(a) 
Established.
There is hereby created within the Town of Northlake, Texas, a municipal court of record, which hereafter shall be designated and known as the "Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1." The Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1 shall be officially created and shall commence operations on January 1, 2026.
(1) 
The presently existing and operating municipal court of the town, which is not a court of record, shall cease operations on December 31, 2025, at the time that the Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1 is created and commences operations. Any cases then pending shall be automatically transferred and all records of the municipal court of the town shall, at that time, become records of the Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1, and the "judge of the municipal court" shall, without interruption, then serve as the "judge of the municipal court" for the Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1.
(b) 
Jurisdiction.
The Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1 shall have and exercise such jurisdiction as is granted by the Charter and ordinances of the town and by any laws of this state, including, but not limited to, general jurisdiction provided by Texas Government Code, chapters 29 and 30, that may now exist or may hereafter be passed by the legislature of this state regulating or increasing the jurisdiction of the municipal courts in home rule municipalities.
(1) 
In addition to other jurisdiction provided for herein and in accordance with Texas Government Code, §§ 29.003 and 30.00005(c), the Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1 has concurrent jurisdiction with a justice court in any precinct in which the town is located in criminal cases that arise within the territorial limits of the town and property owned by the town located in the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction and that are punishable only by fine.
(2) 
In addition to other jurisdiction provided for herein in accordance with Texas Government Code, §§ 29.003 and 30.00005(d), the town council by ordinance hereby provides that the Northlake Municipal Court of Record Number 1 has:
(A) 
Civil jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing municipal ordinances enacted under Texas Local Government Code, chapter 214, subchapter A, or Texas Transportation Code, chapter 683, subchapter E;
(B) 
Concurrent jurisdiction with a district court or a county court at law under Texas Local Government Code, chapter 54, subchapter B within the town's territorial limits and over property owned by the town located in the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing health and safety and nuisance abatement ordinances; and
(C) 
Authority to issue:
(i) 
Search warrants for the purpose of investigating a health and safety or nuisance abatement ordinance violation; and
(ii) 
Seizure warrants for the purpose of securing, removing, or demolishing the offending property and removing the debris from the premises.
(c) 
Court reporter.
The municipal court clerk may appoint a court reporter, subject to the final approval of the Town Manager, who must meet the qualifications provided by law for official court reporters, under Texas Government Code, section 30.00010. The court reporter may use written notes, transcribing equipment, video or audio recording equipment, or a combination of those methods to record the proceedings of the court. In the absence of a court reporter, the town council hereby authorizes the court clerk, or the court clerk's designee, to record court proceedings by a good quality electronic recording device in accordance with the requirements of Texas Government Code, section 30.00010(d). Pursuant to Texas Government Code, section 30.00014, the defendant or appellant, as applicable, shall pay the fee for an actual transcription of the proceedings.
(1999 Code, sec. 8.301; Ordinance 25-1113A adopted 11/13/2025)
(a) 
Position created.
There is hereby created the office of “judge of the municipal court.” The municipal court judge shall be appointed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the council. The council may appoint one or more alternate judge(s) who shall have the same qualifications as the judge of the municipal court, to act when the judge of the municipal court fails or is unable to act for any reason.
(b) 
Term; removal.
The judge of the municipal court shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years and may be appointed to additional consecutive terms upon completion of the term of office. The appointment or removal of the Judge shall be at the sole discretion of the council, by majority vote of the full membership of the council. In the event that the town council seeks to remove the judge prior to the completion of the judge’s then current term of office, the judge may request a public hearing prior to his or her removal.
(c) 
Qualifications.
The judge of the municipal court, and all alternate judges, shall be duly qualified attorneys licensed in the state and shall comply with the statutory training requirements to serve as municipal judges. Applications with prior judicial experience shall be preferred.
(d) 
Compensation.
The judge, and alternate judges, may receive compensation as determined by the council.
(Ordinance 21-0513D, sec. 3, adopted 5/13/21)
(a) 
Enforcement.
