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Every year, Tarrant
County is a plaintiff or a defendant in more than 4878
civil lawsuits involving matters such as personal
injury, property damage, civil rights, contract
disputes, condemnations, mental health commitments,
family protective orders, bail bond forfeitures, and
more. The Civil Division’s staff of twenty attorneys
and fifteen support personnel provide legal advice and
representation to Tarrant County and its agencies in
non-criminal matters. |
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The Civil Division
provides county officials with research and advice on
complex legal questions relating to their daily
duties. These Tarrant County agencies include the
County Commissioners’ Court, the County Clerk, the
District Clerk, the Tax Assessor-Collector, the
Sheriff, the Constables, the County Administrator, the
Hospital District, the two Civil Service Commissions,
the Medical Examiner, and all other branches of county
government. |
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The Civil Division
provides a wide range of legal services to the Tarrant
County Hospital District, a local governmental entity
created primarily to provide medical and hospital
services to needy residents of Tarrant County. Six
attorneys and six support staff operate a satellite
office on Hospital District property. A number of
attorneys in the Civil Division’s main office also
provide substantial legal services to the Hospital
District. |
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The Civil Division
advises and represents the Hospital District, its
Board of Managers, its Administrator and other
administrative staff, and its other employees. We
provide a broad spectrum of health-law services,
including advice and representation in matters
involving collection, patient care, peer review, and
other staff issues. Other services include handling
requests under the Public Information Act, performing
legal research and writing opinions, giving advice on
policies and procedures, providing educational classes
and seminars, and reviewing and advising the Hospital
District on managed care and other contracts. The
Civil Division’s attorneys also provide counsel at
various management functions, including meetings of
the Hospital District’s governing body. |
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Our representation of
the Hospital District also involves a wide array of
litigation matters at all levels of the state and
federal court systems. Each year, the Civil Division
handles eighty to ninety health care liability and
other claims involving the Hospital District and/or
its staff. |
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Additionally, the Civil
Division processes hundreds of contracts for goods and
services between Tarrant County and commercial
businesses. It is vital for Tarrant County to contract
with commercial businesses to acquire goods and
services necessary for an efficient urban community
government at the lowest possible cost. Our attorneys
use their expertise in the law to draft and review all
such contracts in order to assure that the terms
comply with state law and constitutional requirements. |
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 The Civil Division also
has an attorney dedicated to prosecuting involuntary
mental health commitments for persons in Tarrant
County who need treatment after being medically
certified as a danger to themselves or others. This
attorney, along with an assistant, are located in the
Civil Courts Building with the Protective Orders Unit.
Mental health commitments are filed in the probate
courts and prosecuted weekly in accordance with the
Texas Mental Health Code. Our office handles these
cases with due regard for safeguarding both the
general public and the lawful rights of the patients
involved. Last year, the Civil Division handled 902
mental health cases. |
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Like other urban
counties, Tarrant County and its officers frequently
are drawn into federal courts as a result of the
county’s important public safety and law enforcement
duties, including the operation of the county jail.
Approximately fourteen of these lawsuits are now
pending. These lawsuits are researched, prepared, and
tried by Civil Division attorneys at significant
savings to the taxpayers. The Civil Division is proud
of its success in the federal trial courts and in
appeals to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals. |
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The Civil Division’s
attorneys are highly qualified and respected in the
field of civil trials in state and county courts. They
are continuously engaged in significant trial docket.
These experienced and talented attorneys ensure
Tarrant County taxpayers that their county is expertly
represented in all litigation involving the county. |
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