(A) 
In accordance with the provisions of the City Charter and applicable state law, there is hereby created a Municipal Court of Record of the City, comprised of as many divisions as the City Council deems necessary.
(B) 
Each Municipal Court division shall have and exercise concurrent jurisdiction with the other Municipal Court divisions, the jurisdiction being that which is conferred on all Municipal Courts by state law.
(C) 
The Municipal Court divisions may be in concurrent and continuous session, either day or night.
(D) 
The Municipal Court of Record of the City, including any and all divisions, has, without limitation:
(1) 
The jurisdiction provided by law for Municipal Courts;
(2) 
Jurisdiction over criminal cases arising under ordinances authorized by section 217.042 of the Texas Local Government Code;
(3) 
Civil jurisdiction to enforce a municipal ordinance adopted under subchapter A, chapter 214 of the Texas Local Government Code;
(4) 
Civil jurisdiction to enforce a municipal ordinance adopted under subchapter E, chapter 683 of the Texas Transportation Code;
(5) 
Concurrent jurisdiction with a district court or a county court at law under subchapter B, chapter 54 of the Texas Local Government Code, within the municipality’s territorial limits and property owned by the municipality located in the municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing health and safety and nuisance abatement ordinances;
(6) 
Appellate jurisdiction from administrative hearings conducted under section 54.044 of the Texas Local Government Code, a determination made by the Supervisor of Animal Services under subchapter B, chapter 822, Texas Health and Safety Code, or as otherwise provided by law; and
(7) 
Authority to issue:
(a) 
Search warrants for the purpose of investigating a health and safety or nuisance abatement ordinance violation; and
(b) 
Seizure warrants for the purpose of securing, removing, or demolishing the offending property and removing the debris from the premises.
(Ordinance 4214, sec. 1, adopted 5/17/88; Ordinance 6009, sec. 4, adopted 6/6/06; Ordinance 6534, sec. 8, adopted 4/3/12)
(A) 
A Municipal Court Judge shall preside over each of the Municipal Court divisions.
(B) 
There will be a Chief Judge of the Municipal Court, who will distribute cases among the Municipal Court divisions. The Chief Judge may transfer cases from one Municipal Court division to another, and may assign judges to preside over various divisions.
(C) 
Associate Municipal Court Judges and temporary Municipal Court Judges may be appointed as the City Council deems necessary.
(D) 
A Municipal Court Judge may transfer cases and preside over any of division of the Municipal Court, unless such action is prohibited by directive of the chief judge.
(Ordinance 5148, sec. 1, adopted 1/20/98)
(A) 
There shall be a Clerk of the Municipal Court, appointed by the City Manager. The Clerk of the Municipal Court also holds the position of Court Administrator and Director of Court Services.
(B) 
Under the direction of the City Manager, the Clerk of the Municipal Court shall:
(1) 
Maintain accurate dockets and minutes for each Municipal Court division created under this chapter and as completed by the Municipal Judges;
(2) 
Have custody of all documents and papers relating to the business of the Municipal Court divisions;
(3) 
Supervise the collection of fines imposed by the Municipal Court;
(4) 
Maintain complaints for all cases in Municipal Court for which a complaint is required by law;
(5) 
Supervise the administration of arrest warrants; and
(6) 
Perform such other duties as are provided by Charter, ordinance, or state law.
(C) 
The Clerk of the Municipal Court may appoint Deputy Clerks who, when acting under his direction, shall have the authority to perform all acts required of the Clerk of the Municipal Court by Charter, ordinance, or state law.
(A) 
There shall be levied and collected from the defendant all necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in any arrest for the defendant’s failure to appear on a personal bond.
(B) 
In all cases wherein defendants are to appear before the Municipal Court of the City and they fail to appear as required by law or have appeared in court and they fail to abide by court order, a warrant of arrest or capias shall be issued. After issuance and service of warrant or capias and a determination of guilty, a special expense, not to exceed the sum allowed by law per warrant or capias, shall be taxed against said defendant as cost to be paid into the City treasury for the use and benefit of the City.
(C) 
Collection of the fines and special expenses provided for herein shall be by execution against the property of the defendant, imprisonment of the defendant, or both.
(D) 
Security fee:
(1) 
There shall be levied and collected from a defendant convicted for a misdemeanor offense in the Municipal Court of Record a security fee in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, as a cost of court.
