*1 _ ‘_ q ‘L ;..c :
CA *’ Jhe Attorney General of Texas c 0':lrober 1. 1985'. '
JIM MATTOX
Attorney General .~. . - Supreme Court Building Honorable Tim Curry '~:~. .% s opinion wo.m-358 P. 0. Box 12546 Criminal District ..Li’ ;.:I’ ~, i? - ..:~.. .~ .~. 1
hlh. TX. 76711. 2546 200 West Belknap Smeet 1 ;.:':I: .Re: -. Whether a separate docket 512l475.2501 Port Worth, Texas .76196 -' .- .'~- sheet la required for the criminal ‘Telex 910/67*.1287 t eiecopier 5121475am docket kept by district clerks _. :, .'I 3:.. : r:.% I Dear Hr. C&y: -i .~: j-. ...', 7 :: :.
714 Jackson. Suite 700 Dallas. TX. 75202-4506 You inquire- whether a d2stric; clerk's duty' to keep a criminal 2141742-8944 docket requires (I, clerk to maintain docket sheet in a separate criminal cases if xhe information is also kept 011 the file jacket. 4624 Alberta Ave.. Suits 160 You advise us that, during the pendeucy of criminal cases, your El Paso, TX. 769052793 district clerk recmxcds on the preprinted file jacket of each case all 91515333404 pertinent informstim regarding, the style and file number, names of
counsel, nature of the case, and subsequent actions and, on the lW1 Texas. Suite 700 disposition of tLz case, InformatIon from the preprinted file Houston. TX. 77002.3111 jacket is typed on s separate docket sheet which is placed inside the 7131222-5855 jacket. In addition. all entries on file jacket are being
microfilmed to inswe their preservation. 806 Broadway, Suite 312 Lubbock. TX. 7S4OM479 You inquire about the docket described by article 33.07 of the 8061747.5236 Code of Criminal Pmcedure. It provides: 4303 N. ienlh. Suite S McAllen. TX. 76501-1665 [51216624547] - juriadic!:!ion shall keep a docket in which shall be set don1 the style and file number of each Each clerk of a court of record having criminal criminal action, the nature of offense, the names of counsel, the proceedings had therein, and 200 Main Plaza. Suite 400 the date of each proceeding. San Antonio, TX. 762052797 [51212254191] An Equal OpportunityI Ailirmalire Aclion Employer .. dockets for See also Code Grim, Proc. art. 33.08 (courts control their setting order, all cases filed in numerical and ~alphabetical . _ . ..I The word "dockmet" has mme.rous mea&s. or crm1na.L cases). It may be an index of a list or
calendar pending judicial ,aatters that are set for specific action. end a record or history of all proceedings and actions taken in a particular matter or ease. See Ballentine's Lav Dictionary 366 (3rd - ed. 1?69). p!. 1636
Bonorablc Tim Curry - Page 2 (JM-358)
For civil cases, Texas Bules of Civil Procedure require the district clerks to keep a file docket "in convenient form,” showing number of the suit. ormar of attorneys and parties to the suit, the nature of suit. thlt officer'r return 00 the process. aud all subsequant proceedings in tlhc care. Rule 25. The clerks must also keep "a court docket in a well bound book" that includes the pleas-. motions, and rulings of the court in each action. Rule 26.
' The Code of Criminal I'xocedure specifies only the information to be kept for the docket that is mandated by article 33.07, which is, in our opinion, a docket indwiug all csaea. not a file docket. con- sequently, it has no bearing ou the manner in vhich the file docket is to be kept. We conclude tlat a clerk who msintaius a criminal docket on a case file jacket in a s,afe and efficient manner complies with the statutory requirement and tbat your clerk may use the preprinted file jacket aa tbe record of the :necessary information.
A district clerk msy use the case file jacket to maintain a file. docket without maintaining the sane information on a sepsrata sheet inside the jacket.
‘JIbt MATTOX Attorney General Texas TON CREBN
First Assistant Attorney Geneera
DAVID R. RICHARDS
Executive Assistant Attorneg General
ROBERT GRAY
Syeci~l Assistant Iteneral
RICE GILPIN
Chairman, Opinion Committee
Prepared by Nancy Sutton ani
Assistant Attorneys General
Honorable Tim Curry - Page 3 ml-358)
APPROVED:
OPINION COHHITTEE
Rick Gilpin. Chairman
Susan Garrison
Jim Moellinger
Jennifer Riggs
Nancy Sutton
Bruce Youngblood