How to Search Criminal Dockets
Begin with the court, not just a name. In Medina County, felonies generally sit in the 454th Judicial District Court. The Medina County District Clerk keeps those files. Misdemeanors under County Court at Law authority run through the Medina County Clerk. A DPS citation usually lands in the assigned justice court. A city police Class C case stays with that city's municipal court. For an online docket search, the Medina County Tyler portal is the first stop for district and county-level criminal cases. Its search fields change from time to time. So write down the date and the filters you used.
- Identify the issuing court from the citation, charging paper, or notice.
- Search by cause number first, then by full public name if needed.
- Narrow the result by court and criminal case type.
- Open the case-detail or docket tab and read each dated event.
- Confirm a key setting or copy request with the clerk or coordinator.
Medina County Criminal Court Split
One search does not cover the whole court ladder. The 454th Judicial District Court handles felonies. The Medina County Court at Law runs its own misdemeanor calendar with a criminal coordinator. Four justice courts keep citation dockets by precinct, and municipal courts hold the city Class C records.
| Court | Docket covers | Record route |
|---|---|---|
| 454th District Court | Felony proceedings | District Clerk and Tyler |
| County Court at Law | Misdemeanors | County Clerk and Tyler |
| Justice Courts | DPS or precinct citations | Assigned JP clerk |
| Municipal Courts | City Class C cases | Named city court |
Search the court that is actually on the record, because a municipal calendar is not a district criminal docket.
What a Criminal Docket Shows
Think of a criminal docket as a timeline. A Medina County result may list a cause number, the court, charge text, filing date, counsel, hearings, a plea, bond or warrant indicators, events, and a disposition. Labels shift from case to case and depend on access level. Also note that a document image stands apart from the event line that mentions it.
| Cause number | The court-assigned search key; copy the live Medina format exactly. |
|---|---|
| Charge | The accusation or code description, not a guilt finding. |
| Setting | A scheduled event that may later move. |
| Plea | The entered response, read apart from the result. |
| Disposition | The outcome or status, checked against the judgment. |
| Document | A filing or order image that may be restricted. |
“Filed” does not mean “granted.” “Scheduled” does not mean “held.”
Medina County Criminal Desk Routes
You can reach the District Clerk at 1300 Avenue M, Room 201, in Hondo. The phone number is (830) 741-6070. Posted hours run Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The office advertises public access to records and calendars from 1990 to the present, though live coverage can differ. The County Clerk sits in Room 163 of the same annex, at (830) 741-6040. Posted weekday hours there are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A public index and terminal are on hand. A mailed search request should name the person, the period, and the result you want. Include the stated payment and a self-addressed envelope. Results are not verified by phone.
Note: Call before you travel, since counter hours, room access, and document availability can change.
Stages on a Criminal Docket
A Medina County felony docket can run from a charging event through arraignment, counsel appointment, bond entry, motions, competency work, hearings, plea or trial, sentence, probation or revocation, and an appeal notice. Not every stage shows up in every case.
Docket flow: Filing › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
One caution: a motion entry is a request, not a ruling. Read the final result together with any public judgment, sentence, or later appeal entry.
Medina County Criminal Calendar Layers
The County Court at Law publishes criminal calendar PDFs. They cover January through June and July through December 2026. Those PDFs are settings for one court only, not the full Medina County criminal docket. The District Court links a separate online calendar. The general county calendar offers categories and exports. But its view can carry stale or demo material, so treat it as a lead rather than a fact. A setting may be reset, passed, removed, or continued after publication. Compare the latest signed order with the docket and contact the coordinator. The County Court at Law page supplies the official calendar route.
Medina County Criminal Terms
Short labels can hide major differences. Read the exact event and date.
- Arraignment
- A proceeding where the accusation, rights, and plea process may be addressed.
- Bond
- Release or security information, not a finding of guilt.
- Capias
- Court process that requires current confirmation.
- Nolo contendere
- A no-contest plea, distinct from not guilty.
- Disposition
- The outcome or status paired with its actual text.
“Dismissed” does not by itself mean acquitted, expunged, or never filed.
Which Court Holds Criminal Dockets
Match the office to the charge. Felony? Begin with the 454th District Court and the District Clerk. A County Court at Law misdemeanor starts with the County Clerk. For a DPS citation, use the assigned Medina County JP. For a city police citation, use that municipal court. The charging paper controls more than a person's home address. Appeals use another docket entirely. Medina County sits in the Fourth Court of Appeals district. Federal cases belong to the Western District of Texas, not the county Tyler portal.
Medina County Criminal Docket History
Older felony records may name the 38th District Court. An official Texas referral packet documents creation of the Medina-only 454th Judicial District Court on September 1, 2019. It also records the transfer of pending Medina cases from the 38th. The old label does not mean today's file belongs elsewhere. Search by cause number and both court labels where you can. Then ask the District Clerk about a transferred file. That history explains why pre-2019 events may list a different court.
Medina County Electronic Criminal Records
Two state systems matter here. eFileTexas is the filing system. re:SearchTX is the statewide electronic-access layer. They are related but do different jobs. Image access can depend on role, account, fee, redaction, or restriction. If Tyler fails you, try the clerk counter. You can also use the County Clerk terminal, a supported written request, or the statewide portal. Order certified copies from the clerk who holds the file. A screen image is not a certified copy.
Medina County Criminal Activity Context
For context rather than a person search, the Texas Office of Court Administration FY 2024 district report is the place to look. Its Medina criminal row recorded 1,339 cases at the beginning, 193 added, 1,083 disposed, and 1,138 at ending status. Check extracted PDF columns against the original header before relying on them.
Criminal activity context: These Medina County categories count activity, not unique people or convictions, so they cannot establish one case's status.
Medina County Criminal Court View
The official County Court at Law source lists the criminal coordinator, calendar, and setting functions for Medina County.
The page helps with settings, but the clerk remains the record custodian for the Medina County criminal docket.
Public Access and Sealed Criminal Dockets
Texas court case access does not mean every filing is open under the Texas Public Information Act. Government Code Chapter 552 generally covers public information. Section 552.0035, though, places judiciary access under Supreme Court rules and other law. Case records also follow statutes, sealing orders, redaction duties, and clerk procedure.
Key access rules
Texas Judicial Branch Open Records Policy explains the distinct judicial framework.
Rule of Judicial Administration 12 governs requests for judicial records other than court case records.
Family Code Chapter 58 restricts juvenile records.
Expunction, nondisclosure, sealing, and redaction can all change what a Medina County docket search shows. A blank result is not proof that no prior event exists.