Art. 4.07 JURISDICTION OF COUNTY COURTS

Texas county courts handle misdemeanor criminal cases. They can hear a misdemeanor case as long as it's not a type of case that only justice courts are allowed to handle. The county court also gets to hear the case if the possible fine is more than $500.

In simple terms, this rule sets up a dividing line between justice courts and county courts for minor criminal charges. If a misdemeanor case doesn't belong exclusively to the justice court, or if the punishment could include a fine over $500, the county court is the proper place to bring the charge. This helps decide which court a criminal case should start in based on how serious the potential punishment is.