
These courts are not bound by any monetary limits like many other lower courts, and due to this, they may share jurisdiction at times with the district court. These are specialized courts authorized by the state constitution that handle cases relating to guardianship, trusts, mental health, conservatorships, and other probate matters. County court judges are not required to be attorneys, whether licensed by Texas or not. They are given exclusive jurisdiction only over misdemeanors of Class A and Class B, which can involve imprisonment. These are courts established by the state constitution that are required to be present in each of the 254 counties in Texas. While the jurisdiction of constitutional courts is static, the jurisdiction of Statutory County Courts at Law can vary depending on the county. They can preside over suits that exceed $500, but not more than $200,000. The Statutory County Courts at Law have relatively broad jurisdiction but they are bound by some monetary limits. Proceedings at municipal courts are not transcribed or recorded.

They share some jurisdiction with the Justice of the Peace Courts when city ordinances are in question. Municipal Courts are not mandated but are permitted in each incorporated city in Texas, pending voter approval. They can also hear civil matters where the amount in dispute is under $200. These courts have jurisdiction only over offenses that are punishable by fine only. Cases from the court of appeals can flow to either the supreme court or the court of criminal appeals. Appeals from county-level courts go to the court of appeals, while district-level appeals go directly to the criminal court of appeals. Above those three courts, there are the district courts and the criminal district courts. If they are not permitted jurisdiction over the case, the next level includes the constitutional county court, probate court, and county court of law. The case flow begins at the municipal court and justice court levels. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals hears only appeals from lower courts that deal with criminal proceedings, whereas the Texas Supreme Court handles civil appeals, as well as those concerning juveniles.

There are some differences in handling due to the bifurcated nature of the Texas appellate system. The cases are handled by the lowest court that maintains jurisdiction over the charges and case. The Supreme Court of Texas, with help from the Office of Court Administration, performs administration duties for the entire judiciary of Texas.
