Programs Resources Links Store About TMCEC Contact Us TMCA
Search
Resources - The Recorder

The Recorder is the periodic journal published by the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center as a critical news and information source for municipal courts in Texas.   Subscriptions are free to every municipal court in Texas, and we encourage constituents to subscribe for future Recorders electronically by contacting Patty Thamez, Subject: Request to Receive The Recorder electronically.  Others may purchase an annual subscription for $50.00.  Download an order form here.

Archived copies of The Recorder are available online for download, and may be searched for along with the rest of the TMCEC website using the search engine at the top right corner of your screen

August 2010
Vol. 19, No. 4

 

-Jail House Pleas: Is Rothgery a Tap on the Shoulder or a "Fly in the Ointment" of Local Trial Court Expediency
-Order in the Court: Finding Contempt in Municipal Court
-What Municipal Courts Should Know About the IDEA
-Driving on the Right Side of the Road Information Sheet: Cell Phones and Texting
-Teen Driving

   

July 2010

Vol. 19, No. 3

-Removal of Judges from Texas Cases: Distinguishing Disqualification and Recusal
-Class C Misdemeanors and the Statute of Limitations: Case Closed?
-Controlling the Taint of Criminality: Children and Orders of Nondisclosure
-To Enhance or Not to Enhance? DWLI Revisited
-Underage Drinking in Texas
-Inmate Trust Collection

   

 

March 2010
Vol. 19, No. 2

 

- When is a Court Order Needed to Destroy Evidence?
- Continuing the Case Law Concentration
- A Retrospective Recap of the 81st Regular Legislature
- Moving Violations and Rules of the Road Offenses: New Legislation Requires Courts to Scrutinize the Classification of Offenses
- Unrestrained Children and Unlawful Parking: Using the Code Construction Act to Decode the Confusion
- Examples of Improper Judicial Conduct
- Excerpts from the Annual Judicial Report on the Texas Judicial System (2009)
- Change in OCA Reporting Form

   

December 2009
Vol. 19, No. 1

  - Case Law and Attorney General Opinion Update, Academic Year 2010
- Important Change in Registration Policies
- Rollover Convincer
   

August 2009
Vol. 18, No. 5 

 

- Kids in Court
- Are We Driven to Distraction
- Judges in the Classroom
- What Do People Care About and How is This Related to Municipal Court?

   

Legislative Update 2009
Vol. 18, No. 4 

 

- Legislative Update 2009 with full-text bill summaries

   
 

May 2009
Vol. 18, No. 4

 

- All These Exes Live in Texas
- Retrospection and New Observations on the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act
- Examples of Improper Judicial Conduct
- Judges in the Classroom
- Why Texas Needs a Booster Seat Law
- Online Alcohol Awareness Classes
- The Use of Automatic License Plate Recognition Cameras in Municipal Court Warrant Service
- Behind a Plate Glass Wall: The Importance of Protective Glass at the Clerk's Window

   

January 2009
Vol. 18, No. 3

 

- The Oversimplification of the Assistance of Counsel in the Adjudication of Class C Misdemeanors in Texas
- The ABC's of Municipal Case Law
- Proof of Lawful Status
- Change in OCA Reporting Form
- Learning to Talk to the "Blank Wall"
- Profile of Texas Judges

   

November 2008
Vol. 18, No. 2 

 

- Case Law & Attorney General Opinion Update, Academic Year 2009
- Policy Issues on Status Offenses
- TMCA Announces Outstanding Judge and Clerk of the Year
- To Mark or Not to Mark, Is Your Patrol Vehicle Legal?

