criminal courts at the County and District levels are located inside the Tim Curry Justice Center. The Tim Curry Justice Center is located at 401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. Below is a list of all of Tarrant County’s criminal courts and their location in the justice center, as well as other useful information that will help ease your anxiety about going to court.
Tarrant County Criminal Courts
| Court | Abbreviation | Floor | Judge | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor Courts | ||||
| County Criminal Court Number One | CCC1 | 5th Floor | Judge David Cook | 817-884-1337 |
| County Criminal Court Number Two | CCC2 | 6th Floor | Judge Carey Walker | 817-884-1338 |
| County Criminal Court Number Three | CCC3 | 7th Floor | Judge Bob McCoy | 817-884-1374 |
| County Criminal Court Number Four | CCC4 | 5th Floor | Judge Deborah Nekhom | 817-884-1426 |
| County Criminal Court Number Five | CCC5 | 6th Floor | Judge Jamie Cummings | 817-884-2726 |
| County Criminal Court Number Six | CCC6 | 8th Floor | Judge Molly Jones | 817-884-2745 |
| County Criminal Court Number Seven | CCC7 | 8th Floor | Judge Cheril Hardy | 817-884-2773 |
| County Criminal Court Number Eight | CCC8 | 7th Floor | Judge Charles Vanover | 817-884-3400 |
| County Criminal Court Number Nine | CCC9 | 8th Floor | Judge Brent Carr | 817-884-3410 |
| County Criminal Court Number Ten | CCC10 | 7th Floor | Judge Phil Sorrels | 817-884-3420 |
| Felony Courts | ||||
| Criminal District Court Number One | CDC1 | 5th Floor | Judge Elizabeth Beach | 817-884-1351 |
| Criminal District Court Number Two | CDC2 | 6th Floor | Judge Wayne Salvant | 817-884-1347 |
| Criminal District Court Number Three | CDC3 | 7th Floor | Judge Robb Catalano | 817-884-1356 |
| Criminal District Court Number Four | CDC4 | 8th Floor | Judge Mike Thomas | 817-884-1362 |
| 213th District Court | 213th | 8th Floor | Judge Chris Wolfe | 817-884-1529 |
| 297th District Court | 297th | 5th Floor | Judge David Hagerman | 817-884-1908 |
| 371st District Court | 371st | 8th Floor | Judge Mollee Westfall | 817-884-2985 |
| 372nd District Court | 372nd | 6th Floor | Judge Scott Wisch | 817-884-2990 |
| 396th District Court | 396th | 6th Floor | Judge George Gallagher | 817-884-2768 |
| 432nd District Court | 432nd | 6th Floor | Judge Ruben Gonzalez | 817-884-2935 |
What Should I Expect When I Go to Criminal Court?
Going to court for the first time can be a nerve-wracking process. Taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with what to expect in court will help you feel more at ease when your first court date arrives.
If you have never been to court on a criminal case before, outside of a traffic citation, you might imagine that a court setting means that you will be in court in front of a judge, that the State will be prepared to call witnesses against you, and you might even have a trial. Generally, a case will have several settings before it reaches trial. This article will help set expectations on what will happen during the first court setting.
What Time Should I Be in Court?
The last thing you want to do is to get off to a bad start with your judge. You should know that it may be difficult to find parking near the courthouse. The time on your court notice is the time you are expected to be present in the courtroom, not parking or walking into the courthouse.
All of our clients are informed to be in court at least thirty minutes before their court settings. This ensures that even if you run into traffic, delays getting through security, or the elevators are down, you will still get to court on time.
What Happens When I Get to My Courtroom?
When you arrive outside your assigned courtroom, if it is unlocked go inside and check in with the bailiff. However, if you are early, the courtroom will likely be closed and you will need to wait outside. Once you are allowed into the courtroom, the bailiffs will give you instructions as to whether you should check in with them, or have a seat and wait for the judge to formally call the docket. Docket call is the court “taking attendance” to make sure that all the defendants scheduled to be there are present. If the bailiff or judge calls the docket, be sure to answer out loud. You want to make sure that the court knows that you are present; otherwise, a warrant can be issued for your arrest.
