Howard County District Court, Texas Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Civil cases

DFPS affidavits, court reports, and other documents are confidential and maintained as such by the District Clerk; access is limited to specified persons, while others may request access using Exhibit A.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that access to affidavits, court reports, and other documents filed in a suit brought by DFPS pursuant to Chapters 261, 262, and 264 of the Texas Family Code are CONFIDENTIAL and shall be maintained by the District Clerk of Howard County as such. The Clerk of the Court shall allow access to these pleadings, orders, and documents to the court, an associate judge, DFPS employees, employees of a Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) acting as an authorized agent of DFPS, a party, a party's attorney, any attorney ad litem or guardian ad litem for the child, an adoptive parent, and the Office of the Attorney General. Any other person or entity requesting access to a confidential case file subject to this standing order may submit a request to the Court using the form attached as Exhibit "A".