   

September 2008 (electronic only)
Vol. 18, No. 1

  - Traffic Safety Awards
- Driving on the Right Side of the Road
- Rules of the Road
- The Code of Judicial Conduct

 

 

August 2008
Vol. 17, No. 4 

 

- DWI Blood Warrants
- Reconsidering Allen: DWLIs New Impact on Municipal Courts
- Making Sense of Rothgery: What the Most Recent Decision of the U.S. Supreme Court Regarding the Sixth Amendment Means to Magistrates in Texas
- Court Management: Performance Indicators on a Shoestring
- Collection Improvement Program Update

   

June 2008
Vol. 17, No. 3 

 

- Sorting Out the Anomaly: Non-Appearance Crimes in Light of Azeez v. State
- Denying Bail in Family Violence Offenders
- Mysterious Hearing Powers: The Municipal Judge as Presiding Officer at Driver's License Suspension Hearings
- Driving on the Right Side of the Road
- Distracted Driving

   

May 2008
Vo. 17, No. 2 

 

- The Role of the Municipal Court in City Government
- City Officials, Here are Six Ways to Drive Your Municipal Judge Crazy
- Armed But Not Dangerous: Obtaining a Concealed Handgun License
- Traffic Safety Awards
- By Hook or Crook: I Maintain that Everything is Fine
- The Interpretation Hub: A Solution for Larger Courts
- Practical Suggestions for Visiting Classrooms
- Driving on the Right Side of the Road
- OCA Annual Report
- Costs of a DWI Arrest
- Impaired Driving Laws in Texas
- Examples of Improper Judicial Conduct

   

December 2007
Vol. 17, No. 1 

 

- Case Law And Attorney General Opinion Update, Academic Year 2008
- The Important Role of Municipal Judges in Child Passenger Safety
- TMCA Names 2007 Judge and Clerk of the Year
- 2008 Texas State Warrant Roundup
- Traffic Safety Can Go Far Beyond the Traffic Stop
- Traffic Safety Initiatives: Traffic Safety Award 

   

Summer 2007
Vol. 16, No. 5 

 

- Driving Across the Border: Mexico DLs and Financial Responsibility   
- Domestic Violence: Firearm Admonishments in Misdemeanor Convictions
- General Counsel's Column: Coming to Terms with the 80th Session
- Hate Crime Conundrum: Are They Going Unprosecuted?
- Collections Corner: OmniBase and Failure to Appear
- In Appreciation
- Celebrate Municipal Court Week: November 5-9, 2007
- No More Best Practices
- TMCEC 2006-2007 Program Evaluations

   

Legislative Update 2007
Vol. 16, No. 4 

 

- Legislative Update 2007 with full-text bill summaries

   

May 2007
Vol. 16, No. 3 

 

- Legal Basis For Legislative Continuances
- Citations, Part II
- Born to be a Collector
- Clerks' Corner: Who Can Accept Payments from Defendants?
- Child Support Magistration: Do Municipal Court Judges Have Authority to Magistrate Child Support Offenders?
- General Counsel's Column: The Death of Local Courts Costs: Are the Juvenile Case Manager, Court Security, and Technology Funds in Peril?
- 75 Percent of Young Texans Affected by Dating Violence

 
 

March 2007
Vol. 16, No. 2 

 

- Bail Bonds for All, Reprise
- Citations - Part I
- Examples of Improper Judicial Conduct
- The Efficient Disposition of DWI Cases: Best Practices
- Clerks' Corner: The Winds of Change
- Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Court Interpreters
- Assessing Threats in Our Courts
- Public Safety Training and Red Light Camera Enforcement
- Costs and Benefits of Improving Traffic Safety in Your Community

   

December 2006
Vo. 16, No. 1 

 

- Case Law Update
- Statewide Warrant Roundup Planned for March 2007
- Starting a Marshal's Office
- State Bar Provides Criticism "Hotline"
- 2006 TMCA Judge and Clerk of the Year Announced
- MCLE Fees
- How to Read a Legal Citation
- ReportMyTeen.com
- Traffic Safety Tips 2006
- Truck Crash Facts & Survivors Guide
- Program Evaluations 2006

 

 

Summer 2006
Vol. 15, No. 5 

 

- "Buckle Up in Your Truck": Fact Sheet and Talking Points
- Clerks' Corner FAQ
- Faculty Appreciation
- Driver Responsibility Program & Moving Violation List
- Legal Advice and Legal Information: A Clerk's Dilemma
- What Are Crimes of Moral Turpitude?