(2) 
In this subsection, a person is considered convicted if:
(a) 
A sentence is imposed on the person;
(b) 
The person receives community supervision, including deferred adjudication; or
(c) 
The court defers final disposition of the person’s case.
(3) 
It shall be the duty of the court clerk to collect the costs for deposit in a fund to be known as the Municipal Court building security fund, which may be used only to finance the following items when used for the purpose of providing security services for buildings housing a Municipal Court:
(a) 
The purchase or repair of x-ray machines and conveying systems;
(b) 
Handheld metal detectors;
(c) 
Walk through metal detectors;
(d) 
Identification cards and systems;
(e) 
Electronic locking and surveillance equipment;
(f) 
Security personnel during times when they are providing appropriate security services;
(g) 
Signage;
(h) 
Confiscated weapon inventory and tracking systems; or
(i) 
Locks, chains, or other security hardware.
(4) 
The Municipal Court building security fund shall be administered by or under direction of the City Council.
(E) 
Technology fund:
(1) 
There is hereby created and established a Municipal Court technology fund pursuant to article 102.0172 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A defendant convicted for a misdemeanor offense in the Municipal Court of Record shall be assessed and shall pay a technology fee in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, as a cost of court. For purposes of this subsection, a defendant is considered convicted if a sentence is imposed on the defendant, the defendant is placed on community supervision (including deferred adjudication community supervision), or the court defers final disposition of the defendant’s case.
(2) 
Funds collected under this subsection shall be maintained in a separate fund to be known as the Municipal Court technology fund. The Municipal Court technology fund shall be used only to finance the purchase of technological enhancements for the Garland Municipal Court of Record including:
(a) 
Computer systems;
(b) 
Computer networks;
(c) 
Computer hardware;
(d) 
Computer software;
(e) 
Imaging systems;
(f) 
Electronic kiosks;
(g) 
Electronic ticket writers; or
(h) 
Docket management systems.
(Ordinance 4925, sec. 1, adopted 12/19/95; Ordinance 5438, sec. 1, adopted 2/1/00; Ordinance 5906, sec. 1, adopted 6/21/05; Ordinance 7363 adopted 9/6/2022)
(A) 
The Office of the City Marshal shall provide security support for municipal facilities, conduct parking enforcement, serve as bailiffs of the municipal court, transfer prisoners being held on city warrants, execute warrants of arrest, subpoenas, capias and summons, and such other legal process issuing out of the municipal court, and perform all other nontraditional law enforcement duties and functions permitted by law and a by the City Manager.
(B) 
The City Marshal shall be selected and appointed by the City Manager, shall meet all qualifications necessary to be certified as a Peace Officer by the state commission on law enforcement officer standards and education, shall hold a commission as a State Peace Officer, and shall hire and appoint Deputy City Marshals to assist in performing nontraditional law enforcement duties and functions permitted by law and assigned by the City Manager.
(Ordinance 4821, sec. 1, adopted 11/1/94; Ordinance 6384, sec. 1, adopted 3/23/10; Ordinance 7642 adopted 1/6/2026)
(A) 
Court reporter need not be present at court proceeding.
Instead of providing a court reporter at trial or during any other court proceeding, proceedings in a Municipal Court of Record may be recorded by a good-quality recording device. The recording may be made by the judge, or by an employee of the Municipal Court designated by the court for that purpose. Proceedings which are appealed shall be transcribed from the recording by an official court reporter.
(Ordinance 5148, sec. 2, adopted 1/20/98)
(A) 
Definitions.
In this section:
(1) 
Case
shall mean an individual judicial action, criminal or otherwise, filed in the Municipal Court system.
(2) 
Unadjudicated case
shall mean a case that does not have a final judgment.
(B) 
Unadjudicated cases.
Except as provided in subsection (C) below, all unadjudicated cases that have been on file in the Municipal Court for more than five years may be dismissed by motion of the prosecutor for administrative convenience.
(C) 
Family violence.
A case filed in the Municipal Court alleging an offense involving “family violence” within the meaning of section 71.004 of the Texas Family Code shall not be dismissed under subsection (B) except on motion of the State or defendant approved by the Court.
(D) 
Adjudicated cases.
A judgment pro fina less than $100.00 that has remained unpaid for a of period five years or more may be purged from the courts records for administrative convenience.
(Ordinance 5784, sec. 1, adopted 12/2/03; Ordinance 6841, sec. 1, adopted 6/21/16)