The Terry County Justice of the Peace court sits at 507B West Main Street in Brownfield and handles civil disputes up to $20,000, eviction cases, and Class C misdemeanors such as traffic tickets and low-level criminal offenses.1Terry County, Texas. Justice of the Peace Filing a civil case costs $144, hearings run on relaxed procedural rules, and the court is set up so people can appear without a lawyer.
Cases the Court Can Hear
On the civil side, the court decides disputes where the amount in controversy is $20,000 or less, not counting interest.2State of Texas. Texas Government Code 27.031 – Jurisdiction That covers unpaid invoices, bounced checks, a contractor who walked off the job, unpaid rent, and foreclosure of liens on personal property within the same dollar cap. Real estate title fights are outside the court’s reach.
Evictions are a large part of the docket. The justice court in the precinct where the rental property sits has exclusive jurisdiction over forcible entry and forcible detainer suits.3State of Texas. Texas Property Code 24.004 – Jurisdiction; Dismissal The court decides who has the right to possess the property and can issue a writ of possession, but it cannot decide who owns it. If ownership is genuinely in dispute, the case has to move to a higher court.
On the criminal side, the court handles Class C misdemeanors, the lowest tier of criminal offense in Texas. The maximum penalty is a $500 fine with no jail time.4State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.23 – Class C Misdemeanor Speeding, running a red light, driving without insurance, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and theft of items worth less than $100 all fall here. City and county ordinance violations can carry fines up to $2,000 depending on the offense.
The justice of the peace also acts as a magistrate, which allows the JP to issue arrest and search warrants, set bail, and hold probable-cause hearings for cases that will be tried elsewhere.5State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 2.09 The JP conducts death inquests when a death is unnatural, unattended, or unexplained,6State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.04 – Deaths Requiring an Inquest performs marriages, and administers oaths.7State of Texas. Texas Family Code 2.202
Filing a Civil Case
What to Bring
Before you file, put together the full legal name and current address of the person or business you’re suing, any documents that back up your claim (contracts, invoices, photos, texts, receipts), and the specific dollar amount you’re asking for. Get the address right. The constable or sheriff uses it to deliver the citation, and a bad address stalls the case.
For an eviction, add a copy of the lease if one exists and proof that you gave the tenant proper notice to vacate before filing. For a debt claim, know the date the debt first arose. Texas gives you four years to file suit on most debts, including credit card balances, medical bills, and written contracts, and a partial payment does not restart the clock.8State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.004 – Four-Year Limitations Period
Fees
Terry County charges a flat $144 filing fee for small claims, debt claims, evictions, and repair-and-remedy cases. Each additional defendant beyond the first adds $90.1Terry County, Texas. Justice of the Peace The Terry County Sheriff charges $100 per defendant to serve the citation.9Terry County Sheriff’s Office. Civil Process Information For a straightforward case against one person, plan on roughly $244 before anything else happens.
If you can’t afford those costs, file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. The form has to be sworn before a notary or signed under penalty of perjury, and once you file it the clerk must docket the case and issue citation without collecting fees. The court provides the form at no charge. If a legal aid attorney is representing you, that attorney can file a certificate confirming you were screened for eligibility, and the statement cannot be contested.
Where to File
You can file in person at 507B West Main Street in Brownfield during business hours. Some Texas justice courts also accept electronic filings through eFileTexas.gov, but not every JP court participates.10eFileTexas.Gov. Official E-Filing System for Texas Call the Terry County JP office to confirm whether e-filing is available for your case type. Certified mail is another option if you need a delivery record. Once the court processes your filing and fee, it issues a citation, the constable or sheriff serves it, and the court sets a hearing date.
Traffic Tickets and Other Class C Charges
If you received a citation in Terry County, you respond by entering a plea. The plea form asks for the cause number from your citation, your name, and your choice of plea: guilty, no contest, or not guilty. Guilty or no contest usually resolves the case with a fine and court costs and no hearing. Not guilty sets the case for trial.
Know what each plea means before you sign it. A guilty plea on a traffic ticket becomes a conviction on your record and can push up your insurance. No contest has the same practical outcome but is not an admission that another party can use against you in a separate civil suit. If the facts support you, a not-guilty plea preserves your chance to challenge the officer’s account or the evidence at trial.
You may also qualify for defensive driving or deferred disposition. Defensive driving, when the court approves the request and you finish the course in time, can keep a conviction off your record. Ask the clerk about eligibility when you submit your plea.
How the Trial Runs
Justice court trials are informal. The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Rules of Evidence do not automatically apply; the judge has discretion to apply a particular rule when it is needed to keep the hearing fair. In practice, the judge runs the proceeding more like a structured conversation. You present your side, the other party presents theirs, and the judge asks questions.
You do not need a lawyer. Texas rules allow individuals to represent themselves in any justice court case. In an eviction, a landlord may send a property manager or authorized agent. A business can be represented by an employee, owner, officer, or partner who isn’t an attorney. If the other side has a lawyer and the amount at stake is significant, a consultation before trial is worth the money even if you plan to appear on your own.
Either party can request a jury by filing a written request at least 14 days before trial and paying a $22 jury fee at the same time. Justice court juries have six members rather than twelve. If nobody requests a jury, the judge decides the case.
Appealing a Decision
Losing at the JP level is not the end. You can appeal to the county court, and the appeal is a completely new trial rather than a review of the JP’s ruling. New evidence and new testimony are allowed.
The deadlines are short and strict. For non-eviction cases, you have 21 days from the date the judge signs the judgment. For eviction cases, you have 5 days, weekends and holidays included. Missing the deadline by a day ends your appeal rights.
Appeals also require a bond or cash deposit unless you qualify for a fee waiver. A defendant appealing owes a bond of twice the judgment amount. A plaintiff appealing owes a $500 bond. You can post cash or have two sureties pledge non-exempt personal property. If you cannot afford the bond, you can file the same Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs described above.
Collecting After You Win
The court does not collect the money for you. If the losing party doesn’t pay on their own, you have to use the legal collection tools.
The usual first step is filing an abstract of judgment with the county clerk in any county where the debtor owns real property. The abstract creates a lien on the debtor’s real estate, so they generally cannot sell or refinance without paying the judgment. The lien lasts ten years.11Texas State Law Library. Judgment Lien – Small Claims Cases Some JP courts have an abstract request form on their website; otherwise the clerk’s window can help you.
If the debtor has reachable assets, you can request a writ of execution, which directs the constable or sheriff to seize non-exempt property and sell it. The Terry County Sheriff charges $250 to execute a writ.9Terry County Sheriff’s Office. Civil Process Information Texas exemptions protect a debtor’s homestead, personal property up to set limits, and retirement accounts, so there are real limits on what you can reach. Understanding those limits up front matters, because collecting a small judgment from someone who refuses to pay is often the hardest part of the case.