   

August 2006
Vol. 15, No. 4 

 

- Contemplating Contempt Power
- The Ethics of CDL Masking
- Clerks' Corner: Use of Credit Cards, Handling Hot Checks
- Ethics Opinions 291 and 292
- Untangling the Court Technology Web
- About the 80 mph Speed Limit

   

July 2006
Vol. 15, No. 3 

 

- Should Your Municipal Court Become a Court of Record
- Certification Incentives around the State
- Municipal Court Clerks Certification Program: Improving the Local Administration of Justice
- Collection Improvement Program: "The Future of Court Collections"
- General Counsel's Column: Dismissals & Instanter Arrests
- Seven Dollars that Add Up: An Inside Look at the Municipal Court Building Security and Technology Funds
- Electronically Created Records
- Enforcing Municipal Ordinances in the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
- Magistrate's Duty to Order the Installation of Ignition Interlock Devices
- Traffic Safety Note

   

May 2006
Vol. 15, No. 2 

 

- News on Traffic Safety in Texas
- Ethics Update: Public Statement No. PS-2006-1
- Change to Rules of Judicial Education
- General Counsel's Column: Read Any Good AG Opinions Recently?
- Caseflow Management in Texas Municipal Courts
- Bulk Requests: The “Ticket Stop” Example
- Apathy in Our Courts, Death on Our Roads
- Click It or Ticket

   

December 2005
Vol. 15, No. 1 

 

- Texas Magistrates: Gatekeepers to Indigent Defense
- TMCA Recognizes Oustanding Judge & Clerk of 2005
- Change in DSC Certificates
- New Collection Law: Problem or Opportunity?
- Case Law Update & Attorney General Opinion Update

   

August 2005

Vol. 14, No. 6 

  - Legislative Update 2005 with full text bill summaries
   

June 2005
Vol. 14, No. 5 

 

- Recent Ethics Opinions
- Contemporary Prosecutorial Ethical Dilemmas
- Setting Up a Collection Program
- The Fair Defense Act: Whose Job Is It Anyway? Part 2
- Clerks' Corner FAQ  

   

April/May 2005
Vol. 14, No. 4

 

- Teen Court and the Aftermath
- Amarillo Municipal Court: A Look at Collections, Compliance and Impact
- The Fair Defense Act: Whose Job Is It Anyway? Part 1
- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driver’s License Suspension
- Farmers Branch Municipal Court: A Great Place to Work!
- Dispelling Confusion: Requests for Records Pertaining to Juveniles  

   

March 2005
Vol. 14, No. 3 

  - Military Service and Municipal Courts
- But I Already Paid My Fine! DPS Points & Surcharges
- Regional Databases: Not Just a Warrant List
- Clerks' Corner: DL Suspensions
 
 

December 2004
Vol. 14, No. 2 

 

- Municipal Courts Enhance Their Technological Services
- Recent Ethics Opinions
- General Counsel's Column: Designated Funds & Pretrial Distraction
- The Collections Process: How to Handle Delinquencies
- Clerks’ Role in Judgments and Capias Pro Fines
- Magistrate’s Authority to Issue Search
- Case Law Update 

   

October 2004
Vol. 14, No. 1 

 

- FAQs from the 800 Line
- General Counsel's Column: Juvenile Confessions
- TMCA Recognizes Clerk and Judge of the Year
- Tips and Tricks for Personal Computing
- Appeals from Municipal Court Judgments
- Financial Evaluation and the Defendant Interview
- Program Evaluations 2004 

   

July 2004
Vol. 13, No. 6 

 

- CaseMail - Yet another Way Email Makes Life Easier
- Establishing the Identity of Foreign Nationals
- Magistrates, Jurisdiction and Open Courts
- Complaints, Complaints, Complaints: Don’t Let the Language of the Law Confuse You
- The Fine Collections System
- The Clerk’s Role in Preparing Complaints
- Spanish for Bailiffs

   

May 2004
Vol. 13, No. 5 

 

- Handling Requests for Court Records
- Appeals – Myths and Facts
- Top 10 Things for Bailiffs to Do During Trial Other than Catching Up on Sleep
- Collections Tool: Skip Tracing
- General Counsel's Column: Jail Credit and Community Service
- Writ of Procedendo: Enforcing Judgments Post-Appeal
- Judgments Post Appeal
- Recent Ethics Opinions
- Judges: Putting Technology to Work for You

