Criminal Law Hearing Officer

Position Overview:
The Criminal Law Hearing Officer serves as magistrate in the Harris County Probable Cause Court. This Court operates as a 24/7 operation located in the Harris County Joint Processing Center. Criminal Law Hearing Officers are independent judicial officers regarding the cases/defendants that appear before them. Criminal Law Hearing Officers take general direction from the Criminal Law Hearing Officer. Criminal Law Hearing Officers are appointed by the statutory Criminal Law Hearing Officer Committee.

Statutory Duties:

Criminal Law Hearing Officer will staff hearings on a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week schedule. A criminal law hearing officer has limited concurrent jurisdiction over criminal cases filed in the district courts, county criminal courts at law, and justice courts of Harris County. The jurisdiction of the criminal law hearing officer is limited to:

• Determine probable cause for further detention of any person detained on a criminal complaint, information or indictment filed in the district courts, county criminal courts at law, or justice courts of Harris County;
• Commit the defendant to jail, discharge the defendant from custody, or admit the defendant to bail, as the law and facts of the case require;
• Timely issue search warrants and arrest warrants as provided by law for magistrates; 
• As to criminal cases filed in justice courts, dispose of cases as provided by law, other than by trial, and collect fines and enforce judgments and orders of the justice courts in criminal cases;
• Hear emergency mental health matters under Chapter 573, Health and Safety Code.  

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net