Cooke County Criminal Courthouse Guide

A visiting or assigned judge. The elected 235th District judge has been recused from felony criminal and district-attorney-related cases, so those matters are reassigned. Confirm the assigned judge, courtroom, and time with the District Clerk before any felony setting.

Search court records through the statewide portal by name or case number, or contact the District Clerk for felonies or the County Clerk for misdemeanors. If you have an attorney, they will track every setting for you.

The Cooke County Courthouse is at 101 S. Dixon Street in downtown Gainesville, the county seat, about 35 miles north of Denton.

Felonies are heard in the 235th District Court (by an assigned judge); misdemeanors are heard in the County Court at Law. Your attorney can confirm your court before the date.

Your first setting is usually an arraignment or announcement, where the charge is confirmed and future dates are set. It is not a trial. Your attorney uses the time afterward to request the State’s evidence and begin negotiations.

After booking at the Cooke County Jail, a magistrate sets bond, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Bond can be paid in full to the county as a cash bond or posted through a licensed bondsman as a surety bond, typically about 10 percent of the amount.

Phones are generally allowed but cannot be used to photograph or record. Weapons, sharp objects, lighters, pepper spray, vapes, and glass or metal containers are not allowed through security, so leave them in your vehicle.

Missing a setting can lead to a bond forfeiture and a warrant for your arrest. If you cannot attend, contact your attorney right away so they can ask the court to reset the date before you miss it.