(a) In accordance with Section 1, Chapter VIII of the Dallas city charter and Chapter 30 of the Texas Government Code, there is hereby created a municipal court of record, which is divided into 16 divisions to be designated as Municipal Court of Record No. 1, Municipal Court of Record No. 2, Municipal Court of Record No. 3, Municipal Court of Record No. 4, Municipal Court of Record No. 5, Municipal Court of Record No. 6, Municipal Court of Record No. 7, Municipal Court of Record No. 8, Municipal Court of Record No. 9, Municipal Court of Record No. 10, Municipal Court of Record No. 11, Community Court No. 12, Community Court No. 13, Community Court No. 14, Community Court No. 15, and Community Court No. 16.
(b) Each municipal court of record division shall have and exercise concurrent jurisdiction with the other municipal court of record divisions, the jurisdiction being that which is conferred upon all municipal courts and municipal courts of record by Chapter 30 of the Texas Government Code and other state law.
(c) Jurisdiction under Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Texas Local Government Code.
(1) In addition to the jurisdiction granted in Subsection (b) of this section and in accordance with Section 30.00005 of the Texas Government Code, each municipal court of record division has concurrent jurisdiction with a district court or a county court at law under Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Texas Local Government Code, within the city’s territorial limits and property owned by the city located in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing health and safety and nuisance abatement ordinances.
(2) The municipal clerk is authorized to charge and collect fees and costs of court for litigation filed in municipal court pursuant to Subchapter B, Chapter 54 of the Texas Local Government Code. The fees and costs charged and collected will be the same as those authorized by law to be collected by a clerk of a county court.
(3) Any party in a case filed under this subsection has the right to appeal the decision of the municipal court by filing a verified petition in state district court alleging error in the municipal court’s decision. The petition must be filed within 30 calendar days after the municipal court issues its ruling, or else the municipal court’s decision will become final. An appeal in state district court is limited to a hearing under the substantial evidence rule.
(d) The municipal court of record divisions may be in concurrent and continuous session, either day or night. (Ord. Nos. 7429; 15603; 16661; 19802; 24763; 24946; 24978; 25496; 25927; 27438; 27706; 27823; 30769)
(a) Wherever the term “corporation court” or “municipal court” is used in this code, it means “municipal court of record.”
(b) Any provision of the city charter, city ordinances, or state law that is applicable to a municipal court will be applicable to the municipal court of record unless the provision is in conflict or inconsistent with Chapter 30 of the Texas Government Code, which governs the municipal court of record in the city of Dallas. (Ord. Nos. 7429; 15603; 14802; 19802; 24946)
(a) A judge shall preside over each of the municipal court of record divisions. A judge appointed under Section 4, Chapter VIII of the city charter shall be known as a “municipal judge.” A judge appointed under Section 6, Chapter VIII of the city charter shall be known as an “associate municipal judge.”
(b) A municipal judge shall:
(1) hold a respective court within the city at a place designated by the city council;
(2) follow all rules of procedure contained in the ordinances of the city and state law;
(3) enter on the docket of the municipal court of record division over which the municipal judge presides, appropriate notations of the disposition of each case;
(4) have authority to preside over any of the municipal court of record divisions, and may exchange benches with other municipal judges; and
(5) have all other powers and duties assigned to a municipal judge by the city charter, other city ordinances, Chapter 30 of the Texas Government Code, or other state law.
(c) The administrative municipal judge of the municipal court of record shall:
(1) provide for equal distribution of cases among the municipal court of record divisions and select so many bailiffs of the municipal court of record as are necessary;
(2) have the power to transfer cases from one municipal court of record division to another and assign municipal judges to preside over the various divisions;
(3) promulgate work rules for the administration of the municipal court of record;
(4) provide at least one performance evaluation annually of each municipal judge; and
(5) have all other powers and duties assigned to the administrative municipal judge by the city charter, other city ordinances, Chapter 30 of the Texas Government Code, or other state law. (Ord. Nos. 7429; 15603; 18477; 18837; 19802; 20201; 21011; 22496; 24946)
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