The ordinances of the town and any and all other applicable codes, ordinances, and statutes may be enforced by the code enforcement officer, or the code enforcement officer's designee.
(b) 
Establishment of code enforcement officer.
There is hereby created the position of code enforcement officer for the town and who shall be appointed by the town manager, and the town manager may appoint such other assistants to the code enforcement officer as may be expedient or necessary. The code enforcement officer shall be a peace officer, or a code enforcement officer as defined in Texas Occupations Code 1952, as amended, who is professionally competent by experience and training to enforce municipal code violations and perform building inspections pursuant to state law. The building official or their designated representatives may serve as a code enforcement officer.
(c) 
Duties of code enforcement officer.
The code enforcement officer shall perform the following duties:
(1) 
Supervise and administer all municipal code and building regulations identified in the ordinances of the town;
(2) 
Supervise and administer code enforcement programs of the town;
(3) 
Perform such other duties as may be required by the town manager;
(4) 
Issue notices of violation or citations to individuals or entities for violations of municipal ordinance, state law, or any other building regulation, administrative rule, or other law, which the code compliance officer may lawfully enforce;
(5) 
To the fullest extent allowed by law, the code enforcement officer is authorized to enter and shall have the right and duty to enter private property to examine a public nuisance, to obtain information to identify the nuisance, and to remove or direct the removal of a nuisance; and
(6) 
The code enforcement officer is authorized to issue notices of violation and citations for violations of the town's ordinances and state law; and
(7) 
The code enforcement officer is hereby designated as a municipal official authorized to obtain a lien against property and file statements under section 7.02.006, as amended.
(d) 
Authority to issue citations or file a municipal court complaint.
The code enforcement officer shall have the power to file a complaint with the municipal court or issue one or more citations to any person to appear in municipal court, if the code enforcement officer or their designee has probable cause to believe that the person is responsible for any offense relating to environmental hazards, fire or health hazards, nuisance violations, unsafe building conditions, and violations of any fire, health, electrical, or building regulation, statute, or other Town ordinance within the jurisdiction of the municipal court.
(Ordinance 25-0828D adopted 8/28/2025)
(a) 
Created.
Pursuant to article 102.017(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a municipal court building security fund is hereby established.
(b) 
Fee established; designated uses.
The municipal court clerk for the town shall collect a security fee from each and every defendant convicted of a misdemeanor offense in the town’s municipal court and deposit said fee into a fund to be known as the courthouse security fund. The courthouse security fund shall be used only to finance those items as specified in V.T.C.A., Code of Criminal Procedure, article 102.017 when used for the purpose of providing security services for buildings housing the municipal court as appropriate.
(c) 
Administration.
The municipal courthouse security fund shall be administered by or under the direction of the town council.
(1999 Code, sec. 8.303; Ordinance adopting Code)
(a) 
Creation.
Pursuant to article 102.0172 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a municipal court technology fund is hereby created.
(b) 
Collection and administration of fund.
(1) 
The municipal court clerk of the town and/or his or her designee shall collect a court technology fee in the amount of $4.00 from each and every defendant convicted of a misdemeanor offense. A fee shall be collected for each and every separate and distinct offense for which a defendant is convicted. Article 102.0172 states that a person is considered convicted if:
(A) 
A sentence is imposed on the person;
(B) 
The person is placed on community supervision, including deferred adjudication community supervision; or
(C) 
The court defers final disposition of the person’s case.
(2) 
The municipal court clerk of the town and/or his or her designee shall collect the costs and pay the funds to the municipal treasurer, or to any other official who discharges the duties commonly delegated to the municipal treasurer, for deposit into a fund to be known as the municipal court technology fund.
(3) 
The municipal court technology fund may be used only to finance the purchase of technology enhancements for a municipal court, including those items as specified in V.T.C.A., Code of Criminal Procedure, article 102.0172.
(4) 
The municipal court technology fund shall be administered by or under the direction of the town council.
(1999 Code, sec. 8.304; Ordinance adopting Code)