   

March 2004
Vol. 13, No. 4 

 

- Administrative Adjudication of Parking and Stopping Offenses
- Focus on ... Bail Bond Forfeiture
- Court Budget Planning during Lean Time
- Collections Tool: The Telephone
- General Counsel's Column: Article 15.18 Out-of-County Pleas
- Interlocal Agreements for Jail Service; Don’t Get Locked into a Bad Contract
- Serving the Community while Avoiding Getting Served
- Prisoner Transportation

   

January 2004
Vol. 13, No. 3 

 

- Amnesty 2004
- Case Law & Attorney General Opinion Update
- Read and Discuss the Canons
- Examples of Improper Judicial Conduct
- General Counsel's Column: Demeanor, Diligence, & Competence
- Caseload Trends in the Municipal Courts 2003
- Municipal Court Building Security Fund Revisisted

   

December 2003
Vol. 13, No. 2 

 

- Two Wrongs Didn’t Make It Right - Private Collections
- Courtroom Security – A Matter of Communication
- Language Interpreters in Court
- General Counsel's Column: Special Session, Collections, & Youth
- TMCA Names Outstanding Judge & Clerk of the Year

   

November 2003
Vol. 13, No. 1 

 

- Legislative Issues
- Rules of the Road Offense Chart

   

August 2003
Vol. 12, No. 6 

 

- Legislative Update 2003 with full bill text summaries

   

July 2003
Vol. 12, No. 5 

 

- Gender Bias in Court
- Family Violence Policy Good for Workplace
- Magistrate’s Order for Emergency Protection Issue
- Domestic and Family Violence: Vicarious Trauma and Judges
- Recent CCA Opinion: Lidar or Radar
- General Counsel's Column: Constitutional & Statutory Victims’ Rights

   

May 2003
Vol. 12, No. 4 

 

- Clerks' Corner: Counting Time
- The Future of Court Security
- Broadening the Pool: Representative Jury Pools
- Mediation Referrals and Orders from Municipal Courts
- Writing an Effective E-mail Policy
- General Counsel's Column: The Role of the Prosecutor
- An Overview of Collections Programs
- Waiver of Right to Appeal in Local Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction

   

March 2003
Vol. 12, No. 3 

 

- Appeals from Non-Record vs. Record Municipal Courts
- General Counsel's Column: Vienna Convention, Seat Belt Fines & Fines and Special Expense Fees in Deferred Disposition
- Insights into Diversity
- E-mail—To Delete or Not To Delete
- Foreign National Procedures
- How a Court Becomes a Court of Record
- Legal Q & A: Removal from Office
- Pay or Lay: Tate v. Short Revisited
- Warrant Officer/Marshal: Benefits vs. Cost

   

February 2003
Vol. 12, No. 2 

 

- Attorney General Opinions Update
- New Year's Computer Cleaning
- General Counsel's Column: Crimes Committed in Municipal Courts
- Court Costs Exercise
- Juveniles Now Adults
- Questioned Court Documents: Decreasing the Use of False Identities
- Designing a Court Security Plan
- Advancements in Court Technology

   

December 2002
Vol. 12, No. 1 

 

- Court Security
- Motions in Limine: A Judge’s Perspective
- Using Videoconferencing for 15.17 Hearings
- General Counsel's Column: Pretrial Hearings and Conferences, and CDLs
- Sending the Message with Amnesty Programs and Warrant Round-ups
- Case Law and Attorney General Update
- TMCA Recognizes Outstanding Judge & Clerk of the Year

   

Summer 2002
Vol. 11, No. 9  

  - Court Decorum Special Issue 
   

August 2002
Vol. 11, No. 8 

 

- Diversity Special Issue 

   

August 2002
Vol. 11, No. 7

 

- Deferred Adjudication is not Deferred Disposition
- Delineating the Four Rules of Expunction for Kids 
- Police Interactions with Juveniles
- Shame-based Sentencing: Thinking "Outside of the Box" or "Out of Bounds?"

