New Judicial Courts For Collin County

The backlog of cases at the Collin County Courthouse may begin to ease with a bill creating three new courts for the county sent to Gov. Abbotts's desk for his signature, today, the last day of the 84th Texas Legislature.

After months of discussion, Collin County commissioners voted last February to ask that the state Legislature add two new Family District Courts and one new County Court at Law. The last time Collin County added a district judge was in 2009.

SB 1139, passed in the closing days of the 2015 legislative session, newly creates the 469th and 470th Judicial District Courts to hear family law matters for Collin County. SB 1139 also adds County Court at Law No. 7. to the current list of County Court numbers 1-6.  The 469th and 470th District Courts are added to the current list District courts in Collin County:

• 199th District Court, Judge Angela Tucker
• 219th District Court, Judge Scott J. Becker
• 296th District Court, Judge John Roach, Jr.
• 366th District Court, Judge Ray Wheless
• 380th District Court, Judge Benjamin N. Smith
• 401st District Court, Judge Mark Rusch
• 416th District Court, Judge Chris Oldner
• 417th District Court, Judge Cynthia Wheless
• 429th District Court, Judge Jill Willis

The three new courts will be created on September 1, 2015, the start of Texas' fiscal year. Temporary Judges will initially be appointed to the new courts, with judges elected to a full of office during the 2016 election cycles. These ballot positions will be added to the other elected offices that will appear on 2016 Collin County Primary and General Election ballots.