Reports

For indigent defense reports see http://www.courts.state.tx.us/tfid/Resources.asp

Office of Court Administration Director Reports

Annual Reports of the Council's Activities and Recommendations

These reports fulfill the statutory requirements of Section 71.034, Government Code, which requires the Council to file a complete detailed report with the Governor and the Supreme Court before December 2 of each year on council activities, information from the council's study, and council recommendations. In addition to these reports, the Texas Judicial Council also publishes the Annual Report of the Texas Judicial System.

2003-2004 [pdf] | 2002-2003 [pdf] | 2001-2002 [pdf] | 2000-2001 | 1999-2000 | 1998-1999 | 1997-1998 | 1929-1997 [pdf]

For fiscal years 2005 to the present, see the Annual Reports of the Judicial Support Agencies, Boards and Commissions.

Research Reports

Public Access to Court Records in Texas - 2004 [pdf-855 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council examined and made recommendations regarding the public's access to electronic court case records. The report discusses the personal privacy and public safety implications that arise when electronic case records are made available to the general public via the internet, and provides a brief overview of federal and state court policy developments.

Jury Service: Participation and Pay in Texas - 2002 [pdf-207 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council examined jury service in Texas' 254 counties and made recommendations to improve the overall quality, efficiency, and public perception of jury service. To encourage public participation and ensure that the citizens of Texas are appropriately compensated or reimbursed for the time and expenses resulting form jury service, the Council collected and analyzed information regarding juror pay and other incentives, jury education, juror response rates, the use of prescreening questionnaires, and jury wheel management.

Assessing Judicial Workload in Texas' District Courts - 2001 [pdf-74 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council examined and made recommendations regarding the judicial workload of Texas' district courts.  Recognizing that both the judiciary and the legislature need an objective and reliable methodology to assess the efficiency of Texas' district courts and to determine the need for and the location of any additional district courts in Texas, the Council focused on developing appropriate criteria that could be used to identify those counties that are in need of judicial resources.  The report describes the structural and jurisdictional complexities of Texas' trial court structure, addresses previous judicial reform efforts in Texas, discusses the weighted caseload model, identifies unique local attributes of the trial courts, and details the use of visiting and associate judges.

State Funding in Texas' Appellate Courts - 2002 [pdf-836 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council examined and made recommendations regarding the legislative appropriations process used to determine state funding for each of Texas' appellate courts. To ensure that sufficient funds are allocated for the preservation of public trust and for the protection of the rule of law, the Council focused on streamlining the process and promoting effective communication between the judiciary and the legislature. The report provides a brief historical overview of state funding for Texas' appellate courts, addresses key distinctions among the courts, and examines the appropriations processes used for federal and other state appellate courts.

Examining Juror Pay and Other Ways to Encourage Jury Service in Texas - 2001 [pdf-67 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council examined juror pay other incentives for jury service. The report reviews past efforts to reform jury administration in Texas and examines jury practices in other states.

Performance Measures: Texas District Courts - 2000 [pdf-254 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council and the Office of Court Administration conducted a pilot project regarding performance measures in Texas' district courts. The report outlines the general nature and use of performance measures, analyzes the statistical results of the pilot project, presents the Texas district courts judges’ views of the factors the they believe most significantly impact their ability to dispose of cases, and discusses issues specific to Texas’ trial court system that must be considered before implementing a quantitative performance measurement system for individual district courts.

Performance Measures: Texas Courts of Appeals - 2000 [pdf-170 KB]
The Texas Judicial Council and the Office of Court Administration conducted a study regarding performance measures in Texas’ appellate courts. The report discusses the general policy advantages and limitations of judicial performance measures; describes performance measures that have been implemented and statistics that are published in Texas and other states; presents the views of courts of appeals justices regarding factors most significantly impacting their ability to dispose of cases and operations issues that impact the courts; and present the findings and recommendations regarding the propriety of implementing performance measures to evaluate the individual justices and the courts of appeals as a whole.

Reports on Recommendations for Reform