What is the jurisdiction of the 133rd Civil District Court of Harris County?

District courts are courts of general jurisdiction and they are the primary trial courts in Texas. Article V, Section 8 of the Texas Constitution extends a district court’s potential jurisdiction to “all actions” but makes such jurisdiction relative by excluding any matters in which exclusive, appellate, or original jurisdiction is conferred by law upon some other court.

Civil district courts have jurisdiction in civil matters with a minimum monetary limit but no maximum limit. The amount of the lower limit is currently unclear. The courts of appeals have split opinions on whether the minimum amount in controversy must exceed $200 or $500.

In those counties having statutory county courts, the district courts generally have exclusive jurisdiction in civil cases where the amount in controversy is $100,000 or more, and concurrent jurisdiction with the statutory county courts in cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $500 but is less than  $100,000.

A Full Time Judge Serving Harris County

Since becoming Judge of the 133rd Civil District Court of Harris County in January of 2009, Judge McFarland has presided over hundreds of complex jury trials — some lasting for months. Judge McFarland believes that the taxpayers of Harris County elected her as a trial judge, and they are going to get a trial judge while she is on the bench.

From “Texas Courts Online, Overview of Courts System Structure and Jurisdiction”