The average docket can last two to three hours, depending on the volume of cases set. The bulk of your time in court may be spent waiting. When your attorney arrives, he or she will speak to the prosecutor on your behalf. There are generally two to four prosecutors and 50-100 defense attorneys waiting to speak to them. It’s also important to note that there is a hierarchy to the court system. Attorneys must appear in any felony courts first, and then make any misdemeanor appearances they have. The discussion will include the circumstances and evidence involved in your case, the likelihood of a plea offer and any other special issues such as eligibility for a diversion program. Many of these discussions also take place before court. Once your attorney has a sense of the State’s position on your case, he or she will discuss your options. You will have three options for how to proceed with your case. Option one is to accept the plea offer being extended to you; option two is to reject the offer and move toward a trial; option three is to ask for another court date so that either side can gather more information.
It’s important to know that the number of times a case can be rescheduled depends on the reason it is being reset, and also the individual judge’s discretion as to how quickly they expect cases to be resolved.
Being informed and having realistic expectations will help make the process of handling your case less stressful. If you arrive on time, are prepared to be patient, and maintain good communication with your attorney, you will have taken significant steps toward having a productive day in court.
Click here for more information on what to expect when you go to court.
If you have been arrested for a criminal offense in Tarrant County and need a criminal defense attorney, call Varghese Summersett PLLC at (817) 203-2220.
Tarrant County Misdemeanor Courts
- Tarrant County CCC1 | County Criminal Court Number One
Judge David Cook
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
5th Floor
Court Coordinator – 817-884-1337
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC2 | County Criminal Court Number Two
Judge Carey Walker
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
6th Floor
Court Coordinator – 817-884-1338
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC3 | County Criminal Court Number Three
Judge Bob McCoy
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
7th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1374
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC4 | County Criminal Court Number Four
Judge Deborah Nekhom
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
5th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1426
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC5 | County Criminal Court Number Five
Judge Jamie Cummings
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
6th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-2726
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC7 | County Criminal Court Number Seven
Judge Cheril Hardy
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
8th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-2773
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC8 | County Criminal Court Number Eight
Judge Charles “Chuck” Vanover
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
7th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-3400
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC9 | County Criminal Court Number Nine
Judge Brent Carr
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
8th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-3410
Docket
- Tarrant County CCC10 | County Criminal Court Number Ten
Judge Phil Sorrells
Criminal Misdemeanor Cases
7th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-3420
Docket
Tarrant County Felony Courts
- Tarrant County CDC1 | County District Court Number One
Judge Elizabeth Beach
Criminal Felony Cases
5th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1351
Docket
- Tarrant County CDC2 | County District Court Number Two
Judge Wayne Salvant
Criminal Felony Cases
6thFloor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1347
Docket
- Tarrant County CDC3 | County District Court Number Three
Judge Robb Catalano
Criminal Felony Cases
7th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1356
Docket
- Tarrant County CDC4 | County District Court Number Four
Judge Mike Thomas
Criminal Felony Cases
8th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1362
Docket
- Tarrant County 213 | 213th District Court
Judge Chris Wolfe
Criminal Felony Cases
8th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1529
Docket
- Tarrant County 297 | 297th District Court
Judge David Hagerman
Criminal Felony Cases
5th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-1908
Docket
- Tarrant County 371 | 371st District Court
Judge Mollee Westfall
Criminal Felony Cases
8th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-2985
Docket
- Tarrant County 372 | 372nd District Court
Judge Scott Wisch
Criminal Felony Cases
6th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-2990
Docket
- Tarrant County 396 | 396th District Court
Judge George Gallagher
Criminal Felony Cases
6th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-2768
Docket
- Tarrant County 432 | 432nd District Court
Judge Ruben Gonzalez
Criminal Felony Cases
6th Floor
Court Coordinator 817-884-2935
Docket