   

July 2002
Vol. 11, No. 6 

 

- Vehicle Modifications
- What Is a Psychosocial Assessment?
- Moving Toward Paperless Courts
- Mayors, Magistrates, and Judges; Whose Job Is It?
- Deferred Disposition: Thinking Outside of the Box vs. Abuse of Discretion
- General Counsel's Column Recent Actions by the Commission on Judicial Conduct  

   

May 2002
Vol. 11, No. 5 

 

- Racial Profiling and Pretext Stops
- Public Perception, Road Rage and the Role of the Court
- Are You Getting the Most from Your Prosecutor?
- “Well, Officer ... About That Driver’s License”
- Traffic Technology

   

March 2002
Vol. 11, No. 4 

 

- The Bottom Line on Juvenile Contempt
- Local Court Costs
- General Counsel's Column: In-Court Judicial Misconduct & Victim Impact Panels
- Enhancements in Municipal Court
- Ethics Update
- Hate Crimes: Prosecute in Municipal Court?
- Justice Information Systems
- Graduated Driver’s License

   

February 2002
Vol. 11, No. 3 

 

- Attorney General Opinions and Open Records Decisions
- Constitutional Amendment Changes
- Destination of "Anti-bribery” Affidavit
- Indigent Defense Bill
- Sexual Harassment
- Court of Criminal Appeals: Rules of Judicial Education
- Ethics Advisory Opinions
- Launching Your Court onto the Web  

   

December 2001
Vol. 11, No. 2 

 

- Federal and State Case Law Update
- Testifying on Juvenile Magistration
- Collect on Those Warrants
- Rules & Deadlines for Court Interpreters
- General Counsel's Column: Out-of-County Magistration & Round Ups
- An Introduction to Court Technology

   

September 2001
Vol. 11, No. 1 

 

- Jail Credit: Attorney General Opinion
- First Clerk Achieves Full Certification
- Seven Habits of Highly Effective Judges
- Community Court Approach to Repeat Offenders

   

August 2001
Vol. 10, No. 5 

  - Legislative Update 2001 with full bill text summaries 
   

July 2001
Vol. 10, No. 4 

  - Legislative Update: Early Edition
   

May 2001
Vol. 10, No. 3 

 

- Innovations in Juvenile Procedure
- Lago Vista Prevails
- OCA Annual Report
- Common Juvenile Disorders
- Keys to Successful Community Service
- Tobacco Community Service
- Texas Teen Courts
- Juvenile Age
- Case Law Update

   

March 2001
Vol. 10, No. 2 

 

- Magistrations: Remote Video and Bond Conditions
- Ethics Advisory Opinions
- Improper Judicial Conduct
- Records Retention Program

   

August 2000
Vol. 9, No. 5 

 

- Magistration Under Article 15.17, C.C.P
- Election and Jury Punishment in Municipal Courts
- Prejudgment Jail Credit
- Rule 12 and Access to Court Records

   

July 2000
Vol. 9, No. 4 

 

- Unauthorized Practice of Law and Pro Se Practice
- Custody of Juveniles and Taking Statements
- Funds for Juvenile Programs
- School Violence and Its Impact on the Courts
- Tobacco Awareness and Community Service

   

June 2000
Vol. 9, No. 3 

 

- Case Law Update
- Frequently Asked Questions

   

April 2000
Vol. 9, No. 2 

 

- Attorney General Opinion Updates
- Clerks' Certification Program Surveyed

   

February 2000
Vol. 9, No. 1 

 

- Knowingly Removing Knowingly From Your Complaints
- DPS Honoring Community Service Suspensions
- Ethics Update

   

 

Article Submission 

Members of our constituency are encouraged to submit articles on effective municipal court procedures and practices, pertinent issues involving municipal courts, or letters that raise noted concerns experienced by our readership.  Please submit articles and letters to:

Texas Municipal Courts Education Center
1609 Shoal Creek Blvd., Suite 302
Austin, Texas  78701
Or at tmcec@tmcec.com, Subject: Submission for The Recorder 

The Recorder follows the new style manual: ALWD Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation.  Copies may be obtained by calling Aspen Publishers at 800.638.8437 or at www.aspenpublishers.com. The ALWD manual was selected over other citation manuals for its clarity, brevity, and the resultant ease with which our readers will be able to effectively locate cited sources within this work.